Plastiqueen

The Tab has long suspected that Cherwell and its website are fundamentally unreliable news organs, lacking the journalistic rigour we know our own readers value so highly.

But to believe something without proof was, we felt, to compromise our intellectual integrity – and as Oxford students that was an uncomfortable position to be in.

So it was a relief to discover just the evidence our hypothesis needed and, what’s more, to show our rivals up as potentially disrespectful and even disloyal subjects of their Sovereign, Her Majesty The Queen.

In this article from June 2011 on Birthday honours- still easily accessible on the website- the image of the Queen used was not the living, breathing, reigning, diamond jubileeing monarch we’ve all come to know and love.

Instead it was this rather dodgy interpretation viewed by thousands every day at Madame Tussaud’s.  Honestly guys, how hard is it to find a picture of your Queen?

The Tussaud’s ‘likeness’…

Royalist anger, while understandably dampened by the fact the blooper occurred almost two years ago, was quick in coming. Confessed Cavalier Charles Bridge, an historian in Christ Church, thought Cherwell should be lucky we live in such liberal times.

“Five hundred years ago, they just didn’t stand for this sort of nonsense. Henry VIII sharpened his axe for far less – just look at poor old Thomas More. The wrath was terrible, retribution swift”

But others saw Cherwell’s blunder as a novel way to reduce the intensity of the media spotlight on royals.

Emily Davies, a second year lawyer, reckoned “Kate and that are always complaining about being photographed.  Madame Tussaud’s has a model of her that could be put to use for publicity shots- and the model would probably not have as many qualms about doing racier pictures for the continental market.”

The re(g)al deal?

The Tussaud’s pic was taken from the flickr account of Oregon resident and waxwork model fan Mary Harrsch, a self-confessed “politically liberal, independent woman who is passionately interested in technology, history, and education” (The Tab’s dream gal by the sounds of things).

Mary is blameless, but the same cannot be said for Cherwell.

Off with their Eds!