In Memory of Queen Elizabeth II

Such terribly sad news about the death of our Queen yesterday evening. Whilst her health had clearly been deteriorating, I, like many, found it a terrible shock and very upsetting. My photo is from the Royal website.

Everyone who knows me, knows I have a truly awful memory. I don’t remember my eldest sister getting married when I was 5, or the first moon landing when I was 6. My first definitive memory though, was of the Queen’s visit to Wolverton (my home town) when I was 3. She came to visit Wolverton Works where the Royal Train was built and kept and where virtually all men in the town worked. I remember how excited my mum was and all of us waiting expectantly and waving a flag as the Queen’s car went by. Whilst I never met her, I did see her at Manchester University (she was tiny), on a rare visit for her to Wimbledon (she wasn’t a tennis fan) and at the Royal Windsor Horse Show in 2016 (wearing a typically bright colour so people could see her) https://www.blipfoto.com/entry/2178440489613658477

I’ve always been a strong advocate for Monarchy as, whilst you couldn’t really start it from scratch now, it does work extremely well due to the continuity and stability it provides; the non-political status of our head of state; the way the Royals can turn the spotlight on worthy charities; and that the Monarch and Prime Minister can discuss anything and know it won’t ever be repeated. The Monarch also has a big impact on promoting a good culture in the country through showing personal dedication, service to others, rewarding positive behaviours through the honours system and so on. Of course, the effectiveness of this depends on the knowledge, behaviours and values of the Monarch and their skill at using ‘soft power’. In Queen Elizabeth, we had someone who was exemplary in all these areas. I was also struck today at the number of politicians telling stories of how kind she was to them. I was very impressed by the speeches given by our new Prime Minister Liz Truss and new King Charles III. 

Rest in peace your Majesty.