The Monarch as a Symbol

This week I spoke with Tara Ogden of the BBC who plans to interview me on June 3rd in front of Buckingham Palace for a radio program. She asked me how I ever got interested in the British Monarchy and if there were many other Americans who shared my passion. I told her how it all started when at age four I saw the Duke and Duchess of Windsor on the television. I also told her I believed there are a great many Americans who share my keen interest in the British Monarchy along with countless others around the globe. Geraldine can tell by the number of people that log into her site from the different countries and I must say, it's an impressive number. The questions this raised for me were two. What is it about the British Monarchy that I find so intriguing; and why do I think my interest is one that is shared by so many? Well here are my thoughts on the matter (which I hope doesn't take away from my spontaneity with Tara next week. ;-)

First of all, I believe that the British Monarchy is a long-standing one that has endured through many historical events that other Monarchy's simply have not. The history of the British Monarchy is the biography of their nation. From the creation of the loss of the colonies under George III to the empire created during the reign of Queen Victoria, each monarch has left an indelible mark on the development of the nation. As with the characters in Greek and Roman Mythology, the rich tapestry of Britain's past seems woven by the human qualities of their godlike sovereigns. The gods and those in their favor shared epic adventures made more intriguing through their humanity. Their loves, their lust, their greed, their jealousy, their strengths, their weaknesses, their triumphs and failures are meaningful enough to still captivate many centuries later. We see our lives and ourselves in their struggles and there find many of the great themes of our literature in their stories.

In monarchy we feel a connection to the past as well as a hope for the future. Especially with the British Monarchy for they have pomp and circumstance down to an art form. They have all the best props too. The gilded carriages, the largest diamonds ever mined in their royal jewelry collection, magnificent palaces and castles that have remained occupied through history. I'm sure I'm not alone in thinking not only of the daily changing guard at Buckingham Palace, but of the fact that George VI and Queen Elizabeth continued to live there during the war. I also think of the balcony and of the old photos of the infant Princess Elizabeth in the arms of her mother standing upon it with the umbrella over them to wave to the throngs of people below. I think of Winston Churchill joining the royal family on VE Day, of the newly crowned Queen Elizabeth II in full regalia offering the royal wave, of the balcony kiss shared by Prince Charles and Princess Diana on their wedding day, the flyby after HM's annus horribilus when the royal family's appearance consisted of Queen Elizabeth II, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret. It was a powerful representation of the family whose values were shared by the nation through abdication, war and financial hardship. Now I wonder how I will feel when I see the Queen on the balcony Tuesday, June 4th for the flyby. She is the only remaining thread to those historic occasions.

Then there is the symbolism of traditions that have not diminished along with the monarch's powers. The way the government is called Her Majesty's Government. The traditional way the sovereign processes to the opening of Parliament each year presenting their goals for the upcoming session. The Queen is still said to appoint the Prime Minister even though the appointment is made based on the election results alone. She still receives the "Red Box" daily outlining all that the government is up to as far as creating law and policy development. Soldiers are said to be in "Her Majesty's Army" and members of the Royal Air Force and other military branches owe their allegiance to HM as well since all the armed forces wear the "Queen's uniform."

It is still a great honor to receive an award or knighthood from the Queen. It is a distinction that is a source of pride. Judges, postal employees, tax collectors, prison warders and others on the government's payroll are considered "On Her Majesty's Service." She is the unifying symbol of the Commonwealth of Nations. It is her face that appears on the stamps and coins of realm. She is an ambassador for the Commonwealth entertaining Heads of State and visiting other countries. As the Head of the Church of England she has is a great supporter of her religion and of religious tolerance among her subjects. She holds title to the most beautiful properties in the nation. It is her jewels that are protected by the Beefeaters at the Tower of London. It is for her alone that they perform their age-old ceremony with the keys. "Halt! Who goes there?" "The keys." "Whose keys?" "Queen Elizabeth's keys." "Advance Queen Elizabeth's keys. All is well." How cool is that?

The reason I think that it intrigues me and may intrigue others is so much of the world has given up on the idea of royalty. For example, I was born in NYC and have lived in the United States my entire life. In our history as a nation we have had a President who more or less rotates in and out of office every four years according to our liking. After Franklin Delano Roosevelt served his third term a law was passed that a President could serve no more than two terms. As that was before I was born, I expect to be lead by a different person every four years. Therefore, I am intrigued by the fact that one woman has been the leader, the unifying force behind her nation for fifty years. No matter how much we liked the Queen, I'm sure we would have voted the Mountbatten-Windsor's out by now - we would have had to! Another tenet of our founding fathers was the separation of Church and State. The Queen is the Head of the Church of England. We almost didn't vote in John F. Kennedy because he was a Catholic and Americans were afraid he might feel his obligation to the Pope in Rome greater than his obligation to the people who elected him.

Intriguing, that is how I find the entire British Monarchy. Though the idea of monarchy may seem old-fashioned, the beauty of its place in our living history cannot be denied. We are very fortunate to have in Queen Elizabeth II a sovereign, who is gracious and regal, a woman who truly seems to represent the unity of the temporal and divine power. Yet like the gods she must deal with her human frailties. Though her strengths far outweigh her weaknesses, her inability to deal appropriately with her son, Charles, will probably go down in history as the greatest of her flaws. In conclusion, it may have been the Duke and Duchess of Windsor who first drew my interest to the monarchy but I believe my appreciation for Queen Elizabeth II is what sustains it at this point in time.