The Queen

This week changed everything.

I was at home when one of my progenies stuck his head around the corner from the hallway to the living room and stated, “The Queen has died.” Then, I lived an oxymoronic moment — the Queen had passed, but she couldn’t have. During my entire life, there had only been one Queen. Truthfully, she ascended the throne little more than a month before my mother birthed me. She was the Queen.

How do we say farewell to Her Majesty? I say that not as a subject of the great lady, but one who shared the earth with her. I know she was more of a figurehead than a ruling monarch; however, she was a terrific leavening force.

I use the word leavening to describe what she did because she caused people to rise to whatever occasion that needed doing. It was not my intention to imply she fermented her people, but I can include that because when things ferment, they change. Elizabeth did that, too. She changed people.

I do not claim to know everything about the lady. My closest personal interaction with her was as an ignorant tourist who had a bobby tell me to get off the Victoria Monument as I tried to watch the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace. I was an idiot, and young, and I felt horrible after climbing down. I apologize for my actions then, and I only bring it up to say how far removed I have been from the Great Lady.

But being that uncultured colonial, I may be in the perfect place to show respect because I do not owe it to a sovereign. However, I do owe it as a human being.

Kings and Queens have come and gone throughout history. Some had a small impact, but this one’s influence was monumental.

This week I did not know who her successor would be because of all the conjecture. Now I know — Charles III. The monument of the Queen is there for King Charles III and his subjects. Queen Elizabeth II’s standard is exemplary; its height and base work together to launch great credibility. Her enduring qualities of perseverance, consistency, reserve, and honesty always remain to show the way and act as embarkation points from which to spring further. I cannot imagine a more excellent platform to use.
But that is not the only thing meant by monumental.

The Queen will endure. The King and his people should have this foremost in their psyche. Even though the physical form of Queen Elizabeth II passed, the world will feel her impact forever. She will always be here for her People and the world. Charles will surely never forget her, nor will her subjects.
The best thing I can say here is this:

Queen Elizabeth II is and will be in our memories; in that way, she will always be ours. Her legacy will rule her place in history as she did in life.

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1 comment

  1. Yvonne+Oots

    Excellent piece. She indeed was a fantastic woman. Her strength and her love for her country were heartfelt. Imagine having the memory of walking around London after a bombing and seeing the destruction not just of the buildings but of her fellow citizens.
    God rest her soul.

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