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| Photomosaic of Queen Elizabeth II by Helen Marshall using more than 5000 photos of people for Diamond Jubilee. Image Credit: Abuk SABUK via Wikimedia Commons cc |
“I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be
long or short, be devoted to your service and to the service of our great
imperial family to which we all belong.”
These words were uttered by Her Majesty the Queen in 1947
via a radio broadcast to the British Empire and Commonwealth whilst she was
still Princess Elizabeth and heiress presumptive to the throne. She was
celebrating her 21st birthday during a tour of South Africa with her
parents and younger sister, and made this extraordinary lifetime pledge to the
peoples and lands over which she would one day reign.
For her, that day came sooner than she or almost anyone
expected, for on February 6, 1952, George VI – whose health had been declining
since the end of World War II – passed away at the relatively young age of 56.
Elizabeth and her husband Philip, Duke of Edinburgh were on a Commonwealth tour
in place of her father, and upon receiving the news while in Kenya, promptly
returned to the United Kingdom with Elizabeth as Queen.
Since then, she has stayed true to the vow which she made
with her people, and now at over 63 years on the throne, she has surpassed her
great-great grandmother Queen Victoria as the longest-reigning monarch in
British history. There is arguably no other person as well-known or highly
regarded as Elizabeth II as she has become an instantly recognized figure
around the world, and indeed, very few
people have ever been closely watched since birth for as long a period
as she has.
In the beginning however, this was not to be. She was born
as the first child of Prince Albert, Duke of York and Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, a
Scottish aristocrat (who in time would eventually become the much-beloved Queen
Mother). Albert – known to family and friends and “Bertie” – was the second son
of George V and Queen Mary, and as such, was not expected to ascend to the
throne, for that was the destiny reserved for his older and more glamorous
brother, Edward, Prince of Wales – known as “David” within the family. The
result was that despite the attention she received for being a granddaughter of
the King, for the first ten years of her life, she could expect to live a
relatively quiet existence in the countryside with her horses and corgis – away
from the pomp and glitz which royal duties required, especially with the rise
of mass media in the form of radio.
Indeed, at some level, this was the sort of life which for which
her Uncle David was suited as a modernizing, photogenic, and dazzlingly popular
prince – as opposed to her shy and stammer-plagued father. But her father’s
strength was his solemn commitment to royal duties and to his close-knit
family, to which he was devoted, and this stood in contrast to the Jazz Age
playboy lifestyle of David, who enjoyed the social scene and his status as a
celebrity, but detested the more serious, traditional, and (boringly) grounding
demands of being a royal prince.
By the time he came to the throne as Edward VIII in 1936, he
was still unmarried and carrying on an affair with a twice-married American
woman, Wallis Simpson, and provoked a constitutional crisis by his
determination to marry her against the wishes of the UK government and the
Church of England, of which he was Supreme Governor. The result was that Edward
abdicated after only eleven months as monarch, and his brother Bertie succeeded
him as George VI.
The devotion to duty to the country in the face of aggression had a profound impact on the young princess – who served in the Auxiliary Territorial Service as a automobile mechanic and driver – with her parents providing her the example by which to lead, and the morale of the British people as a whole was immeasurably boosted by the actions of their king and queen, which helped to sustain them to victory over Nazi Germany. But the stress of being a wartime king, compounded with the effects of a lifetime of smoking took their toll on George VI, and this led to his premature death in 1952.
Coming to the throne at the age of 25 and with two young
children of her own, his daughter had little experience with affairs of state,
but guided by her sense of duty, she carried on with the task of being a
monarch, and this was helped along with the guidance of her first prime
minister, Sir Winston Churchill, who poetically referred to her as “a fair and
youthful figure, princess, wife, and mother” being the “heir to [Britain’s]
traditions and glories.” He and others even talked of a new Elizabethan Age.
Unlike that period which was characterized by imperial
ambitions and territorial expansion around the globe, this one has been noted
for the transition from an Empire to a Commonwealth – a club of former colonies
with the Queen as its head to symbolize their voluntary association with each
other and the former mother country, the United Kingdom. The Queen has been
keen to keep this association together, and has grown with the Commonwealth as
its biggest and most enthusiastic supporter in its mission to foster greater
business and cultural links amongst the countries of the former British Empire,
and it now stands with 53 members and a population of over 2 billion people – roughly
a third of humanity.
Closer to home, the pace of change has been dizzying.
Britain has become a more liberal, less religious, and more multi-cultural
society. Unquestioned deference has given way to more measured respect as the
country has become more cynical and critical, as and traditional societal norms
and conventions have broken down. Within her own family, she has had to deal
with the turmoil of the marriages of three of her four children, all of which ended
in divorce, most notably the marriage of her heir Prince Charles and Diana,
Princess of Wales. The failure of those marriages, other private indiscretions,
and a fire at her favorite residence of Windsor Castle all contributed to what she
referred to as her annus horrilibus in
1992.
Following this, the worst
period of her reign was when Diana died from a tragic automobile accident in
Paris in August 1997. Staying at Balmoral in Aberdeenshire to care for her
grandchildren – princes William and Harry – in the wake of their mother's death,
she was criticized for not appearing in public to grieve, failing to have the
Union Flag flying at half-mast from Buckingham Palace, and in general, for
being out of touch and misjudging the mood of the people. For the first time,
there was real hostility toward the Queen and an aggressive press piled on the
stinging criticisms of the Queen personally and the monarchy as an institution.
But all was forgiven as she flew down to London to preside over Diana’s funeral
and present a live broadcast to the nation in which paid tribute to her former
daughter-in-law as a Queen and as a grandmother.
This moment was part of the monarchy becoming more
media-conscious and professional in its relations with the press in an age of
increased exposure, and with the Internet age, the ancient institution has
adapted with an online presence – including websites and social media accounts
to help it connect it more directly with the people and marking a huge leap in
her lifetime from radio broadcasts to YouTube.
Indeed, this new Elizabethan Age as seen the explosion of
technological growth and innovation on a scale never seen before, alongside
advances in medicine, science, transportation, communications, and other areas
– with Britain being at the forefront of many of these. There has also been the
rise of British exports such as the Beatles, James Bond, and Harry Potter, which
have done their part to ensure that Britain remains relevant as a cultural,
social, and economic (i.e., soft) power.
The Queen herself and the institution she leads have
themselves become British exports, in part because of her role as Head of the
Commonwealth (including being head of state of 15 Commonwealth countries aside
from the UK), and as such, she has become the most widely-traveled monarch in
British history – visiting the vast areas of the Commonwealth and being a face
of Britain throughout the world on many overseas journeys.
Through all of this, she has maintained that sense of duty with
all of the change around her. To some, she may look like a stiff with
no personality or emotion, but this isn’t to say that the Queen doesn’t have a
wicked sense of humor about her, and as time has progressed, we have seen her
more loose, engaged, and interactive with people as she and monarchy adapt to
changing times.
During her reign, the ancient institution has continued with
the standard set by George V of getting out, being seen, and working hard, and
the Queen herself has said, “I must be seen to be believed.” With that, she has
introduced the Royal walkabout, so that she can meet more people and allow them
to have interactions with her and other members of the Royal family. She has
also dispensed with the presentation of debutantes in favor of more garden
parties in which a more representative cross section of society is invited for
a once-in-the-lifetime opportunity to be in the presence the Royal family –
whether at Buckingham Palace, Holyroodhouse, Windsor, or Hillsborough Castle.
The Royal residences themselves have become more accessible to the public as a
means of helping to meet the cost of maintaining them, especially in the wake
of the Windsor Castle fire.
But even with the changes, the Queen still represents the
continuity of the monarchy in the overall fabric of Britain and its long
history, and this is a powerful symbol. Since coming to the throne, she has had
12 British prime ministers, from Churchill to David Cameron, which is a
remarkable span of history when one considers that Churchill was born in 1874
during the reign of the previous reigning female monarch and two of her last
three prime ministers (Tony Blair and Cameron) were born after she had acceded
to the throne. In 63 years, they have come and gone while she has remained
faithfully at her post as the one constant.
In this sense, she also represents stability in government,
for as a constitutional monarch who is above politics, she openly favors no
party. True, the government is termed Her Majesty’s Government, but it is the
politicians elected to Parliament who run it in her name. She accepts the
election results and appoints the prime minister accordingly, but otherwise
steers away from politics and the charge of being a political operative. This
way, she can be the head of state of everybody, as was suggested by Walter
Bagehot in the Victorian Era, and this is one reason why the monarchy survives
and provides stability, especially in these rapidly changing times.
However, none of this would be possible without the help and
support of her family, who despite some of their personal issues being made
public and causing embarrassment and disappointment, have been invaluable in working
to keep the monarchy as relevant today as it was in 1952. In addition to what
the Queen has done, other members of the Royal family have taken it upon
themselves to step up their involvement in good works for the benefit of the UK
and the world at large. It’s not just about carrying out engagements and giving
speeches, but also about being actively involved with the causes they support
and showing that they can make a positive difference, which further entrenches
the monarchy into the public and civic life of the United Kingdom as charities
and organizations seek to have a royal patron.
But of all the family members, perhaps none has been more
important or reliable than her husband of nearly seventy years, Prince Philip.
His unstinting devotion to her through marriage, family life, and public duties
has indeed provided a rock of stability at times when it seemed that everything
was coming apart at the seams, and her reign as we know it would not be
possible without him. At times, his verbal gaffes and forthright speaking in
public has provided fodder for the press, but for her, he provides an outlet to
which she can convey her thoughts, and he has no compunction against telling
what he thinks. For his part, he has carved out a role for himself with
initiatives such as the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award for young people who come up
with good and innovative ideas that improve the lives of others. But as the
Queen’s consort, he has been there for her, just as she has been there for the
country, and he has only become more important with the deaths of the Queen
Mother and Princess Margaret in 2002. He has been, as she herself has said,
quite simply, the “strength and stay” of her life.
Going forward, the Queen can be assured that the monarchy is
as stable and secure as it ever has been throughout its long and illustrious
history, with the institution having recovered from its most recent nadir in
the 1990’s. She has a capable heir in Prince Charles, a man who as Prince of
Wales, has probably had the longest apprenticeship for any sort of job, and has
had his own recovery of sorts since his marriage to Camilla Parker Bowles and
the development of his own charitable and advocacy efforts – particularly with
regard to opportunities for young people, architecture, and the environment.
Further down the line is Prince William, the eldest son of Charles and Diana,
and his beautiful wife Catherine, along with their two children, Prince George
and Princess Charlotte. Together with Prince Harry (who has been doing
conservation work in Africa), they form the core of the future of the
monarchy, and for them, and the Queen has provided the example by which to
lead.
For over 63 years, she has been the face of the monarchy and
an icon of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth. She represents continuity
over the decades of her incredible reign, and as acted sensibly to ensure the
monarchy’s survival into the 21st Century with her adaptations to changing
times and circumstances, while also maintaining the traditions of the
institution and presiding over a changed Britain where in many ways, she not only relies on the blessings of God, but also of the people. Her legacy has been that through it all, she has kept the obligation she made
to the people in her “salad days” when she was “green in judgment”, and has not
reneged on it or regrets it. In an age when people find it easy to get out of
duties and responsibilities, she represents the idea of sticking around and
committing to something bigger than themselves, something her Uncle
David did not understand in his vanity.
Looking back, his abdication, as much as it caused a crisis
which rocked the monarchy, was a good thing in the long-term, for it provided
George VI and eventually the present Queen, who has been steadfast in her
duties and responsibilities, and has made her people proud. Indeed, her
popularity can be traced to the fact she really does not aim for popularity,
but simply aims to do her job, and so there is a sincerity and realness about
the Queen that is absent from celebrities who do seek the attention of the
cameras and the press.
She has now been Queen for so long, that few remember the
reigns of her father or grandfather, and it feels inconceivable that anyone can
replace her. Of course, this is bound to happen, but this is a testament to her
reign and herself as an individual, for in leading by example and living by her
words from 1947, she has earned the respect, affection, and love of her people.
For many Americans (including your truly), the Queen has definitely
earned our respect and appreciation over these last 63 years, and we look to
her as well for that sense of stability and continuity. It is not so much that
we yearn for a monarchy of our own or wish for the return of the British
monarchy, but that we see it as an integral part of the UK – representing its
past, present, and future like virtually nothing else does – and we see the
Queen as the living embodiment of everything that is decent and good about Britain.
Along the way, 12 of our presidents have occupied the White House in the course
of her reign, from Truman to Obama – many of whom have expressed their appreciation
for her as an individual and as a living testament to the strength of the
Special Relationship between Britain and America.
As the Queen does finally eclipse her great-great
grandmother to become Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, she has much to be
proud of and much to look forward to as she carries on – reigning as ever,
going from being a willowy young woman to the matriarch of a country and a
global commonwealth. She has already secured her place in history on many
fronts simply because she has been at the service of her people. Those people –
of the United Kingdom and throughout the Commonwealth – are lucky to have her,
and long may she reign.
