God Save the Queen
Accession Day. Today marks 70 years since Queen Elizabeth II ascended to the throne upon the death of her father King George VI. She is the longest reigning monarch in history.
For me and for many others, that is worth honoring and celebrating.
Today, when I close my eyes, I am walking in the crisp British air through the streets of London, stopping to take a picture across the street from Westminster Abbey–the very place of the Queen’s coronation. And, reflecting on the many ways that country, its monarchy, history and its culture have shaped my life.
England–and everything about it– has been a constant source of inspiration, comfort, joy and fascination for me.
As a child, I remember waking up in the early hours of the morning to watch the wedding of Charles and Diana. It was a real life fairy tale, and I was watching someone become a princess. She was beautiful in her white puffy gown walking down the aisle of St. Paul’s Cathedral into what appeared to be a magical life. Oh, how I loved her.
Over the years, there were more royal weddings and the arrival of children. Yes, I have celebrated each occasion. Getting up in the early hours to watch Prince Andrew and Sarah, Edward and Sophie, William and Kate, and Harry and Meghan. I have hosted watch parties, worn crowns and sipped tea. I have toasted and wished them all the best. I have “oohed and ahhed” at the dresses and pageantry.
And, of course, the Queen was a constant. She was the Queen and yet, these ceremonies reminded us she was also a wife, a mother and a grandmother.
For me, it is not only my love for the Royal Family that has impacted my life, but also the country itself.
I have walked the streets of London, Stratford-upon-Avon, Bath and York. I have walked the halls of Hampton Court Palace, Windsor Castle and Kensington Palace. I have stood on the ground of the Tower of London, and climbed the steps to the White Tower. I have spent time in the Cotswolds and the Lake District and imagined a life in this beautiful country. I have worshipped in Westminster Abbey and wept at the martyrdom of Thomas a Becket. I have seen the changing of the guard. On one visit to England, I was actually at the gate of Buckingham Palace when the Queen and Prince Phillip were returning home. Her car passed directly in front of me, and I caught a glimpse of the Queen in her yellow dress with her pearls. It was extraordinary.
And then there are the words; the literature.
With an English teacher for a mother, it seems I always knew about Shakesepare, Wordsworth and Chaucer. I soaked in every word and detail as a student, and then as a teacher of British literature.
My passion for what I was teaching served as the brush I used to paint pictures for my students, weaving history and literature into one beautiful mural.
“We are our art,” I would say to them, as I was hoping the pictures I was creating were teaching them about the world and ourselves.
And, always telling them about the Royal Family. “And, when you visit England, as one day you shall, I hope,” I would say, “you will love it like I do.”
As I have grown older and as we have all come to know more about the Royal Family, we have had to come to understand that living in a palace does not protect one from the pain of life.
And, a fairytale wedding does not mean a fairytale life.
There was drama. There was adultery. There was pain. And there was divorce–Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips. Prince Charles and Princess Diana. Prince Andrew and Sarah, Duchess of York.
And, then there was death.
I remember the moment it was announced that Princess Diana had died. An overwhelming blanket of sadness came over me and millions across the world. That time, I was waking up early to watch a funeral. The image of Prince Phillip, William, Harry and Prince Charles walking behind Diana’s casket through the streets of London was both beautiful and tragic.
And, there has also been disappointment as we have seen through the cracks in the palace walls and into their lives.
Prince Andrew is part of a civil sex assault case and has been stripped of all military titles and charities. His title will most likely be next. It has been confirmed that Charles never really loved Diana. He loved Camilla–and as the Queen wishes, she will most likely become Queen. A lesson in forgiveness for us all.
Harry resigned from all royal duties. His interview with Oprah. His betrayal. As the Queen, she has had to navigate the failings and unfortunate decisions of the members of the Royal Family. She has done that well; and yet, she is also a mother and grandmother. One can only imagine the heartache and sadness she must feel.
Watching people you love make poor decisions, even when they grew up in a palace, makes the Queen, in some ways, more human–more like one of us.
Speaker and author Tony Evans wrote, “We’re living in a time when it’s only about me. What I think. How I feel. What I want. And if I have to harm you with my words or my actions in order to get what I want—well, too bad.”
How very true. And, how very sad.
Perhaps that is why I and so many people love Queen Elizabeth II. She embodies the exact opposite of this new way of life.
Upon the death of her dearest Prince Phillip, I wrote to her:
Madam,
I wanted to express my sadness at the loss of your beloved husband Philip. His incredible life and his contributions to the Commonwealth will forever be remembered.
Your marriage is a true testament to what it means to lead a life of love, devotion, duty and respect.
May God’s love along with the love of your family and your subjects blanket you with peace during this difficult time.
You will be in my prayers, Your Majesty.
Her marriage, her life and her reign are a true testament to duty, respect, honor, dignity, devotion and love.
So, on this historic Accession Day, I honor Queen Elizabeth II and her remarkable 70 years.
Happy and glorious,
Long to reign over us,
God save the Queen!