Top historian labels Queen as an uneducated philistine

The British monarch, Queen Elizabeth has been scornfully labelled as uneducated by one of Britains most high-profile historians, David Starkey, who likens her to Nazi Joseph Goebbels.

Melbourne, Dec 24 : The British monarch, Queen Elizabeth has been scornfully labelled as uneducated by one of Britain's most high-profile historians, David Starkey, who likens her to Nazi Joseph Goebbels.

Starkey accused the British monarch of being a philistine, and being poorly educated.

Famous for his controversial views, the historian claimed that the Queen was least concerned for her predecessors, and was only interested in her own reign and her own appearance to the public.

"I think she's got elements a bit like Goebbels in her attitude to culture," The Guardian quoted Starkey as saying.

Recalling an incident when he showed the Queen around an exhibition he had curated about Elizabeth I in 2003, Starkey said that she was more preoccupied with the fact that her drink arrived late.

He revealed that the Queen's only comment on the exhibition was on one of the objects that belonged to her.

Comparing the Queen with Elizabeth I, who, like the current monarch, acceded to the throne at the age of 25, Starkey said that Elizabeth I was "20 times as well educated" and had "either five or six languages".

Starkey was also surprised by the fact that the Queen appeared to have little interest in knowing about her ancestors before her grandfather George V.

Referring to her Christmas broadcasts, he said that she rarely talked about other monarchs, and mentioned Elizabeth I just once in her speech.

"It's quite fascinating because her frames of reference to the monarchy, despite this 1500-year history, are entirely her father and grandfather. There is a reference to Elizabeth I. It was in the second Christmas broadcast when, I remember vividly, there was this talk about a second Elizabethan age," said Starkey.

"Elizabeth turns to this in her broadcast and says, 'Frankly, I do not myself feel at all like my Tudor forebear, who was blessed with neither husband nor children, who ruled as a despot and was never able to leave her native shores'," he added.

Starkey did not quite approve of Princess Diana also, and labelled her "sad, hysterical, self-abusing (and) extraordinarily destructive".

Starkey will be discussing whether it is time for the monarchy to cut itself free from the Church of England, in a TV program to be broadcast on Boxing Day.

He, however, suggested that Prince Charles might be the monarchy's best hope for survival.

ANI