Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Mountbatten Windsor
(April 21, 1926 – September 8, 2022)
Throughout the day of the death of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain on September 8, 2022, I was largely unaware of it because I was at the location of my job all afternoon and evening with no way of knowing since I only have a flip phone, and no one mentioned it. I assumed that it would just be another mundane day and I couldn’t wait to get back to my apartment to relax and start my weekend. I had no plans to make. When I finally made it back long past midnight, I logged onto twitter, and it was then that I learned that The Queen had died.
I was initially surprised that she had passed away. After
all, her mother lived to be 101 years of age and I thought that she would do
the same. Just before I went to work, I read on a post on twitter that the
Queen was “resting comfortably” at Balmoral Castle in Scotland while under
medical supervision. I saw a reply to that post mentioning that ““resting
comfortably” meant that they were preparing for the end. I hoped that it wasn’t
true, and she would live for at least a few more years. Alas, it was not to be. I
know that death comes to us all, but I can’t imagine the world without her. I’m
still in my thirties and she has reigned my entire life.
Because of the historical significance of this event, I wanted to make a literary tribute to the Queen through this blog entry because I want to express what she has meant to me in my own feeble words and to share what I have indirectly learned from her. Throughout the coming days there will be many tributes, commentaries, and eulogies dedicated to her that will be far more eloquently expressed than anything I can convey. I know that hardly anyone would want to know what I think about the late monarch, after all I am only a commoner. Nevertheless, I hope that any words that I express will bring honor to her memory and her legacy.
By the time I was born in 1986, Queen Elizabeth II had
been reigning for thirty-four years since the passing of her own father, King
George VI, in February of 1952. When I was growing up, I was largely indifferent
and unaware of the Queen largely because I was born, educated, and living in United
States and I was not influenced to take an interest in international affairs.
World History simply did not interest me until much later. The only significant
event from my childhood that I could recall that related to the Queen occurred
in 1997, just days after the death of the former Princess of Wales – Diana Spencer.
I was eleven years old at the time, but I did not even know who Princess Diana was until her death was reported on the news on television. One every channel it was being reported and commented on constantly though I was unaware of its significance. I do remember one Friday afternoon on September 5, 1997, when I saw a broadcast of a public speech given by Queen Elizabeth, which would be the first time in which she spoke on Princess Diana’s death.
She said, “We have all been trying in our different ways to cope. It is not easy to express a sense of loss, since the initial shock is often succeeded by a mixture of other feelings: disbelief, incomprehension, anger, and concern for those who remain. We have all felt those emotions in these last few days. So, what I say to you now, as your Queen and as a grandmother, I say from my heart.
First, I want to pay tribute to Diana myself. She was an exceptional and gifted human being. In good times and bad, she never lost her capacity to smile and laugh, nor to inspire others with her warmth and kindness. I admired and respected her for her energy and commitment to others, and especially for her devotion to her two boys. This week at Balmoral, we have all been trying to help William and Harry come to terms with the devastating loss that they and the rest of us have suffered.
No one who knew Diana will ever forget her. Millions of others who never met her, but felt they knew her, will remember her. I for one believe there are lessons to be drawn from her life and from the extraordinary and moving reaction to her death. I share in your determination to cherish her memory.”
I remember that I was inside my room on that Friday afternoon when I watched the speech in full because I sensed that a historical event was taking place and the Queen’s speech added to its importance. This would also mark the first time in which I would ever see the Queen and hear her speak. No one else that I knew was aware of her speech or even spoke about the events surrounding it. So, for the next six years, I continued to be largely unaware of any future events relating the Royal Family of Great Britain.
Years later, on a lazy Sunday afternoon in 2002, a four-part documentary series called “The Windsors: A Royal Family” (which was actually produced in 1994) was re-airing on PBS.
I decided to watch the entire rebroadcast that day since nothing else was on television. I had learned so much history through viewing the series. I did not know that the Royal Family had Germanic roots and that because of anti-German sentiments during the first world war influenced them to change their name from “Saxe-Coburg Gotha” to the House of Windsor named after Windsor Castle "that had symbolized the monarchy for more than eight hundred years. It's stone walls as solid and as English as the earth on which it stood."
I was surprised to know that the two eldest sons of King George V would both become monarchs and that King Edward VIII would abdicate within a year to marry the love of his life - Wallis Simpson. I was moved by the bravery of George VI when he became king despite his own insecurities about his speech impediment and own abilities. He rose to the accept his duties and responsibilities to his people just before Great Britain was about to enter into the second world war and chose to remain with his people through their darkest days instead of fleeing the country. I was saddened when he died. I wish he could have lived longer. I believe that because of his virtues that he was Great Britain’s greatest king.
Soon after viewing the rebroadcast of “The Windsors: A Royal Family,” I also saw a television film called “Bertie & Elizabeth,” which is about the relationship between King George VI and his wife from their courtship until his death. Both of the documentary series and the television film prompted me to take an interest in learning more about the British Royal Family. Since I had no books about them, I mostly conducted my own research on them through the internet. It was not until 2013/2014 when I found a second-hand copy of “Elizabeth the Queen: The Life of a Modern Monarch” by Sally Bedell Smith at a book sale at the Framingham Public Library for only two dollars. As of yet, I regrettably have not made time to read it.
It was during this time (2013/2014) that I also saw a 2006 film called “The Queen,” written by Peter Morgan and starring Helen Mirren in the title role of Queen Elizabeth II. The film itself was originally released when I was a college student and had wanted to see ii, but I never did until years later. I eventually rented a copy of the DVD when I was looking for a movie to rent for the weekend. I liked the film and sometime later, I eventually found a copy of the film on DVD for $4.99 at a local Barnes and Noble Bookstore. Though I have only viewed the film twice so far, I felt that I understood the Queen to some degree. She was also human even though she carried the weight of history.
My respect for Queen Elizabeth II deepened in November of 2016, when the first season of a historical television drama about her reign called “The Crown” premiered on a streaming service called Netflix.
The series was written by Peter Morgan, who also wrote the script for the 2006 film “The Queen.” I was thankful for the educational rebroadcast of “The Windsors: A Royal Family,” which provided me with context to help me to understand the plot and story about the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, on which “The Crown” is based on. The series quickly became my favorite series that is still in production, and it deepened my respect for the Queen even further. It was on the second episode after learning that her father, George VI had died, Elizabeth understood that she had to step up become the leader she was born to be. I can’t even imagine the enormous weight of the world that she must have felt at the passing of her father. She had to bear her grief with dignity.
One scene that stood out for me was of the letter that Queen
Mary, mother of the late King George VI, sent to her granddaughter who had just
become the new Queen of Great Britain:
This taught me that I have to follow my principles and not my personal feelings. My head (principles) must be obeyed above my heart (emotions). I think this is about self-control and I believe that this is the job of the sovereign. The Sovereign is essentially a symbol of human strength that when everything goes wrong, we have at least one person who will remain stoic, composed, professional, impartial and what it means to react to global incidents that affect everyone. Very few people are or were more emotionally stronger and professional than Queen Elizabeth II and I believe that more leaders should follow her example.
Even in a monarchy that owns all the power, one must remain impartial and dedicated to your duty to watch over your country. The Queen may not have particularly approved of certain people’s candid display of deep inner emotion; however, it was not hers or any Sovereign's duty to indulge in somewhat of a very biased subject. The Sovereign's purpose is to remain strong, focused, and unaffected in such profound and contentious circumstances and to serve as a guiding model through crises, but also understanding enough to adapt to the changes brought by time.
Another scene that stood out was in episode 4 when a thick fog had fallen over London, and Queen Elizabeth went to see her grandmother Queen Mary to ask for advice on to how handle the crisis she was facing. Queen Mary tells her:
“Monarchy is God’s sacred mission to grace and dignify
the earth, to give ordinary people an ideal to strive towards; an example of
nobility and duty to raise them in their wretched lives; monarchy is a calling
from God.
That’s why you are crowned in an Abbey not in a government building, you are anointed, not appointed. It’s an archbishop that puts the crown on your head, not a minister or public servant, which means you are answerable to God in your duty, not the public.”
I liked this scene because of the way that Queen Mary, with her knowledge and breadth of experience, explained the necessity of a monarchy to her granddaughter. There were those who looked up to Queen Elizabeth II as a role model. I believe that she truly lived up to this view. I am saddened the Queen was the last or few left of the traditions, manners of her time and I do not see this role model quality or restraint in anyone else, except for King Felipe VI of Spain, who I also greatly admire. I hope that Queen Elizabeth’s successors to the throne of England will be able to carry the standard that she set for herself.
I suppose this blog entry should be called “Lessons I Learned from ‘The Crown,’” and while there were other personal lessons that I learned from it; the truth is "The Crown,” and programs such as “The Windsors: A Royal Family,” “The Queen,” and others that became a combination of factors that led to my interest in learning more about and made me appreciate Queen Elizabeth II. I am aware that "The Crown" is historical fiction and creative liberties were taken for the sake of drama. However, the main lesson that I learned from it and indirectly from The Queen herself is on how to lead by example.
Through her seven decades as monarch, she exemplified what it meant to be a servant -leader. In times of war, strife, and controversy, she managed to rise above and overcome every obstacle with an immense sense of grace, duty and dignity. Throughout her reign, she became a perpetual symbol of strength and stability for her nation in a world that was constantly changing. We should let the Queen's life of service remind us of the huge, tangible power for peace and stability that the British monarchy has been for everyone in Great Britain, the commonwealth, and for the world. As Winston Churchill said of King George VI, he could also say of Queen Elizabeth II that her “conduct on the Throne may well be a model and a guide to constitutional sovereigns throughout the world today and also in future generations." Of course, the Queen may have had her own personal failings, but despite the mistakes that she made, let us be grateful for the service she gave, and for the difference the monarchy makes for the betterment of her country and in the world. We may never see anyone like her again in our lifetime. She was a truly special human being who graced and dignified the earth.
Both "The Crown" and the passing of Queen Elizabeth II into history have also prompted a desire to order and collect biographical books of British monarchs ranging from the kings of the Plantagenet dynasty to the House of Windsor, build a personal library, and learn of their stories. However, I cannot do this since I am on a limited income at the moment and have no more space for books or bookshelves. I already have a list of more books that I wish to acquire, but I will have to be satisfied with the few books on the British monarchy that I have, which are "Elizabeth the Queen: The Life of a Modern Monarch" by Sally Bedell Smith and "The Heir Apparent: The Life of Edward VII, the Playboy Prince” by Jane Ridley. The sensible thing to do would be to continue my hold on buying more books and for the time being, I am going to make time to read "Elizabeth the Queen" to honor her memory, learn more about her, and further appreciate her service to her country.
I have nothing more to add to this blog entry. I have no
predictions on how King Charles III will be as monarch or whether the British monarchy
will survive. Instead of making redundant speculations of the future, I will wait to see how events will
play out as the years pass. I hope that whatever happens will occur for the best
interests of Great Britain and of the world. For now, I wish to conclude this blog entry by
quoting a pledge which then Princess Elizabeth made on 21st birthday in Cape
Town, South Africa in 1947: “I declare before you all that my whole life,
whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your
service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong.”
And Her Majesty, The Queen had borne her duties
wonderfully for seventy years. Under her scepter, The Crown always won.
