Indeed, it appears as though the people who do not like the monarchy set parameters that make it impossible for her to win. They are so blindsided by their ideological opposition to the Crown, that when the Queen makes a personal statement that lends a clue to how she actually thinks, they attack her for "wading" into politics.
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| The Queen amongst her people. |
This is what happened on Friday, March 14th, when the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh were visiting Royal Holloway, University of London in Egham, Surrey.
In a personal moment during the tour, the 87 year old monarch had a conversation with Geography Professor David Simon about the recent floods in southwest Britain, during which she remarked: “Poor people and their problems don’t get reported often, and they need all the assistance they can be given.”
This was a private remark made by the Queen to another individual, not part of an official address or statement. If anything, it was off-the-cuff, with the Queen responding to Professor Simon's remarks about the problems facing people in sub-Saharan Africa being similar to those of people recovering from the aftermath of the devastating floods.
Almost predictably, it did not take long for the anti-monarchists to jump on Queen. In general, they have condemned her for being a rich person commenting on the plight of poor people, for not having any experience knowing what it's like to be poor, and for supposedly criticizing the government by making a politically-charged statement.
Excuse me, but what is so political and damnable about the Queen of the United Kingdom expressing concern for her subjects and the problems they face on a day-to-day basis? That's her job. As Queen, she does not and cannot make policy, and in accordance with constitutional tradition, she does not issue formal public statements on government policy or on the issues of the day. However, such opinions are usually only expressed to elected officials in their private meetings with the Queen (where she has a constitutional right to be consulted, to encourage, and to warn), as well as close friends, family, and others associated with her. It is rather rare when those opinions are slipped into the public realm, with the result that we get to know that Queen thinks.
In this case, we see that she does have a social conscience, despite her status. Indeed, she has traveled to all corners of the United Kingdom throughout her 62 year reign and has probably seen more of the country, its people, and communities (of all socioeconomic stripes) than most politicians, including the Prime Minister, the highest elected official in the land. This, in my opinion, gives her a better insight and grasp on what concerns the people have, and during this current economic downturn, many of them have suffered from lack of jobs, opportunity, basic needs, and cost of living issues.
Poverty may be a political issue, but it need not be. Indeed, most people believe that something ought to be done to reduce - if not completely eliminate - poverty, but they often disagree on how to tackle it. In this regard, the Queen may have made a broad political statement, but it was one that reflected her concern for all of her people and one which enjoys broad agreement.
These days, the modern monarchy does its bit to not only highlight the issue of poverty, but to also do something about it. Members of the Royal family regularly support charitable efforts to help lift people out of the poverty, and royal initiatives such as the Prince's Trust (founded by Prince Charles) have become renowned and celebrated for their work in impoverished communities and with disadvantaged individuals - some of whom have gone on to achieve their dreams and inspire others to do the same.
But of course, if the Queen said nothing about poverty or express any sympathy for her subjects, then she would be viewed as cold, uncaring, and aloof.
So the anti-monarchists will try to have it both ways, which is why the Queen cannot win with them. However, they will be left to fume whilst she goes on reigning and caring.
Photo Credit: Lzur via Wikimedia Commons cc
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