Nice one, Lilibet!
An outpouring of warmth and love for the Queen of the UK marked a four-day grand celebration of her Platinum Jubilee of her 70 years on the throne since 1952. It was a spectacular Sunday of crowning celebrations as around a crore people took part in street parties to acknowledge how well the ceremonial monarchy has worked for the UK, of which Elizabeth II is the Queen, besides of 14 other Commonwealth realms.
The pomp and pageantry apart, it is a fact that as a benevolent monarch in a democracy, Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor, once called affectionately as “Lilibet” by her husband who passed away only recently, has been a tall figure of empathy for all and concern for the Commonwealth as well as the environment. The Windsor family may have had myriad problems and experienced countless scandals, but nothing has detracted from the manner in which the queen has conducted herself as royalty which is an anachronism in this day and age.
Her father’s empire was one on which the sun never set but as time passed, the UK has only been more accommodative of any territory wishing to relinquish formal ties to the monarchy. Popular opinion for the monarchy may be fading, particularly in the young, but none would have begrudged the spirit with which the landmark has been celebrated, with the 260-year-old golden state carriage also appearing on The Mall and traversing 3 km before getting back to its garage at the Royal Mews.
Only about one in three young Britons want the monarchy to continue but British royalty has done well for the nation in being the quaintest draw for tourism, particularly from across the Atlantic that more than compensates for all the wealth that the family still holds on to as a legacy of British colonialism. There is little to doubt the near universal feeling of appreciation for the unifying role Elizabeth II played for a diverse nation.
The UK’s queen took an active interest in politics but never overstepped in interventions, ever polite as she was in handing out advice to Prime Ministers. For a long-lived monarch, the Jubilee might be the last grand occasion. It would not be out of line if we were to conclude that things will never be the same again if a succession were to take place.