Queen Elizabeth II: One day at a time

Each month I try to think of something unique that Queen Elizabeth has done in her life. Each month I'm overwhelmed by all the choices to write about. This month I was going to write about Elizabeth and Phillip until I saw a program on the Biography Channel about Queen Elizabeth's Reign. Although I only caught the last 20 minutes or so of it, I was reminded of how she has always handled everything with such dignity. Of how she always remains focused on the commitment to duty she made to the subjects of Great Britain and the Commonwealth nations. Of how she always manages to appear serene even when popular opinion of the monarchy is at its lowest. This month I decided to write about these qualities and how she consistently behaves like the cream - separate from the milk; rising to the top.

First and foremost, Queen Elizabeth II is able to rise above by always staying on top of all that is going on. She works hard to know what is going on by studying her red dispatch boxes each day - even vacation days. She forms her own opinions on the matters and is never shy about airing her views with her Prime Ministers. According to an anecdote retold by Robert Lacey in his book, "Majesty: Elizabeth II and the House of Windsor", Queen Elizabeth's serious study of issues was first noted by Jock Colville who was Princess Elizabeth's Private Secretary from 1947 - 1949. He was Private Secretary to Winston Churchill at the time of her accession. When Prime Minister Churchill expressed apprehension at meeting with a 'child' over the affairs of State, Mr. Colville relayed this bit of information: Shortly after her wedding in 1947 Mr. Colville received a request to send Princess Elizabeth's wedding dress on British Exports Tour of North America. Colville advised the Princess that he would approve of it as it did not seem harmful. She replied, "Well, I can think of five very good reasons against it." She went on to outline each of the five arguments 'on the spot and without hesitation.'

This may have impressed Mr. Churchill, but he still showed up unprepared for his first meeting with the new Queen. During that first meeting Queen Elizabeth mentioned a telegraph from Baghdad and what she had thought of it. Totally unprepared, Churchill returned to Downing Street irate. Thereafter he was sure to read all telegrams before his audience. Apparently this faux pas was not passed along in 'Prime Minister Lore' for in 1964 a newly elected Harold Wilson suffered a similar fate during his first business discussion with the Queen.

Mr. Wilson arrived for his first audience as Prime Minister after all the pomp and circumstance of the election and presentation. During this first 'business' audience the Queen mentioned how interesting she found the idea of a new town in the Bletchley area. Not having read or studied his reports before the meeting, (he claims to have planned to that over the coming weekend) he had no knowledge of what she was referring to. In his retirement speech over a decade later he reportedly said, 'I shall certainly advise my successor to do his homework before and to read all his telegrams and Cabinet Committee papers in time, and not leave them to the weekend, or he will fell like an unprepared schoolboy.'

It is this attention to detail and the diligent following of the events that affect the nations that she is sovereign of that have made the Queen a valuable resource and sounding board for her Prime Ministers. Her advice is greatly respected, as unlike an elected official, she has an intimate knowledge of affairs of state that now spans almost 50 years. She has seen crises come and go. She has seen the tide turn against the Monarchy and she has seen times when loyalty is unbelievably high. She takes all of this in stride. She always thinks of the big picture and how 'this too shall pass'.

For example this entire affair with members of the royal family working is a recycled event for Her Majesty for she has faced it before with her brother-in-law, Antony Armstrong-Jones, and her son-in-law, Captain Mark Phillips. When the Daily Express newspaper agreed to pay Armstrong-Jones 5,000 pounds a year along with expenses to be there 'Artistic Advisor', the Sunday Times reported, 'It will inevitably seem unfair to rival newspapers and magazines that the Queen's close relative is used for the enlargement and enrichment of the Thomson empire.' When the 'Sophiegate' tapes were released I'm sure the Queen probably thought, 'Here we go again!' She has quietly set in motion a task force to study the issues of members of the royal family working in the public or private sector. This time it may be more difficult to handle because over a quarter of a century later the reporter has thought nothing of using subterfuge to entrap a member of the royal family nor has he or the newspaper he associates himself with feeling anyway respectful of the Queen in this whole charade. This would not have been the case in the 1960's during the Armstrong-Jones 'employment crisis'.

Another example of history repeating itself for the Queen is the divorces of her three elder children. She had lived through the divorce of her sister, Margaret Rose, from Antony Armstrong-Jones in the 70's, but it did not prepare her for the year 1992 which saw the separation of her son, Andrew, from his wife, the former Sarah Ferguson; her son, Charles, Prince of Wales and heir apparent, from his wife, the former Lady Diana Spencer, or; the divorce of her only daughter, Anne, from her husband, Captain Mark Phillips. Throw in a terrible fire that damaged, by some estimates, 25% of Windsor Castle, the place she thinks of as home and it's no wonder that she famously stated, '1992 is not a year on which I shall look back with undiluted pleasure. In the words of one of my more sympathetic correspondents, it has turned out to be an 'annus horribilis.'

Though 1992 was a difficult year for the Queen - in many ways probably the most emotionally tumultuous in her life - she still retained the dignified stance that has marked her reign of almost 50 years. It is a rare person - and I certainly cannot count myself among them - who can live an entire lifetime in public service, in the public eye being at the mercy of public opinion while remaining true to themselves, their values and their responsibilities. For the first time this year she has shared with us the secret of this inner strength, of her ability to remain steadfast in her role as sovereign in a world that finds the institution somewhat pass�, 'For me the teachings of Christ and my own personal accountability before God provide a framework in which I try to lead my life.'

This hardworking, dutiful Queen gets my vote for another 25 years. God Save the Queen!

All the best,