Mandela and the Queen

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, OM, AC, CC, OJ, GCStJ, QC, GCH, BR, RSO, NPK
(18 July 1918 — 5 December 2013)

     Today, the world has lost a true fighting soul who helped to bridge divides to forge the unity of a nation. Nelson Mandela was a man who changed the course of our history – first by being the face of the cruelty imposed by the apartheid regime in South Africa, then by being the reconciling man who worked tirelessly to overcome deep seated bitterness and hatred for the good of South Africa, and finally as the father of a nation emerging from decades of strife and conflict, with the intention of moving on to create a better society for all people. 

     As Head of the Commonwealth, Elizabeth II knows South Africa and knew Mandela very well. Her first overseas visit was to South 

George VI and Queen Elizabeth in South Africa with their
daughters Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret.

Africa in the spring of 1947, where she and her sister Princess Margaret accompanied their parents, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth on a tour of what was still a part of the British Empire. At Cape Town on April 21^st, Princess Elizabeth gave a radio broadcast to the Empire in which she stated that her whole life would be dedicated to service of the “great imperial family” of nations. 

     However, in a foreboding sign of things to come, the South African government prevented its king from pinning medals on black serviceman, some of whom had fought for the Empire during the Second World War. George VI was said to have been hostile toward these actions, but as a constitutional monarch, he had no choice but to follow the instructions of his government in South Africa. 

A sign keeping non-white people out of a beach area in Durban.

     When the country later became a republic in 1961, it not only removed Elizabeth II as Queen of South Africa, but it also had to  re-apply for membership within the Commonwealth of Nations as a republic, and sought to do so. But when it became clear that other African Commonwealth members as well as Canada would reject the application over the issue of apartheid, South Africa withdrew its membership altogether. In effect, it was expelled from the Commonwealth and cast a rogue state and a pariah outside of the community of nations. The following year, Nelson Mandela was arrested and imprisoned for treason, beginning what would become a 27 year sentence.

     Throughout the apartheid era – and Mandela’s imprisonment – several Commonwealth countries (especially those in Africa, the

Mandela as he appeared at the time of his imprisonment in 1962.

Caribbean, and Asia) protested against the South African segregationist policies by imposing sanctions and boycotting athletic competitions with teams fielded by the country. They also wanted the Commonwealth to present a united front against apartheid, and desired to have organization-wide embargoes against South Africa. However, the British government under Margaret Thatcher refused to go along with the wishes of much of the Commonwealth, and continued to have links with the South African government. This resulted in a mass boycott of the 1986 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, which had the fewest number of attending athletes since the Games in 1950. 

     The Queen was said to be sympathetic to the plight of the black majority in South Africa (a country so close to her heart), as well as the desire of many Commonwealth countries to do something about it. Some accounts go as far to say that Queen privately expressed 

Anti-apartheid protest in the 1980's.

her frustration at Thatcher’s stance on the apartheid issue, for the Queen feared that the controversy would ultimately tear the organization apart. Yet like her father, she was unable to make her personal feelings known, and so we may never know exactly how she felt about Thatcher, South Africa, and the apartheid issue. However, we do know that Elizabeth II is passionate about the Commonwealth and keeping it together whilst Thatcher did not have such feelings for the organization, and so it’s entirely possible that the two women had frank discussions on issues at stake, including that of Nelson Mandela’s imprisonment.

     When Mandela was finally released in 1990 after 27 years, he and his African National Congress (ANC) political party were allowed to take part in the South African political process, which marked the end of apartheid and the beginning of full democracy. In the following year, Mandela was personally invited by the Queen to attend the heads of government banquet at the 1991 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Zimbabwe. He had been invited as an observer by Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe, but was not originally included among the dignitaries at the banquet hosted by the Queen because he was only the leader of the ANC (and not a head of government) and South Africa was not a member of the Commonwealth. But the Queen, possibly sensing the tide of history, told the Secretary-General, “Let’s have him.” This treatment by the Queen towards Mandela possibly helped to legitimize Mandela as a genuine figure with whom business could be done, as opposed to the view of him as a terrorist by the likes of Margaret Thatcher. It was also the beginning of a strong personal friendship between Mandela and the Queen. 

     Following Mandela’s election and inauguration as the first black president of South Africa in 1994, one of his first acts was to restore the country’s place within the Commonwealth of Nations, where today it is a key member. He also sent a letter to the Queen in which he invited her to South Africa for a state visit in the following year. In it, he addressed the Queen as “Madam” (as opposed to “Your Majesty”) and concluded with: “You will be most welcome. NR Mandela.”

Mandela was determined to re-establish South Africa's connections with the Commonwealth.

     The result was one of the most poignant and emotional events of the Queen’s reign: the moment when she arrived in South Africa for the first time in nearly fifty years. At Port Elizabeth, she was greeted by President Nelson Mandela as she disembarked from the Royal Yacht Britannia. 

     Due to the often fractious relationship between the Thatcher government and the Commonwealth during apartheid, it was feared that residual bitterness might envelop the Queen’s visit. As it was, the Queen, as Mandela predicted, was received warmly by cheering and enthusiastic crowds, some of whom held up signs saying, “THANK YOU FOR COMING BACK.” 

     According to Sally Bedell Smith, “Mandela believed that the Commonwealth’s anti-apartheid stance had been vital [in ending apartheid], as was the Queen’s role in keeping the organization unified.” In fact, there had been back-channel communication between the organization and Mandela during his imprisonment, and so Mandela knew of the Commonwealth efforts to put pressure on South Africa to end apartheid (and perhaps also knew of the Queen’s personal opinions on the matter). 

     Following that momentous 1995 visit, the Queen sent a hand-written thank-you letter in which she addresses him in the beginning with the usual greeting of, “Dear Mr. President,” but signed off with the more personal ending of, “Your sincere friend, Elizabeth R,” (as opposed to the usual “Your good friend, Elizabeth R”). 

The Queen was eager to have Mandela for a state visit to the UK.

     A year later, the Mandela returned the favor by accepting the Queen’s invitation for a state visit in the United Kingdom. There, he was greeting by tens of thousands of Britons who cheered him and the Queen on as they shared in a carriage procession to Buckingham Palace. Following this came a lunch at which Mandela stated his admiration for “this gracious lady”, to which the Queen praised him as “this wonderful man.” She later paid tribute to Mandela at the state banquet by saying that he was the head of a country that “has a special place in my heart and in the hearts of the British people.” 

     Instead of hosting a return dinner the following night, Mandela decided to throw a “Two Nations” concert at the Royal Albert Hall that included many musical talents, including South African performers such as Hugh Masekela. During a performance by the all-male a cappella singing group Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Mandela got up to dance to the music. He was followed Prince Philip, Prince Charles, and the Queen, who as noted by the Daily Telegraph, had “seldom been known to boogie in public.” During the visit, the Mandela presented the Queen with a silk scarf, whilst Prince Philip was given a chess set of African warriors. 

     It is also noteworthy that among the world leaders the Queen has known over the decades, Mandela was likely one of the few to know her on a more informal basis. According to Robert Hardman, by 1999, Mandela was staring his correspondence with, “Dear Elizabeth”, and signing them off with, “Please accept, Your Majesty, the assurances of our highest esteem, Nelson.” He also referred to her as “my dear friend, Elizabeth”, and it does indeed appear that Mandela and the Queen had a good relationship based on mutually personal respect for each other. When Mandela and the Queen crossed paths, it was like a meeting between two long-time friends. When one thinks about, in their own way, they have loved and served their respective countries. It does not appear to be known whether the Queen herself referred to Mandela as “Nelson” or more personally by his tribal name, “Madiba.” However, there can be no doubt that his death is personal for the Queen in a way that is normally reserved for close friends and relatives.

     This writer hopes that the Queen will be attending the state funeral for Mandela. She normally does not attend the funerals of politicians, but has made exceptions for people considered to be transformative figures, such as when she appeared at the state funerals for Winston Churchill in 1965 and Margaret Thatcher earlier this year. The Palace has emphasized that “long-haul” travel for the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. If the Queen is invited, hopefully the Palace will deem this to be trip worth taking, as I believe it is. 

     Nelson Mandela was indeed a transformative figure who changed the world for the better. He inspired millions with his actions of resistance to oppression and later by his gestures of healing and reconciliation. Whatever anger and bitterness he had was overcome with a determination to let bygones be bygones, forgive his oppressors, and work toward building a new South Africa in which the rights and dignities of all people would be respected – an approach unlike those of several post-colonial black leaders. He did what he believed was right, and had the courage and will to do so, and that will be is lasting legacy. 

     As an American, I can certainly appreciate the parallels between the struggles against Apartheid in South Africa and Jim Crow in the States. The two movements fed off of each other, and led to a better world of racial justice and equality. 

     My personal thoughts and prayers are with Nelson Mandela's family and the people of South Africa, who gave us a truly great and iconic man who will forever live in our hearts and minds, as well as in the arc of history, which as Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “bends toward justice.” 

     May he, the Great Emancipator of South Africa, rest in peace.

Tributes to Nelson Mandela from the Royal family

     Earlier this morning, Buckingham Palace released the following statement: 

The Queen was deeply saddened to learn of the death of Nelson Mandela last night. He worked tirelessly for the good of his country, and his legacy is the peaceful South Africa we see today.

Her Majesty remembers with great warmth her meetings with Mr. Mandela and sends her sincere condolences to his family and the people of South Africa at this very sad time.

     Prince Charles also offered his own tribute:

Mr Mandela was the embodiment of courage and reconciliation. He was also a man of great humour and had a real zest for life. With his passing, there will be an immense void not only in his family's lives, but also in those of all South Africans and the many others whose lives have been changed through his fight for peace, justice and freedom.

The world has lost an inspired leader and a great man. My family and I are profoundly saddened and our thoughts and prayers are with his family.

     And finally, Last night, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were attending the premiere of Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom and were informed of Mandela’s death following the screening. Before leaving the theater, Prince William said that it was “obviously extremely sad and tragic news. We’re just reminded of what an extraordinary and inspiring man Nelson Mandela was, and my thoughts and prayers are him and his family.”


Sources:  

Hardman, Robert. Her Majesty: Queen Elizabeth and Her Court. New York: Pegasus Books. 2012. Print (Page 97, 143-144, 301, 315).

Smith, Sally Bedell. Elizabeth the Queen: The Life of a Modern Monarch. New York: Random House. 2012. Print (Pages 38, 350-351, 383-384, 388-389). 


Photo Credit: South Africa The Good News via Wikimedia Commons cc, Robert Cutts via Flickr cc, Guinnog via Wikimedia Commons cc, Paul Weinberg via Wikimedia Commons cc, lasanta.com.ec via Flickr cc, Lzur via Wikimedia Commons cc