Queen Elizabeth, President Reagan, Prime Minister Thatcher
That was a Silver Age.
But it was short-lived.
While I never “followed” the Royals, I was fond of the Queen…not that I knew her well…but she was an entire institution all by herself. What a life and what a history. RIP, Elizabeth.
Whatever else she may have been (I don’t know) the Queen was always gracious and dignified.
Prince Charles, on the other hand, has already proven himself to be a moron. But he’s at least not as bad (in the reputation department) as Andrew.
Quote:
She was the symbol of consistency, the link between the generations, the rock to whom we were tethered as the storms of the world raged around us. She was always there. Now she isn’t. And we feel devastated.
She held the country together because of the way she effaced herself to become the quintessence of duty and selfless service to her people, a symbol of unity and true inclusion. We watched the way she conducted her great office — her calmness, her strength, her fortitude, her kindliness and humility — and we felt soothed and reassured that, in looking at her example, we were gazing at ourselves as a nation in the mirror she held up to us. She loved us with a deep devotion; and in return we loved her.
Never have those qualities she embodied been more needed than they are now. It’s impossible not to feel that her passing marks not just the loss of a unique public servant and a great soul, but also the loss of a Britain that belonged to a different era — a Britain of strength and resilience, a Britain of self-restraint and grounded pragmatism, a Britain of true tolerance and gentleness, a Britain whose passing we also most deeply mourn.
To be honest, I’ve never cared one way or another about European royalty. We Usaians are like that. Nevertheless, Elizabeth was an exception that proves the rule. She was an exceptional woman with a decent sense of humor and good taste in dogs. She help her country through some trying times, Arguably, Britain was better off that Edward VIII abdicated which led to Elizabeth becoming queen.
As an aside, while I didn’t think about it before, I just realized she was Queen seven weeks longer than I’ve been alive. She was more an institution than a mere monarch.
Unfortunately, the rest of the bunch seems blinded by the climate change hysteria. The new PM will have her work cut out for her if she is to promote drilling in the North Sea and fracking, as well. But…either they want to save the UK or they want to destroy it. I don’t suppose a newly crowned king would want his subjects to think that he wants to destroy their homeland. One can only hope.
I don’t have much hope for Charles, but hopefully his views won’t have too much influence.
I’m very pleasantly surprised by the new Prime Minister, though - I hope she keeps going in that direction.
Just watched this video and thought some might like it. Wonderful photos of the Queen and what fantastic hats!
All her life she dressed beautifully, and in particular - as you remark - her hats were splendid. Works of art. Real art, not modern or “post-modern”. Chosen with taste. Her taste, her sense of the appropriate, as also her warmth, kindness, and astute intelligence, were natural to her. She was also one of the best-informed people in the world. I admire her greatly (despite her religiousness).