Opinion| 'Let them eat trifle': The duality of modern Britain

'Let them eat cake’ is the now infamous quote of 18th century French Queen Marie Antoinette as people were starving outside of the palace gates.

It cost £12 million to print a special edition Platinum Jubilee book for each schoolchild, but they can’t eat it. Perhaps they can eat trifle instead. The trifle is the official ‘jubilee dessert’ and can cost upwards of £30 to make.

As we see column inches stacking up about stories of starvation and poverty, bills soaring and set to rocket up further later this year – the pomp and ceremony surrounding the jubilee highlights the duality of modern Britain.

It’s not the Queen’s fault, her sincerity and devotion to this country is nothing short of admirable.

No doubt, the increase in consumer spending will boost the economy and aid local eateries and pubs.

But underneath the merriment, the hanging of bunting, and a golden carriage pulling around a hologram – is a grey reality, one that shows the seams of our society falling apart.

We have the biggest dining table in the world, sitting outside a luxurious palace, and the people outside waving flags furiously could have potentially spent a week’s worth of shopping just to be there.

I’m not saying the Royals should move out and hang their custom made designer clothes on the shoulders of the poor, nor am I advocating a dissolution of the monarchy.

The Royal Family has been a tourist boon for decades, and funnels revenue into the country’s coffers. This is beneficial for society at large.

The Queen also acts as a steadfast symbol of unity and grace, many feeling as if her gloved hands are wrapped around the country like a protective mother.

But it’s time for the government to wake up. It’s time for businesses to take care of their employees. Energy companies are turning over record profits this year, while record numbers of people file up outside the food bank.

The loyalty of the people of Britain was displayed en masse at the weekend. The country is not loyal to them. The government will watch them starve and choose between running their car and feeding their children. Yet they still want to pay homage to the land, dutifully and with vigour.

The cost of a pint in London is now £8 with inflation, almost an hour’s worth of work for some people. The meaning of the word jubilee comes from the Hebrew and described by the sounding of a ram’s horn on the Day of Atonement. Will this government choose to atone?