My tribute to the Queen, who passed away yesterday as the longest reigning monarch in British history.
Today is not about my views on the monarchy, religion, or politics. Something happened yesterday that’s more important than war, Covid, and the cost of living crisis, and our media is dominated by it. Queen Elizabeth II’s passing is a moment in history beyond anything I’ve experienced in my lifetime.
The Queen was, in no small part, Great Britain personified, and this loss is our country’s loss. I’ll never again sing God Save the Queen. Personally, the Queen reminded me of my late Grandmother who shared a gentle whiter than white quality of never saying or doing the wrong thing. They both lived a good, decent life away from controversy and conflict. They were both loved and dedicated their lives to reciprocating that love tenfold, and they are both sadly missed.
The Queen was the greatest ambassador our country has and will ever see, and is respected throughout the world. That respect has filtered down to benefit us all, so we owe her a debt for this alone.
The Queen represented the pinnacle of society, the only person above parliament, the most powerful person in the country, and perhaps the world. But more than that, a Royal family legacy that goes back a thousand years to a different age. The Queen and everything around her was the continuation of Britain’s great history. She is Britain’s great history.
I took a trip to London recently. Every time I go I leave with a certain humbling feeling, a fascination with the privileged lifestyle of royalty and the extravagant pageantry which are a magnet to the world. But I also feel proud, a respected subject of the realm, like it’s our Royal family, our Queen, and the reason for that is in the actions of the Queen herself.
Even for someone like myself, mostly apathetic towards such things my whole life, I’m affected, I feel a sense of loss, and not just for Britain, because whatever anyone thinks, Queen Elizabeth II was a great Queen who impacted all our lives for the better. We all loved her, deep down.
RIP ma’am.
Long live the King.