Queen Elizabeth has passed. Long live the Queen! As I wade into this particular subject, I must state as an American, that in no way would I want these United States to be a monarchy…of any type. Period. But that doesn’t mean that for some countries, a Constitutional monarchy can’t be the right answer for them. Having said that, I do not ally myself with some of the harsher comments I’m hearing about Queen Elizabeth and the British Monarchy.
On his Friday show, Andrew Wilkow** mentioned a conversation with his wife where they concluded that we Americans had undergone a revolution, so we didn’t have to care about what the Queen of England and the British Commonwealth thought. In the strictest sense, that is true. We 13 colonies, then clinging precariously to the side of a largely unexplored continent, broke way from Fat George and his “divine right of kings,” to tax us and carry our sons off to war without our sayso.
I believe the source of the disconnect, is the conflation of folks who with their accompanying paparazzi, report on every move and scandal of the royal family, with what should be admiration for a lifetime of selfless service to a nation. Rest assured, I have little to no respect for folks who get their entertainment by immersing themselves in the personal lives of other people. I have a special distain for the “paparazzi’ who by their actions, arguably contributed to the death of Princess Diana in a car wreck. I want no part of either group.
However, that doesn’t stop me from respecting Queen Elizabeth. Think about this. Following the death of her father, King George VI, Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary ascended to the throne on February at the very young age of 25, a mere 7 years after the end of World War Two. Recall that at the time of her death, the Queen was the only living head of state to have actually served in World War 2, in which she served in the Auxiliary Territorial Service as a mechanic.
When I look at her accomplishments, I quite naturally compare them to some of our erstwhile presidents who have been bereft of such. More on that in a bit. This formidable woman served her country for 70 years…7 decades! As a young woman, not only did she serve during World War Two, but was able to directly observe her father’s leadership during that trying time. She met with Prime Minister Winston Churchill each week, from 1952 until he returned to parliament in 1955. She continued this practice with each of Churchill’s successors, a total of 15, until her death.
As the Head of State for England and the British Commonwealth, Queen Elizabeth played a huge diplomatic role. I would submit that along with President Ronald Reagan and Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, her contribution to the demise of the former Soviet Union was critical. From my foxhole, that is the single most significant event in my lifetime. As head of state, she has been a part of world history that crossed two centuries.
Contrast her knowledge, experience and temperament with one U.S. President, who prior to his election had never held any position of responsibility in either public or private sectors. Said President, when presenting her a gift, representing these United States, thought Queen Elizabeth could possibly benefit from an iPod containing his political speeches. Such arrogance. It’s just that arrogance that leads we American to believe that our particular form of governance is best suited for everyone. We made that mistake time and again, most recently in Afghanistan.
We insisted on a U.S. style of governance, bereft of any imprimatur of a monarchy. We essentially failed to make use of the the former King of Afghanistan, Mohammed Zahir Shah. He was the one person in the entire country that all the tribes respected. As a constitutional monarch akin to Queen Elizabeth, he could have united the nation after the fall of the Taliban. Another opportunity lost because of arrogance and the habit of mistaking the trappings of royalty, with the duties and responsibilities that always accompany them.
I have no problem being a loyal American and proud of our system, while at the same time respecting Queen Elizabeth, a monarch who has made the World a better place by her presence.
**Andrew Wilkow can be found on Sirius XM, Channel 125, M-F from Noon-1500 EST.
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I see Wilkow is still fighting the Revolutionary War. I guess he thinks Elizabeth was around back then, too.
She deserves the respect of all. She believed in service, something that most pols could do better at, on both sides of the pond.