A Queen Unmatched

By Dr Upul Wijayawardhana

Elizabeth II, the Queen of the United Kingdom and 14 other Commonwealth realms, is also the Head of the Commonwealth of Nations, a political association of 54-member states, representing a third of the world population; almost all of these countries are former territories of the British Empire. Interestingly, the last two countries to join the Commonwealth, Rwanda and Mozambique have no historical ties to the British Empire. Queen Elizabeth has set many records; being the longest-lived and longest-reigning British monarch, the longest-serving female head of state in history, the oldest living and longest-reigning current monarch, and the oldest and longest-serving incumbent head of state. Celebrations to mark her latest landmark, ‘The Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II’ has already started and continues throughout this year, the majority being held during the Jubilee bank holiday weekend from 2nd to 5th June. Though seen less often in public following an attack of Covid in February, she is still active in service and has just passed the 96th milestone in the journey of her life.

When Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, Princess Elizabeth of York, was born on 21 April 1926 she was not destined for the British Crown but circumstances, which were exceptional, made her the British Queen, an unmatched one at that. Her father, Duke of York was second in line to the throne, being the second son of King George V, and she was third but her position could have shifted further down as her uncle Edward, heir to the throne, was young enough to get married and have his own children.

Edward ascended the throne on the death of King George V, on 20 January 1936, as King Edward VIII. Only months into his reign, a severe constitutional crisis loomed by his proposal to marry Wallis Simpson, an American socialite who had divorced her first husband and was seeking a divorce from the second. This action, in addition to being politically and socially unacceptable, would have conflicted with the King’s status as the titular head of the Church of England, which, at the time, disapproved of remarriage after divorce if a former spouse was still alive. He was forced to abdicate in December 1936 when the politicians of the day pointed out that he could not marry Wallis Simpson and remain the King. He chose the love of his life over the throne and was succeeded by his younger brother Albert, who chose the regnal name George VI. Ten-years-old Princess Elizabeth became heir presumptive, not heir apparent; if she had had a younger brother, he would have taken precedence according to the existing male-preference primogeniture succession rule, which changed only in 2015.

Princess Elizabeth started her public service in her childhood. During the Second World War, she made her first public address on a BBC Children’s Hour programme, with her younger sister Margaret, addressing children who had been evacuated for their safety. Interestingly, though the British government recommended the evacuation of the two princesses to Canada, their mother stood firm stating: “The children won’t go without me. I won’t leave without the King. And the King will never leave.” Princess Elizabeth reassured the children by stating, “We are trying to do all we can to help our gallant sailors, soldiers, and airmen, and we are trying, too, to bear our own share of the danger and sadness of war. We know, every one of us, that in the end all will be well” When she ended the broadcast by stating “My sister is by my side and we are both going to say goodnight to you. Come on Margaret. Goodnight children, children, Goodnight and good luck to you all”, the nation was in tears. In 1945, she joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service, training as a driver and mechanic. She was in active war service driving an ambulance.

Her marriage too was not easy though ultimately it turned out to be the foundation for her many achievements. It is said that she fell in love with her future husband when she was only 13 years old. Prince Philip had a grand title but nothing else. He was a prince without a home or a kingdom. Further, he was foreign-born though a British subject who served in the Royal Navy during the Second World War. Worryingly, he had sisters who were married to German noblemen with suspected Nazi links. However, she was undeterred; Elizabeth and Philip were married on 20 November 1947 at Westminster Abbey. Before the marriage, Philip renounced his Greek and Danish titles, officially converted from Greek Orthodoxy to Anglicanism, and adopted the style Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten, taking the surname of his mother’s British family. He was made Duke of Edinburgh and granted the style His Royal Highness. His sisters were not invited to the wedding.

They had four children, Charles, Anne, Andrew and Edward. Queen Elizabeth has given the much-needed stability to the United Kingdom, over the past 70 years, overseeing the period of transfer from being the largest empire to be the head of the equally large Commonwealth. It is a great shame that British politicians do not share her great concern for the Commonwealth. She has had 14 prime ministers of differing political perspectives, reigning as a constitutional monarch through major political changes such as the Troubles in Northern Ireland, devolution in the United Kingdom, the decolonisation of Africa, and the United Kingdom’s entry to the European Common Market and the subsequent withdrawal from the European Union.

She has shown equal excellence in personal affairs too. When her husband of 73 years, the longest-serving royal consort in world history, died in April 2021 she observed the pandemic rules to the letter at his funeral. What a contrast to the politicians; her Prime Minister has been fined for breaching health regulations! Her popularity plunged with the sudden death of Princess Diana but sensing the public mood she did more than what was expected. Diana admirers would continue to criticise the Queen and Prince Charles conveniently overlooking her misbehaviour. Long before her divorce from Prince Charles, Diana had many affairs, first with her bodyguard Barry Mannakee and then with the cavalry officer James Hewitt, who was reportedly brought to Kensington Palace in the boot of a car! Though Charles is made to look the culprit, his affair with Camilla was rekindled only after the separation. It was the final acknowledgement of these facts that made the Queen to state in her message to the nation, on the occasion of the 70th anniversary to the ascent of throne on 6th February, that it is her fervent wish that Camilla be queen consort when Charles becomes king. When her second son Andrew misbehaved, she stripped him of the royal titles but demonstrated forgiveness by allowing him to lend support to her, when she attended the memorial service for Prince Philip. When her grandson Harry attempted to carve a different path whilst enjoying all the perks of a full-time royal, she put her foot down and made him choose.

Many Happy returns, Your Majesty!