I’m proud to cry out: ‘God save the King!’
OYEZ! oyez! oyez! For those who question why do we have royalty and not a republic, remember that in our constitutional monarchy, a king or queen does not rule, they reign. and whether at a state occasion or an informal walkabout, part of their duty is to act as our nation’s foremost ceremonial representative. the Queen had golden ticket box-office appeal. Behind her warm smile, she was inscrutable, not cynical and nontribal. Politicians might take note that when she made a promise, she kept it. I am a former soldier who served for 22 years. the Queen, a remarkable woman and grafter, served for 70 long years and, whether in dainty town or country footwear, didn’t put a foot wrong. While the duty and service the Queen gave is deserving of great recognition, she earned something far more important, worthy and more lasting than adornments or titles: the love and respect of not just her people, but the whole world.
For the past 25 years in my role as a town crier, countless times at the end of my announcements I have declared: ‘God save the Queen.’ the first time I heard ‘the Queen is dead, long live the King’ it sounded so blunt and brutal.
No more will we see her famous wave as we salute or applaud her. But life moves on inexorably and we are now living in the Carolean era. I am equally proud to cry out: ‘God save the King.’
MICHAEL WOOD, Beverley, East Riding of Yorkshire. I’D lIKe to answer the man who shouted ‘Who elected him?’ at a proclamation ceremony for King Charles III. the answer is no one, thank goodness. the truth about elections is that whether it be a statesman, politician or the captain of a darts team, the winner can never be everything to everyone. they can only please those who voted for them and then not always. the Queen was the mother of our island nations, whether we were born here or came to live here, rich or poor, high or low. she served every last one of us with a combination of impartiality and deep affection. she was known for her Christian values of love and duty. How many statesman could honestly claim to have these qualities? our new King has been taught by the best and much desires to become the father of our nation. I give him my full blessing. If you believe in democracy then you will accept the will of the majority. this week’s displays of commiserations and approval suggest that a King has been ‘elected’.
S. M. WINSLADE-RAFTER, London S17.