For most of us, we don’t have any memory of anyone besides Queen Elizabeth II as the leader of Britain and The Commonwealth. She is the longest reigning monarch in the world and has been on the throne 70 years, having become queen at age 25 on February 6, 1952 after her father’s death. Her coronation took place the following year on June 2, 1953.
What is the primary role of a monarch? According to writers Max Foster and Lauren Said-Moorhouse, “It isn’t to serve for as long as possible; it’s to serve well and leave the throne in a stronger position than when you inherited it. In that regard, Elizabeth has outperformed against all odds.
“Elizabeth’s greatest accomplishment has to be the Commonwealth. When she acceded to the throne, her empire, once the largest on earth, was collapsing. Country after country voted for independence and many saw it as the beginning of the end of the entire institution of monarchy.
“Elizabeth, then still in her 20s, stopped the rot by throwing herself behind a fledgling group her father had overseen for post-colonial nations. The Queen made the Commonwealth a priority and, under her stewardship, it has grown from eight members to 54 today. When she passes the crown to Charles, it will be less vulnerable than it was when she received it and that has to be her greatest achievement.”
That may all change after her death. Prince William and Kate are on a commonwealth tour at present and Jamaica’s Prime Minister, Andrew Holness, told them, “We are moving on and our intention is to become an independent country.” And that could happen with a lot of other countries in the commonwealth.
The commonwealth is a voluntary organization of some of the countries that have been ruled by the British empire for many years who all aspire to the same ideals. In some of the countries, the queen is the sovereign, in others she is more of a figurehead.
William and Kate are a lot more popular than Prince Charles and Camilla. Could the crown pass over Charles and go to William? The horse’s mouth, William’s, says that will not happen. So Charles will be King, expected to be called King Charles III, for a short while, as he is currently 73. Then William and Kate will have their turn.
Isn’t it a strange thought that in order for Charles’ life to have any meaning his mother has to die? Such is the life of royals.
“London Bridge is Down.” That’s the code name for the years of planning for what will happen in the United Kingdom, the British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies upon, and immediately after, the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
It includes planning for the announcement of her death, the period of official mourning and the details of her state funeral. Some critical decisions relating to the plan have been made by the Queen herself, although some can only be made by her successor, Charles, after her death.
Charles and Camilla have already started taking over some of the queen’s duties and become part of the organizations she supported over the years.
Money will immediately be printed with Charles’ photo but it will take years before all the bills with the queen’s likeness on them are all taken in by the banks. Passports will need to be changed similarly as they are issued in Queen Elizabeth’s name.
Though people have become sanguine about the longevity and health of the queen, her death is definitely coming one day, and with it the end of an epic chapter in Britain’s history and the start of a strange and unknown new one.—K.W.C.
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