Queen of England

Of course, it is sad that Queen Elizabeth II has died. She lived a long life, 96 years. She managed her realm for 70 years, a record for England, and most likely a world record. She graced her nation and held her poise through thick and thin. She was quite the lady. Proud, unshakable, purposeful.

Yet, being the royal leader of England no longer means political hegemony or worldwide governance. It once did, but those days are gone. The royal role is figurative only. It is a thing of nostalgia, beautiful, showy and glamorous. But that’s it.

Today England has a democratic order with a professional class of administrators running the nation of England, the United Kingdom. King Charles III will do just fine in his new role; after all, he has had his lifetime being trained. Likewise, Prince William has been and is in training so he can become king when Charles dies.

We can become enamored with England’s royal personalities. We have been so for many generations. I think this will continue. But it is a cultural icon we hold, not one of authority or substance.

The American culture is of elected authority and then the hunt for personality and adoration. Such has rarely been the case, but we have a few examples of this. The Rockefellers is one, certainly the Kennedys. The divisive nature of our political culture has preempted adoration for quite some time. Oh, how I wish we could get back to that time.

We once were hopeful together in surviving international intrigues and threats. Today, we worry about foreign affairs and the unstable perceptions of North Korea, China and Russia. And we worry because of the continuing presence of nuclear weapons. These weapons are many and held by unstable governments. Anger, fear and frustration could easily loose the weapons on peaceful nations. We know this and prepare for it but hope never to be an aggressor to protect. An aggressor to protect is one way of saying “first striker.”

Think upon England. She has not been an aggressor for many years. She has led a peaceful life and engaged fruitfully in international affairs. Rather we copy her strategy and demeanor than that of other brash nations who threaten violence.

England has been a nation of peace for generations, now. They have not allowed bullying to affect them, nor have they done the bullying. Instead, they outlawed firearms and have a very low murder rate by guns. Their example of peace and calm is exemplary. If the British Royal Family is a reason for this calm, then so be it. Let us hail it for the good it does.

God bless the Queen. And now the King.

September 12, 2022

 

 

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