Queen Elizabeth accepted limitations, dedicated her life to being the Queen | Latest News India - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

Queen Elizabeth accepted limitations, dedicated her life to being the Queen

Sep 09, 2022 11:16 PM IST

Queen Elizabeth II’s death marks the end of an era not just for the people of Great Britain but also for the people of the Commonwealth and indeed the whole world bearing in mind the standards she stood for and the values she upheld. She broke the record for the longest reigning monarch and the oldest queen. She made 247 Commonwealth visits.

Queen Elizabeth II’s death marks the end of an era not just for the people of Great Britain but also for the people of the Commonwealth and indeed the whole world bearing in mind the standards she stood for and the values she upheld. She broke the record for the longest reigning monarch and the oldest queen. She made 247 Commonwealth visits.

In this Oct. 9, 1982 file photo, Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, centre and her husband Prince Philip react, as they drive through the crowd of athletes and officials during the Closing Ceremony of the 12th Commonwealth Games, in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Sports Centre, in Brisbane, Australia. (AP)
In this Oct. 9, 1982 file photo, Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, centre and her husband Prince Philip react, as they drive through the crowd of athletes and officials during the Closing Ceremony of the 12th Commonwealth Games, in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Sports Centre, in Brisbane, Australia. (AP)

I particularly remember the 1997 visit to India which was by no means a wholesale success — but the queen bore all the criticism generated by this in silence.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

I remember being given a holiday at my prep school on the day she married Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh back in the 1940s and I spent the day at the lordly house of a feudal Sir Westrow Hulse, who gave us a glass of sherry although this was not approved by our headmaster.

Then came the magnificent Coronation ceremony. I took that much more seriously spending the night on the pavement of London’s Trafalgar Square with my younger sister waiting to watch the Coronation procession pass by. I was particularly impressed by the pipes and drums of the Gurkhas and by the splendid figure of the Queen Sālote of Tonga.

I never thought that I would be over 80 when the woman about to be crowned would die. For royalists like me, she represented all that we believe a constitutional monarch should represent. She stood for dignity, honour, and for what mattered in the past and the future. The Queen treasured tradition but was not an obscurantist. She had a passion for nature and animals, especially horses and dogs.

She was a family person and dealt with the problems her children presented to her in a dignified manner. Whatever her views about her children’s marital difficulties, she continued to do her duties without commenting on the family problems. The unity of Great Britain, including Northern Ireland and Scotland, was vital for her. At the same time, she was head of the Church of England and as an Anglican took her global religious responsibilities very seriously. As the BBC has said, she “was at heart a very strong and unpretentious woman. No vain glory for her.”

The Queen is succeeded by her son Charles, who holds the record of the longest King in waiting. He has waited to take over the reins of office. Unlike the queen, he is not a notably patient man and has frequently spoken when he approves or indeed disapproves of events and ideas.

This has led him into public arguments which the Queen has scrupulously avoided. His divorce from the enormously popular Diana and marriage to Camilla involved him in ugly controversies with the press. But he has ridden through that and will now probably take over from the queen reasonably smoothly. But there will be opposition to him.

There are no political parties that are anti-royalist. But there are those who do not approve of monarchy and prefer Republicanism with the head of state chosen by politicians, as India does. The very recent celebrations of Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee demonstrated her popularity and the popularity of the monarchy.

However, there could be questions about the wealth of the monarchy and its cost to the nation. There is also the problem of Scottish nationalism. If, and it is a very big if, Scotland is to become independent, will Charles be able to reign over both countries or will he be reduced to just the King of England and Wales and possibly Northern Ireland?

One of the keys to Queen Elizabeth’s success has been her refusal to get directly involved in politics. She has met on a weekly basis Prime Ministers from Winston Churchill to Liz Truss, who she met only the day before she died. We know little or nothing about what she said to them but it is very difficult to believe that a woman of her strength would simply sit and listen to a record of political events. She would certainly want to, at least, make suggestions.

There is no record of her taking sides, however. The relationship between Charles and his Prime Ministers may not be quite so free of public controversy because of the man he is. But I believe that much as we will miss the queen, Charles will survive as King provided he remembers in all he does that he is the King of Great Britain and has to accept the limitations that impose on him just as Elizabeth dedicated her life to being the Queen..

Unveiling Elections 2024: The Big Picture', a fresh segment in HT's talk show 'The Interview with Kumkum Chadha', where leaders across the political spectrum discuss the upcoming general elections. Watch now!

Get Current Updates on India News, Election 2024, Arvind Kejriwal News Live, Bihar Board 10th Result 2024 Live along with Latest News and Top Headlines from India and around the world.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Friday, March 29, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On