Just two days before she passed away, Her Majesty the Queen received Liz Truss, her 15th and final prime minister. Mindful to her duties till the very end, though looking increasingly frail, Her Majesty performed this constitutional task which ensured continuity of government.
The day after, a meeting with the Privy Council had to be postponed due to her ill health. On September 8, 2022, Buckingham Palace announced that the Queen had passed away.
The first reaction was that of sadness. She had been unwell for a while, and her public appearances became rarer. Nonetheless, she also seemed timeless. She embodied those values which many admire – duty, loyalty, commitment, tradition and Christian-inspired leadership.
Though admired, such values are difficult to live up to; therefore, many choose to abandon them or misconstrue them as an anachronism. In essence, people do not just mourn her but everything she stood for during her long life.
Born on April 21, 1926, she was the eldest daughter of the Duke and Duchess of York. As the second son of King George V, the Duke of York was not expected to ascend the throne. This allowed the young Elizabeth to grow up in a relatively typical household. Nonetheless, she was always serious and dutiful. Winston Churchill, who would later become her first prime minister, recalled that even as an infant, she had “an air of authority”.
Her childhood was disrupted by the death of King George V in 1936 and the abdication of Edward VIII in the same year. This constitutional crisis would change her life forever. Her beloved father was crowned King George VI, and she became Heir Presumptive.
George VI’s reign coincided with the awful events of World War II. The young Princess Elizabeth did not sit idly. She addressed the children of the Commonwealth – many of them torn apart from their families due to the necessity to evacuate – and, when she was old enough, she joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service, where she learnt to drive and service a lorry.
Following the war, she married Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark. Their marriage was to last 73 years. On their golden wedding anniversary, she described him as her “strength and stay”.
Their first years of marriage were their happiest. Then, in 1948, their first son Charles was born. Four others would follow him: Anne, Andrew, and Edward.
Prince Philip was often posted to Malta as a naval officer, and the Queen regularly joined him in the Mediterranean. On her “isle of happy memories”, the young Elizabeth enjoyed some relative normality. She participated in all the activities with other naval wives and immersed herself in Malta’s social life.
She also endeared herself to a population which retains a great affection for her. In 1964, following Independence, Queen Elizabeth became the constitutional Queen of Malta. She visited the island in this capacity in 1967. Other visits followed in 1992, 2005, 2007 and 2015. Her last visit outside Britain in 2015 was, coincidentally, to Malta.
During one of her visits to Malta, she was delighted to hear some well-wishers refer to her as “our Queen”. The bond of affection between Malta and the Monarchy remains long after the island became a republic.
In essence, people do not just mourn her but everything she stood for during her long life- André DeBattista
Her idyllic life in Malta was cut short as the King’s health deteriorated. The news of the King’s death arrived while on a Commonwealth tour. The new, young 25-year-old Queen returned to London. It marked the dawn of the second Elizabethan age.
The coronation itself signified how different this age would be. It was televised worldwide and was the first time many people watched a live transmission from a television set. It was a sign of things to come.
Britain was still marked by post-war austerity. Many former British colonies were being granted their independence, and the nature of leadership – including that of the monarch – had to change.
The Queen did indeed change the way things were done. Nonetheless, she made it look so effortless and easy that it is almost as if things were always done this way.
She became one of the most well-travelled heads of state in history and one of the most photographed persons alive. For example, on her first tour of Australia, three-quarters of Australians came to see her in person.
As the empire slowly dismantled, the Queen took into her role as Head of the Commonwealth. It is partly through her leadership and determination that this organisation has grown into one which does considerable sterling work in various parts of the globe.
The relationship between the former colony and coloniser was now transformed into collaboration and coordination on various essential topics such as climate change and international development.
There were also some attempts to make the Royal Family more relatable. In 1969, the BBC produced a documentary titled Royal Family, which portrayed the Queen and all her family in a more relaxed setting. However, many complained that the film removed much of the mystery surrounding the monarchy.
The same reverence towards the monarchy eroded through various other scandals which affected her loved ones. The height of her unpopularity came in 1997 following the death of the attention-seeking Diana Spencer. The Queen’s first instinct was to protect her grandsons and her family. The public, however, wanted public signs of grief. In hindsight, the Queen was proven right.
The negativity did not last long. Her golden and platinum jubilees were celebrated with great fanfare. In death, many are saddened at her passing and the expiration of an incredible era over which she reigned with dignity, grace and conviction.
The late Sir Roger Scruton had remarked that “the constitutional monarchy is the light above politics, which shines down on the human bustle from a calmer and more exalted sphere.”
This, perhaps, is a fitting epitaph to the life of Her Majesty, the late Queen Elizabeth II.