Being in the same job for 60 years is an achievement in anyone’s books. The Queen justly deserves the praise and kudos she is receiving this weekend for being on the throne and doing what she would see as her duty for over half a century. No-one reading this in.2012 is likely to see another monarch repeat her feat in their lifetime. If she lives a few more years Prince Charles will be in his 70’s at least when he takes over and William is likely to be at least 50 when (if) he becomes King. It’s not beyond reason to imagine that in 30 years the UK will have moved away from needing a Monarchy as a part of its governing class and might use them merely as trade or diplomatic representatives if at all.
The Queen has always been in my life and memory. I remember mum had a scrapbook with pages from Women’s Weekly tracing those early years of the very beautiful Princess Elizabeth as she became Queen. I remember standing for the anthem and singing ‘God Save the Queen’, certainly at primary school at least, going to the ‘pictures’ we’d get a brief film of Her Majesty on a horse looking, well Regal as the anthem blasted through the tinny speakers – and EVERYONE stood up for it. I’d say I was a monarchist, because I had no reason to think otherwise.
Then one day…
I just stopped and thought ‘why this family’? A simple question, history on their side sure but that’s more luck than anything else in the last couple of centuries. Many other people and many other families could just as easily be chosen and I’m sure could do a great job. I don’t know why we need a monarchy or a Royal Family in the first place but they are conversations for another day.
For me the Queen has done an outstanding job. It can’t be easy, having to meet and have something to say to hundreds of people in a year, to be ever mindful of the eyes constantly on you, to be the ultimate in a decision making process – sure you follow advice but in the end the buck stops with you. That could be a bit lonely. You might be surrounded by wealth and glitter, pomp and circumstance but so what? You don’t get to spend the wealth, someone else moves in when you die and someone else slots in the occasions for you. You’re left to be the one to ‘end’ a conversation, to get to as many people in a crowd as you can, you have to listen to awful singers, fawning speeches and ghastly politicians or other members of other Royal Families. No Long Service Leave and for this ‘sovereign’ not much sick leave. I like the woman. I can forgive her not paying taxes until pressure was applied, I have a big problem knowing there were no blacks employed at Buckingham Palace until the 80s and I think she could give up some of her property but overall she is highly tolerable.
God Bless her and a big thank you for just being there Your Majesty. I have no time for the position you hold but you are deserving of respect for the way you do it. I think you have done such a wonderful job that maybe it should end with you…why risk the reputation by possibly letting someone make a hash of it?
Today also is the 20th Anniversary of the Mabo decision. Eddie Mabo was a wonderful human being and a great Australian. It is sad he did not live to see the decision handed down but he always had faith it would be. He showed us all how to be better.
So one person who presides over an outdated and irrelevant hegemony and another who found a way and demanded the recognition of a logical and reasonable fundamental right. Thankfully only one of the former but I’d take a lot more of the latter…they would actually make it a better world.
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