Page 56 - Oct 2022

Queen Elizabeth II---A Life of Service and a Pr omise Fulfilled

Although it was well known that the Queen, at 96, was growing increasingly frail, the end, when it came was so sudden that it still came as a shock. People who had
celebrated her Platinum Jubilee in June and seen her enjoying events fewer than four months before the announcement came of her death, coming only days after
she saw out Boris Johnson, her 14th prime minister, and welcomed Liz Truss , as her 15th and final prime minister. Elizabeth's first prime minister, having been the
British Lion of World War II, Winston Churchill. For most people in the UK and the Commonweath, the continuity and the sense of security that came from a 70 year
reign could not be underestimated. This meant that people were not prepared, emotionally, although the reality that the Queen was in decline was surely in the
minds of everyone. When the moment came, it came it was a shock, all around the world.

In a sense the Queen's passing seemed to have come about as she seemed to do most things-- duty first and no foolishness. Having secured the transition of power
to a new government and made her wishes clear that Prince Charles' spouse Camilla should be known as the Queen Consort, she worked until almost the end of her
eventful life and then, suddenly, she was gone.

People who saw her in those last days now remark at how engaged she was, in what good humor she was, still showing the wry turn of phrase for which she was
known, interested in what was going on about her and celebrating, just before her death, the news of a win at the track for one of her young horses. When the time
came to bring her remarkable life to a close, it happened at a place of her own choosing; she loved Scotland, which was filled with happy memories for her. Her last
photos show her upright, aided by a stick, at Balmoral, a place she had known since she was a girl and that still looked very much as her great grandmother, Queen
Victoria had decorated it. Wearing her trademark smile , she looked homely and maternal, wearing tartan and standing in front of the fire in the last image we
would see of her. In a world of flux and uncertainty, Elizabeth was a constant and steady presence, but more importantly, as the outpouring of affection and personal
stories from around the world, demonstrated, as the official rituals surrounding her death played out, she was a good woman, who had lived up to her vow made at
21, whether her life be long or short, to serve . She was a woman who guided by faith, with a bone deep beilief in the goodness that people could be capable of.

Born in an world far different from the one that she left, watching her change with the times while demonstrated the strength of her character and her grace as both
a public and private person. As examples of all that she did, she was there for the rebuilding the faith in post WWII Britain; the decline of the British Empire and the
building up of the Commonwealth;, the troubles in Ireland and, through her own quiet efforts, reconciliation; personal losses and upheavals in her own family;
seeing the UK join the European Union and leaving it via Brexit, watching and participating in the introduction of new technologies, sending a microfilm message with
the USA's astronauts that was left on the moon; attending 1000s of openings and events, receiving a lifetime of bouquets and nosegays; tallying 50 years of
attendance at the Chelsea Flower Show, a favorite activity; was a part of every Christmas in most British homes through her annual broadcast messages; passed out
honors and awards; remained at heart a countrywoman with an eye for nature's splendor; made a surprise cameo appearance with James Bond for the 2012
Olympics in London; delivered a message of strength during COVID; sat by herself at the funeral of her husband, Philip, who had courted her as a young naval
officer, driving an MG; and, shared tea with Paddington Bear at Buckingham Palace to open her own Platinum Jubilee year-- she was in a word- remarkable.

How is it possible, then, that people all over the world who never met the Queen felt as if they knew her? In 70 years of her reign, she never gave a standard interview and
while always in the public eye and consciousness, she remained a private, disciplined, person- "never complain, never explain" she believed. She also knew, as she
said, " that to be believed, I must be seen, ", one reason that she always appeared in such brilliant colors, with her hats and trademark purse. The illustration above,
which appeared on Facebook and was seen in various floral tributes was reflective of the mood of so many who joined a five mile queue , with wait times of 22 hours
, to file by her coffin and to say good-bye. Perhaps it was the things, both stately and sassy, that she said and became public in times of trouble, in times of reflection,
in times of remembrance, and in times of joy and moments of good humour, that made people respond to her in a visceral way and more importantly believe that
she knew and valued them. She had the rare gift of being interested in people and putting them at ease. That is why , at the end, they came to say, "Thank You,
Ma'am, for everything". And now, the Queen, In her own words, starting with what she always asked when sitting for portraits, " Now then, with teeth or without."
"It's inevitable that I should seem a rather remote figure to many of you, a successor to the kings and queens of history. I cannot lead you into battle. I do not give you laws or
administer justice. But I can do something else. I can give you my heart and my devotion to these old islands and to all the peoples of our brotherhood of nations."

During a visit to Niagara Falls, Canada, Her Majesty frankly declared: "It looks very damp."

Reflecting on her coronation, Elizabeth manhandled the Imperial State Crown, poking and prodding it while saying, "It's very solid, isn't it?"
"I know of no single formula for success, but over the years I have observed that some attributes of leadership are universal and are often about finding ways of encouraging
people to combine their efforts, their talents, their insights, their enthusiasm and their inspiration to work together."

"Why are women expected to beam all the time? It?s unfair. If a man looks solemn, it?s automatically assumed he?s a serious person, not a miserable one." and [Approaching a
portrait sitting:] "Now then, with teeth or without?"

"Reflecting on these events makes me grateful for the blessings of home and family, and in particular for 70 years of marriage. I don't know that anyone had invented the term
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'platinum' for a 70th wedding anniversary when I was born. You weren't expected to be around that long."