How I Learned to love the Queen
The late Queen Elizabeth the Second has always been a permanent fixture of my life. Like the moon at night or the sky in the day, she was just there and you did not question her existence or the role she played. She was like a vicarious grandmother hovering in the background who brought a degree of comfort to us all every time she spoke. Always neutral and balanced in her tone, steady in her delivery and concise with her words, she was a class act. Much to my surprise, she was also the first subject of conversation every time I went abroad. Her international brand, and the amount of interest most Europeans and Americans have in the royal family in general, is something that is not fully appreciated by most British people.
In spite of my soft and quiet respect for her, from a political perspective I never fully understood or appreciated her significance, other than as a ceremonial head of state who occasionally participated in rituals and represented Britain abroad. However, the last 5 years really changed that.
In the aftermath of the Brexit vote, it would be fair to say that the UK was somewhat divided and faith in political representatives was at an all-time low. Those who felt that the will of the British people was being thwarted by nefarious and shadowy political interest groups were at odds with those who felt a large section of our own society was leading us into political and economic suicide. Parliament was holding votes on a daily basis that repeatedly failed to produce any meaningful outcome, the speaker of the house was accused of bias and the Prime Minister was largely viewed as indecisive. Throughout this period of disunity and political turmoil, in which we had 3 Prime Ministers in 4 years, the Queen remained a constant and every time she stepped up and gave a speech we were reminded that there was leadership beyond elected politicians.
In a republic the nation has nothing more than elected politicians to offer leadership, direction and unity. Whilst this system seems to work reasonably well in most countries, it can be severely tested at times of political crisis. Monarchy, when not viewed as corrupt or dictatorial, offers something for a nation to fall back on when faith in politicians and the political system is under strain. In my view, a good monarch can offer a form of leadership and direction that most elected politicians cannot, given they carry a degree of moral authority, non-partisan recognition and are viewed as having the best interests of the nation at heart at all times. They can also offer consistency and longevity, which is hard to find in modern democracies, and this allows them time to develop a unique bond with people.
Of course a monarchical system is also open to corruption and controversy but this is where the unique character of the Queen comes in. She understood the meaning of duty and public service, performing it in a way that garnered both sympathy and support. She did not seek celebrity or engage in pointless publicity stunts, she carried herself with a grace that is sadly absent from most public figures in this day and age. In her first televised Christmas public broadcast in 1957, she remarked:
"I cannot lead you into battle, I do not give you laws or administer justice but I can do something else, I can give you my heart and my devotion to these old islands and to all the peoples of our brotherhood of nations."
I feel it is the Queen that has held this nation together since the end of the Second World War and it is the reverence that we as a nation held for her that helped us through the last 5 years. She reigned for 70 years, the longest of any British monarch, and modern British culture and identity has been forged around her. The Queen transcended political, social and religious divides as she offered leadership to a diverse nation seeking to establish a new identity in the aftermath of empire. In the coming years we will all learn to fully appreciate exactly what we have lost.