Rallying words of our constant Queen bring a touch of wartime resolve in UK’s hour of need
It was always going to be a case of when, not if, the Queen would address an anxious nation living through unprecedented times. The Prince of Wales and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge had done their bit, while the general public has been gripped by Downing Street press conferences featuring all manner of politicians and boffins.
But over the past seven decades, Britons come to realise that there is only one person in public life who can ever truly provide the comfort and reassurance needed in times of trouble: Her Majesty.
Having witnessed first hand the impact of her father’s “King’s Speech” on British morale during the Second
World War, the 93-year-old monarch has never doubted the power of the throne to provide much-needed calm.
During 68 years on the throne, the Queen has witnessed many disasters but even after 14 prime ministers and 13 US presidents, she has never seen anything quite like coronavirus.
With families across Britain and the Commonwealth cooped up indoors as Easter approaches, fearful of an invisible killer that has already infected a million around the world, tonight will be the self-isolating sovereign’s chance to be alongside her subjects in their hour of need.
Like George VI on the wireless 80 years ago, she will speak directly to the living rooms of the UK in an effort to bring a touch of the Blitz spirit her parents will always be remembered for. Having once claimed that she “has to be seen to be believed”, the prime time TV outing promises to be the celluloid equivalent of a walkabout.
Encapsulating the Queen’s role not only as head of state, but “Mother of the Nation”, the carefully chosen words will reflect her reputation as a beacon of continuity and stability.
Intended to be “realistic but rallying”, the two paragraphs that have been released by Buckingham Palace suggest the heartfelt prose will be the most deeply personal our intensely private monarch has ever delivered.
In telling the public to take pride in the “attributes of self-discipline, of quiet good-humoured resolve and of fellow-feeling,” the Queen could almost be talking about herself.
And that is exactly what the address is intended to do – remind the population that those British qualities that encapsulate our staunch and stalwart monarch, characterise us all.
Hence why she will look to appeal to both young and old in saying: “Those who come after us will say that the Britons of this generation were as strong as any.”
For as the Queen will acknowledge tonight at 8pm – Covid-19 has not just “brought grief to some” and “financial difficulties to many” but “enormous changes to the daily lives of us all”. And having lived a life putting duty first, the mother of four, grandmother of eight and great grandmother of eight understands the price of sacrifice.
Just as when her mother said she was glad Buckingham Palace had been bombed in 1940 so she could “look the East End in the face”, the measures taken for the Queen to record this unprecedented four and a half minute message serve as a reminder that this global pandemic has affected everyone, including the House of Windsor.
Having been forced to self-isolate at Windsor Castle with the Duke of Edinburgh, 98, measures were taken to ensure their safety, with the camera man dressed in protective gear and technical staff in another room to mitigate any risk – and rightly so.
For it is not just the regular rhythm of the monarchy that has for years cloaked this nation in a security blanket. Over nearly seven decades, the one constant that has steadfastly steered Britain through good times and bad has been our gracious and glorious Queen.