Edwin Poots was right to oppose this suggestion. This would never have emerged as a serious proposition had it not been for some republicans booing the national anthem at the recent game between Northern Ireland and Scotland.

If Mr McCrea is such a true royalist himself, why on earth would he advocate making this significant concession to republicans in dishonouring Her Majesty the Queen?

As for the criticism of Jeffrey Donaldson attending an Indian cultural event, I find this quite bizarre coming from someone who is supposed to be a royalist. After all, India is the largest nation in the British Commonwealth, headed by Her Majesty the Queen, and Mr Donaldson was received at the event by Lord Rana, who is a peer of the realm.

It is right that as a member of Her Majesty's Privy Council and a Minister of the Crown, Mr Donaldson should attend this cultural event to mark the strong links between our two countries. To describe the wearing of a traditional Indian garland as 'garish party garb' is an insult to the Indian community in Northern Ireland and only serves to promote the kind of prejudice that causes racial tension.

I previously witnessed Prince Charles, our future head of state, attend a similar event whilst visiting India where he, too, was presented with a garland. Does so-called 'True Royalist' believe that Prince Charles should also be subjected to such criticism?

I must say that when it comes to attending cultural events, I have far more concern about Mr McCrea's attendance at the Gay Pride parade earlier this summer, where bystanders were 'entertained' by one parade participant exposing himself and where the right of free speech was treated with such contempt. As a Lagan Valley constituent, Mr McCrea certainly wasn't representing me when he chose to associate himself with such a spectacle.

Real Royalist
(name and address supplied)