Heartfelt thanks for noble reign
More than 70 years have passed since New Zealand newspapers last ran editorials about the death of a monarch, such was the nearly incomprehensible sense of continuity Queen Elizabeth II offered.
You might have said the Queen was always there, like God and the weather, but fewer of us believe in God than we used to and even the weather can no longer be relied upon.
For the record, The Press in Christchurch responded to the sudden death of the Queen’s father, George VI, in 1952, with confidence that the new, young monarch was up to the job. The paper said that ‘‘at the age of 25, Queen Elizabeth assumes responsibilities heavier than any other woman in the world is called upon to carry. No-one doubts that she will be a good Queen; and she has a great tradition to follow. The reign of Queen Victoria is not so distant that its dignity as well as its humanity will not be remembered.’’
Vast stretches of history open up. The reign of Queen Victoria had ended a mere 51 years earlier, a period of time overshadowed by the 70 years of Queen Elizabeth II.
The Press went on to say the new Queen was well-versed in the concept and obligations of service. Her ‘‘excellent training’’ would make her burdens easier to carry. Other newspapers would have expressed similar sentiments.
It was a different world in 1952. It has been said three out of four New Zealanders saw the Queen and Prince Philip during their long summer tour in 1953-54. Of course, crowds dwindled over the years. New Zealand felt less British and more confident about its place in the South Pacific. But many New Zealanders continued to admire the Queen’s dignity and integrity, her devotion to service and her rigorous political neutrality. Even those who feel it is time for New Zealand to become a republic found it hard to criticise the Queen personally.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was correct when she acknowledged the Queen’s dedication to ‘‘notions of service, charity and consistency’’, and her ‘‘courage, compassion and humour’’. The Queen did not merely inherit New Zealand’s respect. She earned it.
There will be conversations about whether Republicanism would suit New Zealand, or whether King Charles III can meet the high standards set by his mother. But those and other issues can wait.
Māori Party co-leader Rawiri Waititi was another politician who struck the right note when he tweeted ‘‘We all mourn the passing of this Ariki. The huge vacuum left will cause debate, but in this time of grief and loss we can only support her whānau and mokopuna as they grieve and heal. She was a constant across three generations, an anchor in a rapidly changing globe.’’
Waititi’s tweet is also a reminder that the relationship between Māori and the Crown is both warmer and more complicated than some Pākehā critics of colonisation might expect.
Elsewhere, former Canadian prime minister Brian Mulroney has said the Queen used her ‘‘soft power’’ to help end South African apartheid.
The Queen was born at a time when her grandfather, George V, ruled the largest empire the world has seen. She died as a muchdiminished Britain faces a period of economic and political instability not seen since the 1970s. By robbing Britain of one of its remaining certainties, her death only adds to that instability.
But at the same time, much of the coverage in New Zealand, even by those who should know better, overlooked the important fact that she was also our head of state – and Australia’s. For better or worse, we continue to be a monarchy, albeit a less whole-hearted one than in 1952.
The Queen was not a remote figure from the past who ruled on the other side of the world, but a warmly-regarded monarch who was inseparable from our country’s politics, culture and history, and whose passing leaves a huge gap.