The Majestic Monarch

Dear Reader,

I feel that I can truly say that Queen Elizabeth II was full of majesty. Being called "Your Majesty" does not necessarily mean that the recipient of the accolade is majestic, but in the case of the late Queen she continuously provided a standard of bearing that can surely be regarded as truly majestic.

One of the most vivid facts about her life is that she was fully aware of her mortality, so when - just at the age of 21 - she swore that she would devote her life "whether short or long" to the service of the nation, she fully realised that someday her service would come to an end. It would seem an obvious fact, but in these last few decades when we seem increasingly drawn to the world's attractions and gadgets as though they are the purpose of life, her attitude might now seem to be quaint.

She was, of course, firstly witness to hardship in the country in the lives of the working people during the Depression of the '30s, and then saw through - at first hand even - a devastating World War. The sacrifice and suffering of so many people and the fragility of life must have been etched in her young mind as she made her declaration of life-long service at the age of 21. That was just two years after the end of that War.

What became more profoundly clear about her life was her full faith in God and, as part of that, to make her life shine like a light to everyone around her, possibly taking her example from her own mother, who empathetically visited the blitzed sites in London and elsewhere with her husband the King, in 1940 and 1941. The Princess Elizabeth must surely have noticed how those walkabouts raised the morale of the population. It was also the concern and the love of her parents towards ordinary citizens that must surely have struck a chord, not just the experience of the closeness of her family.

So in the aftermath of such a War, the Princess's statement of commitment seemed to be totally in context, and when she became Queen in 1952 she lost no time in implementing every word of her earlier commitment, and in majestic style.

I am one of that dwindling number of people who sat around an old black and white TV set with his extended family, watching the grand occasion of the Coronation on June 2, 1953, while supplied with a bounty of sandwiches and cakes. A late Spring day when the weather should have been sunny, but it managed to be cloudy, and there was rain. A blessing, they say. However, the young Queen's demeanour shone through all the clouds, helped by the pageantry, the grandness of the Gold Coach and the colourful uniforms emblazoned that day.

Alas, we did not see the colour on our TV screens, but we did when the occasion was shown at the local cinema.

It all brought optimism at a time when austerity still gripped the nation following the bankrupting War. The voice of the TV commentator that day, the veteran war-time reporter Richard Dimbleby, reached out through the TV screen to add even more vivid clarity to the occasion.

What the country has experienced since 1952 is 70 years of constant service on Her Majesty's part, allowing herself - they say - two days off per year: Christmas Day and Easter Day. Some would say that her life was a continuous holiday based on privilege, but she saw to it that there was far more to it than that. 

She didn't just enjoy the grand visits to countries all around the world: she gave of herself in her kind, outgoing and good-humoured personality, a personality that magnetised everyone at every port of call. And on top of all that was the daily grind of dealing with correspondence and affairs of state that was all part of her 'job' (as she called it), and her quiet good influence on her successive prime ministers and also world leaders. She was an outstanding ambassador for the UK, therefore.

In the football world, too, she quietly and unasked took on the role as an unofficial mascot for the English team as far as the supporters are concerned! There have been constant renditions of the national anthem during international matches at Wembley, and even abroad, wherever the English team is playing, in the last decade.

Queen Elizabeth II had personal challenges to face, too, but she always managed to re-set her poise in the appropriate way and to everyone's satisfaction when needed. Until last year she was able to achieve that poise and equanimity with support from her dear husband, Prince Philip, whose steadfast support she must have so missed since his passing in 2021.

Understandably, it would seem that virtually everyone misses her greatly already, and the new king, Charles III, could take no better model than his late mother for the continued successful evolution of the British monarchy. Its future - now - seems to be assured.

Thank you, Ma'am, for your life and wonderful devotion to all.