God Save the Queen…
…in my middle school years, I thought that the British anthem has this ‘Queen’ word in the title as a constant. Only years later, with my English language skills (and minor knowledge of British history) somewhat expanded, I realized that such a title, using the word ‘Queen’, was due to the reigning monarch, Elizabeth II. It could have been ‘King’ like it used to be before – and is going to be now. Briefly, the anthem’s title is not a constant but a reflection. It was quite a discovery for me.
This episode is a perfect example for me to understand that the Queen marked a whole epoch with her long reign. She was enthroned in the time of Churchill, Truman and Stalin. She, as I’ve discovered at some point, had curious relations with Margaret Thatcher, a kind of mutual respect but with issues, too. Several eras have passed by since the early 50s… Yes, she was the rock, the foundation, a part of the landscape through the years.
Elizabeth II was a lady of style, dignity, and taste, and there is no way this could be any different because she was a picture-perfect queen from fairy tales that we listened to back in childhood.
Even now, in a time of Putin’s Russia war with Ukraine and the West, I noticed lots of Russians sincerely mourning her, judging by social media.
We here also feel that some particle of our lives, even though it has always been circling somewhere on distant orbits, is now gone.
She will be missed by many Russians. And definitely by me.
Queen Elizabeth II 1926-2022
When you say The Queen, most Americans can only name one. As far as we are concerned, there’s only one. Like most in my tribe, I can’t tell you what Randy Andy was up to this weekend but I do know the basics. Of course we all know about Megan and again, the details are well beyond our grasp.
If George III wasn’t such an ass, I’m quite sure I would be carrying a red Passport today. Not only would the UK be a different place but the world would be different too. We hated that guy so much we purposely spell and pronounce our words differently to this day.
But our Queen was far above all that. When she would visit the US, she would stay in her Royal Governor’s Palace at Williamsburg. Various Presidents dispatched the Presidential Honor (yes, it’s spelled right) Guard and they would wear red coats.
As a side note, my Father was in the Old Guard for two Presidents and talked about Royal visits and those red uniforms until he died. Mind you these were not the full-on British Colonial uniforms but an Americanised approximation. I don’t need to look it up to tell you no other Head of State has ever come anywhere close to having the Honor Guard as a personal entourage, let alone wearing that country’s colors.
By tradition, no American President should bow before any King or Queen. You will notice that an exception to that rule seeped in and there was one Queen we all bowed to.
When Trump walked in front of her Majesty we were far more appalled than any British subject. In fact, that arrogant moment is still played on American TV to this day. He may well be able to shoot someone on Fifth Avenue without loss of a single vote (which he claims) but he damn well should have never walked before the Queen. Dumbass.
Of course, all this naturally leads to Charles. This guy has some seriously big shoes to fill. Remember we don’t follow the daily stuff… except for that uber-cool carriage. So, if this beady-eyed guy thinks he’s automatically going to just step in and get to stay in the Colonial Palace, he’s in for a huge surprise. I’m not really sure how most Americans will respond to Charles but I can tell you this: He’s no Queen Mom and we will not care what he says. Closing thought: I have no clue when he will officially become King — and I’m not interested enough to look it up. Did I mention the big, size 6 (4 UK) shoes she wore?
Queen Elizabeth II 1926-2022
Despite not being a particularly big fan of the royal family, I feel today a profound sense of loss following the news that her majesty’s 70-year reign is over.
All my life, she has been there, seemingly everywhere, advising 15 British prime ministers along the way, and appearing on every stamp I ever bought. Simply put, she was woven into the cloth of my life. And it’s a very strange feeling to know that this is no longer the case. It’s the end of the second Elizabethan era.
She was an extraordinary woman in so many ways, but none more so than in the manner in which she never laid down the awesomely heavy weight of the crown. Since the age of 21, her pledge was to offer her entire life to the service of the British people. It was some vow to make, but she unerringly kept to it. In her silver jubilee message back in 1977, she said: “I asked for God’s help to make that vow. Although that vow was made in my salad days, when I was green in judgement, I do not regret nor retract one word of it.”
We can all argue, until the cows come home, as to whether the royal family is still sufficiently relevant in 21st-century Britain, but there is no doubt in my mind that she provided a benchmark of comfort and stability in an era of turbulent change. Remember, she was the last person in British public life to have played a role in World War Two, serving in the women’s ATS and driving trucks. She witnessed, along with her consort Prince Philip and more than 40 Pembrokeshire Welsh Corgi dogs, how Britain changed from a declining imperial power to a multi-cultural country trying to embrace change.
You will see in the coming days how much affection there is, and will continue to be for Queen Elizabeth II, not just in Britain, but around the entire globe. It is totally justified, and that kind of respect and admiration has to be earned; my goodness, she most certainly did that for a full seven decades.
I will have to get used to changing a couple of words in our national anthem, and I must also welcome to the throne Britain’s longest-serving heir-apparent and the oldest new monarch in our entire history, King Charles III.
Thank you Ma’am, for all you have done for my country and for your selfless service that you never requested, but had bestowed upon you.