Like many, I’ve been following the stories of Queen Elizabeth after her death last week. I’d already been a fan of “The Crown” on Netflix, and I’m waiting not so patiently for the next season.
Queen Elizabeth lived a good and full life. She definitely wasn’t cheated out of years. And while she practically had the world handed to her from a young age, she managed to stay sane and humble. I think the most extraordinary thing about her is that she was so normal. Looking back at previous kings and queens in history, her ancestors, she could have been eccentric and pompous, but she wasn’t.
More than all that, she was absolutely perfect for our times. There seems to be people in history who come about just when the world needs them the most. George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, FDR, Winston Churchill, are others who come to mind.
She also became more lovable as she aged. Who didn’t love her skit with Paddington Bear? I especially loved when she chose to cut a cake with a sword. When you’re the Queen, you do what you want, but she was incredibly restrained in exerting her power or influence. I never heard her spout her political beliefs, or go on a rant about anything. Not many of us can say that about ourselves!
Her life spanned nearly a century and saw tremendous changes in politics, culture, and technology. She embraced new technology, but remained true to her values and duties. I think most of us appreciated having her around, because continuity is something the world lacks. It seems like we’re always being tossed to and fro from one extreme to another, especially in American politics. Her stability will be greatly missed.
It’s going to be a long time before the world has another Queen of England. It could be generations and generations from now, and that’s kind of depressing. I can’t think of any other major female world leader who was so admired. Women are usually so vilified for being too smart, too dumb, too pretty, too ugly, too whatever. She was so rare. You know, I think the world needs a Queen. The thought of another King…yawn.
But it reminds me of an article I read about male and female characters in cartoons. It was pointed out that male cartoon characters outnumber female characters 10-1, but that didn’t bother me because I knew it takes 10 men to equal one woman. So, we’re even. One Queen Elizabeth will outshadow the next ten kings.
But more seriously, she was just a decent person, chosen for our times. What a life and legacy. And like she said when she was cutting that cake with a sword, she too was something “more unusual.”
