Queen Elizabeth II: Life and Legacy
On September 8, 2022, Britain’s longest reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, passed away at the age of ninety-six. The world mourns the death of the monarch who had ruled for 70 years, second to only France’s ‘Sun King,’ Louis XIV. This article will cover the influence of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign, along with speculation about Britain’s future, woven in with an interview with Newman MYP Director and Mathematics Instructor Mr. Colin Schafer.
Queen Elizabeth II was born on April 21, 1926. Her father was Prince Albert, the Duke of York, and her mother was Elizabeth-Bowes Lyon. Since she was not an heir to the throne, her childhood was very luxurious and free of any training to become queen. Elizabeth and her sister were privately educated in their royal estates. When George V passed away in the year of 1936 , her father became George VI, and now, Elizabeth was the heir to the throne as the eldest child in line. Elizabeth was thirteen when World War II broke out. The royal family stayed out of London while it was during the Blitz. During this time, she made radio broadcasts to the people, telling them that God was on their side.
In 1942, her father decreed her colonel in chief of the Grenadier Guards, which are known as the beefeaters. These are the guards that watch over the most iconic royal residence, Buckingham Palace. Queen Elizabeth also did some volunteer work for a few months near the end of World War II. She did work as a mechanic, supporting the manufacturing war effort. This perhaps gave the queen-to-be a glimpse of the great things that the non-royals did for society. Fifteen years after his coronation, George VI, Elizabeth’s father, passed away. Now Elizabeth ascended the throne at the fruitful age of twenty-five.
As Queen Elizabeth II was crowned, the whole world was spectating the brilliant festivities. This was the beginning of the worldwide publicity of the royal family. The publicity of the royal family was extremely important for the public to see that many things in their changing country were still the same. “She was a symbol of continuity for several decades. She was in charge of Britain when the final bits of the British empire was dismantled,” Mr. Schafer notes. Queen Elizabeth and the royal family were the remnants of the British Empire, and they still are a symbol of the great masses their country had domain over.
Queen Elizabeth II married Philip Mountbatten in 1947, who was a relatively distant cousin. While Philip was connected to two royal families, the Danish and the Greek, he was very wealthy and was described by people at the time as having a rugged personality. In 1960 the Queen stated that anyone in the royal family who needed a surname for legal purposes would use Windsor-Mountbatten, which consisted of both Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth’s last names. Queen Elizabeth II had four children, Charles in 1948, Anne in 1950, Andrew in 1960, and Edward in 1964. Charles was named Prince of Wales in 1969, which means second in line for the throne. Queen Elizabeth has a very fascinating relationship with the rest of the royal family. Mr. Schafer shares, “She was very much the traditional matriarch. She could decide how much money they got, and which houses they could live in. If you were in her favor, then something would happen to you, and if you weren’t they wouldn’t.”
Queen Elizabeth II’s seven-decade reign marked by the platinum jubilee was long and quite peaceful. Mr. Schafer describes Queen Elizabeth’s level of power, “ She technically has a great deal of power, and she delegates it to the Parliament. She has been hands-off and doesn’t get involved in day-to-day politics. She was a figurehead, she did what she was expected to, greeting foreign dignitaries, and very ceremonial roles.” Much of what the queen did during her reign was touring the Commonwealth of Nations. She served as a representative for the crown and Britain. She maintained relationships with these countries. In 1965 she paid a visit to the aggressor of the first half of the 20th century, Germany. She was the first monarch to do so since the beginning of the century. The queen gained a massive amount of respect spanning the world, which is why the world mourns her death and reflects on her legacy.
While the royal family's reign has been mainly positive, there were some unfortunate events. Many of these happened in 1992 when Queen Elizabeth II described herself as their “annus horribilis.” In this year, the royal family had three separations, most notably between Charles the Prince of Wales and Princess Diana. These breakups temporarily damaged the royal family’s image, which was already resented due to a recession. During economic hardships, many people across the nation looked begrudgingly at the excessive wealth of the royal family. As if the troubles couldn’t end, the famed Windsor Palace also caught on fire that year.
Queen Elizabeth continues to affect the country even after her death. A ten-day public holiday was declared, in which the government is not taking an action, and people will not have to work. This affects the economy since no one will need to be working. This isn’t good for the country, especially since it grappled with a railroad strike a few weeks ago. In addition, the premier league schedule has been moved around, which further complicates the balance between the upcoming World Cup and the UEFA Champions League. Upon the Queen’s death, King Charles III ascends the throne. He gave a speech to parliament honoring his mother and vowing to serve Britain. When asked what Britain will look like without Queen Elizabeth II, Mr. Schafer replies, “Not much different to what it would be with Queen Elizabeth. Institutional inertia is a feature of British institutions. Nothing is going to rapidly change.”
Nevertheless, the world mourns and honors Queen Elizabeth II. May she rest in peace.