Whether a royalist or not, you can’t help but admire Queen
Ihave no doubt in my mind we will be celebrating Her Majesty The Queen’s 75th jubilee in 2027. Sir Winston Churchill, her first prime minister after becoming Queen, certainly had nothing to worry about.
As the Platinum Jubilee celebrations get under way, street parties begin and the nation celebrates, I wonder – will we see such a human being again?
Whether you are a royalist or not, you can’t help but admire how this lady has carried herself.
From a princess during the Second World War, to a young queen after the untimely death of her father in 1952.
It remains a wonder to me how we still know so little about one of the most famous women in the world and, indeed, how we are still fascinated by her.
How much of what we saw on Netflix’s The Crown is true?
What really is Her Majesty’s night-time routine?
Does she really take several alcoholic drinks daily?
It’s the fact we still know so little about her true thoughts, especially in this age of social media and free expression, which makes her enigmatic persona even more intriguing.
Can you imagine what it must have been like to have lost your father at the age of 25 and been plunged into mourning and grief, and at the same time becoming the head of state of one of the most powerful countries in the world… and a mother of two very young children too.
All of this would surely have broken many, but not Elizabeth.
As she told the Commonwealth, her duty was to serve and so she has, since day one.
And what a difficult era to manage.
She had to lead a country which once boasted the world’s largest empire, to one which would have to grow accustomed to playing a much smaller role in world affairs.
Her country might not have the status it did in 1952, but she certainly does in the eyes of the rest of the world.
As has been tradition for the past 260 years, today marks the official birthday of the British sovereign and reminds us of the words ‘long to reign over us’.
For Louis XIV of France’s record of 72 years and 110 days on the throne will surely be beaten.