King and Country

King and Country
Re “Heart of a King” [Nov. 4]: A plus for His Royal Highness Prince Charles. I always was sympathetic to him amid all the bad press and myths written about him in the past — not only because I was also born in 1948. But what struck me always was his stolid individuality and love for conservation, including saving his bathwater for the garden (another myth?). And best of all, his mended garments, “more patch than original,” are commendable for a prince.
Cleotilde How,
Manila

There is a reason why many tell their children fairy tales of heroic princes. Only through early indoctrination can anyone reach adulthood and believe a monarchy has any place in a modern democratic society. The article made barely a passing reference to the millions of us in the U.K. who fight tirelessly to rid our society of a family that epitomizes the disease of class, privilege and entitlement that still infects our austerity-crippled nation.
Ross Lewis,
North Shields, England

Gender Equality
Re “Boys Won’t Be Boys” [Nov. 4]: The idea of gender equality is a good one to a point. There are obvious differences between men and women, and this should be celebrated, not hidden.
Bill McCarthy,
Yeronga, Australia

As an expatriate from the U.K. residing in Sweden for 50 years, I have been able to follow the developments in Swedish society. The article gives the impression that Sweden is a very open society that gladly and easily accepts changes. This is far from the truth. On the contrary, Swedes are often closed and conservative. Despite the ongoing secularization, there are many who feel that much of this is against the law of nature.
Fred Campbell,
Kristianstad, Sweden

We lived in Sweden for several years. One of our daughters was born there. She played football. Our other daughter did not. Gender stereotypes were not encouraged, but girls were not forced to partake in stereotypically boyish activities and vice versa. This all changed when we moved to Germany. Boys did not ring our bell anymore to ask if our daughter wanted to come and play football, and birthday parties were restricted to one gender. We only noticed how strongly gender distinctions still exist when we moved away from Sweden.
Nicola Stöhr,
Brüggen, Germany

Barbarism Lives On
I was saddened by the article “Reshaping the Army” [Nov. 4]. It reminded me that thousands of young people are taken up in defense forces every year to be indoctrinated and brainwashed so that they would be willing to kill other people. How primitive and barbaric can we get? We have not progressed much since humans came out of caves 30,000 years ago.
Pieter E. Claassen,
Stellenbosch, South Africa

Immigration Nation
Re “Britain’s Risky Race-Baiting” [Nov. 4]: Nick Cohen’s Viewpoint regarding David Cameron and illegal immigrants fails to note the underswell of feeling that the British are strangers in their own country, which cuts across party affiliations and is potentially very dangerous. A similar outlook led to the rise of Hitler, democratically voted in by an electorate who saw themselves as disenfranchised by external forces, and all too ready to act to correct this perceived injustice.
Terrance Mills,
Harrow, England

To Eat, or Not to Eat?
Conversation [Nov. 4]: I read Irmak Nur Sunal’s comment and wish to point out that during the times being referring to, we probably didn’t have all the genetically modified crops we have today. We live more on processed foods, and as such, it would be advisable to adhere to the expiry dates on packages.
Funto Adebayo,
Lagos, Nigeria