On Thursday 8th September 2022, Queen Elizabeth II passed away at her Scottish residence, Balmoral.
Since that day there has been an outpouring of emotion, whether it be the dignified and respectful or otherwise, anti-monarchy sentiment or sheer hatred.
Many of her detractors see the British Monarchy as an emblem of privilege, inequality or injustice. That’s part of a wider way of viewing the world called identity politics, whereby what is important is immutable characteristics one has no control over and there is a hierarchy with those deemed to have suffered most injustice at the top and those deemed privileged dehumanised and hated.
I find this way of viewing the world distasteful but I also accept that creating an in group and an outgroup is so deeply imbedded in human behaviour that, ironically, it’s a human experience that unites us all.
I am not immune to the seductive nature of othering either, I may try to form my prejudices based on the way people think and behave, rather than on an immutable characteristic but it does not mean I’m not without prejudice or better than anybody else.
I do recognise the need for humility and recognising the role fate has in our fortunes, whether it be just living in a period of time where science and technology make our lives different to our ancestors, whether it be having people around us that love us, having good health, whether it is living in a country during peacetime, where human rights are recognised and upheld for the most part or just even gratitude for life itself. There is lots to be thankful for but alas sometimes it is only when those things are taken away from us that we realise what a gift they were.
It is far easier to see the things we don’t have, the things that we perceive that others have and ride the never ending treadmill of chasing material things in the pursuit of happiness. Learning to be content with what we have is very difficult. Sometimes it is those that have the least that are most content. Perhaps when having your basic needs met is not something you can take for granted it is easier to be content with a full belly, shelter and the love of a family.
People see the Queen’s life as one of great privilege but I wonder how many of us would gladly swap places if they realised what that life entailed? I for one, would not be willing to swap my freedoms for the responsibilities and pressures faced by a constitutional monarch.
Queen Elizabeth was not born to be Queen. If similar events were to occur in our times it would be the equivalent of Harry Windsor’s oldest child Archie becoming King. The Queen’s grandfather was King George V, when he died, her uncle, King Edward VIII became King, although never received a coronation as he abdicated in order to marry divorcee, Wallace Simpson, something not allowed at in the Royal family as head of the Church of England and defender of the faith. Ironic really, as the union of church and crown was the result of King Henry VIII’s decision to break from the Catholic church to enable him remarry.
The abdication elevated Princess Elizabeth from a minor royal to next in line to the thrown. After her father King George VI died from lung cancer at the young age of 57, she became Queen at the age of 26.
People see the ceremonial role of the Queen and think she is incredibly powerful. It is true that over her reign she got to meet all the leaders of the world and with that came the ability to influence but her role as a Monarch was to do the exact opposite, there only to serve her government as a figurehead but not allowed to express her own opinions at all.
There were many times where I’m sure she would have loved to intervene, to override the governments of the time but alas she knew her role was to say nothing and do nothing. I can’t imagine anything more frustrated than being briefed on a daily basis of what her government was doing but being so completely powerless to do anything about it. I couldn’t have performed that role. That requires incredible amounts of self discipline that her critics clearly lack.
The Queen’s life was incredibly restricted. Imagine being put in a position where you have to tell your sister that she cannot marry someone she loved. Imagine being told where you must live and even having the surnames of your children being dictated to you by the government. Family matters being dictated by Acts of Parliament
Imagine having the palace decide your schedule for you, one royal engagement after the next to the extent that you need injections to cope with facial muscular spasms from putting on that royal smile that people expect to see.
Yes, there was opulence and privilege but those that obsess over privilege forget that privilege comes with responsibly, obligation and duty.
Imagine that every step that you and your family take is scrutinised by the media like vultures around a carcass. Imagine an army of anarchists waiting to pull you down at every opportunity, the pressure to never put a foot wrong or step out of that veneer of magic and mystery the crown represents yet simultaneously continuously adapting to changes in society to stay relevant to your subjects.
The Imperial Crown is the perfect symbol of the life of the Monarchy. Yes, it is priceless, yes it is opulent and beyond the reach of the population it represents but it weighs heavy on the head of the Monarch and in truth it does not belong to the Monarch, it belongs to the people of Great Britain, it’s purpose solely ornamental and symbolic of the real power behind the crown, elected by the people.
The next time you see the greener grass of your neighbour, I ask you to look closer, see the weeds, see the effort and time that has gone into growing and maintaining that grass and see another person, just like you, whose also looking back at the neat paving over your side of the fence with admiration.
If only we could find a way to stop looking at the differences and start seeing the things that are the same, the humanity in all of us, the good, the bad, the desire, the heart, the fears, the life.
We all share but a small chink in the window of time, united in life, united in death, lets celebrate the differences that bring colour to the world but not let the envy of such difference divide us. Let us not assume or imagine the privilege of others but assume the humanity instead and learn how to listen for we are all but grains of side and together, we represent something more, something human, something historic, something never ending but always evolving.
Rant Over 