The death of Queen Elizabeth II (1926-2022) has taken away the only constant in British public life. Under her record-setting reign of 70 years, the United Kingdom saw Winston Churchill to Margaret Thatcher, and Tony Blair to Liz Truss as UK prime ministers; Sean Connery gave way to Roger Moore, before fans swooned over Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig as the iconic James Bond. There are very few individuals who lived their lives in full public glare for so long, with so little controversy around them. The Queen belonged to a now fast-vanishing tribe of celebrities who feature in the news, but do not seek to create it.
Just a quarter of a century before the birth of Queen Elizabeth was the reign of Queen Victoria (1819-1901) who was the most famous “Empress of India”. If Victoria’s reign shattered the notion that youth and gender could be a challenge to those ascending the throne, then Elizabeth showed that these attributes could be a calming influence and a source of strength. Her reign started in the backdrop of the dismemberment of the Empire, but it was she who cobbled up the Commonwealth, providing a platform for the former British territories and colonies.
The Queen strode the clipped-accented black and white world to multicolour and 4D with élan. Yet it was the countryside where she was most at home. Buckingham Palace was like living above the shop, while the serene Windsor Castle, which even though it is above the flight path to Heathrow, was her favourite. She loved her horses and riding, and social media is most anxious now as to what will happen to her corgis!
No UK prime minister could be one till they meet her. Since July she has been at Balmoral where she undertook her last significant duty of meeting Boris Johnson and Liz Truss on Tuesday (September 6, 2022). In pictures she appeared frail and tired. But there she was standing with the help of a stick posing with Liz Truss with her customary handbag in tow. A generation or two have now seen her perform her duties with an unmatched steadfastness and unflinching passion.
Hosting state banquets, inaugurating hospitals, attending tea parties, launching ships, accepting credentials from incoming diplomats, regularly giving audience to prime ministers, all this and much more was done without giving a slightest hint of personal prejudice or likes and dislikes.
The walls of neutrality have to be stronger than the strongest castle, for that neutrality acts as a key buffer to the institution of the monarchy. Although there have been the rare occasions when the Queen has sought to speak her mind. One such was during the Brexit vote, wherein the prospect of Scotland leaving the UK troubled her immensely.
The Queen was home-schooled, she never attended a school nor went to a university. While still a teenager, she famously fell in love with Prince Philip, her distant cousin – both were descendants of Queen Victoria – and got married in 1947. Royal commentators have spoken about how a stable marriage and steady companionship played an important role in the discharge of her royal duties. It is no surprise that the most potent picture signifying the notoriety of the Partygate scandal was of the Queen sitting alone during the funeral service of Prince Philip in 2021. Following the Covid protocol, the Queen sat alone in St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle dressed in black. That was the picture that came to haunt Boris Johnson.
Recent discord in the royal family due to the moving out of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle has generated a huge controversy. Allegations of racism and bullying became a source of speculation on whether the Royal family is still stuck in a different time period. While the Queen, it seems, was not someone who caused much anguish to the Sussexes (there were clear hints from them about the other family members), linkages of Prince Andrew to the Jeffrey Epstein sex scandal left her with no option but to take him off royal duties. Events unfolding after the death of Princess Diana were also testing times for the Queen, particularly the controversy about the funeral. The Queen faced immense criticism for her apparent cold treatment to the news of Princess Diana’s passing away. She was in favour of a small-scale funeral, but that was not the popular mood. Sensing that she fell short of public expectations, the Queen appeared on TV and broke the protocol to bow as the coffin passed by. It was seen as the Queen's acknowledgement of the people, and not just Diana.
Elizabeth’s long reign has also meant that King Charles now becomes the oldest member of the royal family to ascend the throne at 73. He has large shoes to fill; and it is very likely that Queen Elizabeth II will remain the longest-serving British monarch for a long time to come. Her reign leaves behind a template that shows how monarchy can be transformed to sit well in a rapidly changing world.
Also read: Queen Elizabeth II dies: A look at frontpage tributes from around the world
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