We lost the American colonies because we lacked the statesmanship to know the right time and the manner of yielding what is impossible to stop.
(cbc.ca, HM Elizabeth II – commenting on the American bicentennial in Philadelphia, July 1976)
This will seem almost traitorous to many of my fellow Caribbean natives, but I am not a monarchist. In fact, nothing offends my sense of nationalism more than seeing so many of my people maintain a level of fealty to British Royalty that would shame even the most obsequious servant in Buckingham Palace.
After all, I have been quite unabashed in agitating for our regional governments to not only abolish allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, but also rid our societies of all the colonial vestiges that flow from her “sovereign” fountain of honors (like knighthoods and Orders).
But that’s enough raining of the Queen’s parade. Today is her 85th birthday, and the good news for all of her subjects is that, looking as fit as she does, she is destined to live longer than her mother (who died at 101).
Alas, this means that Charles has decades more to wait before becoming King (and, yes, for ill or good, Camilla will become queen). Apropos of this, reports abounded this week heralding Charles as the longest monarch-in-waiting at 59 years and counting….
Of course this also means that William too will be a relatively old man before he becomes king, which rather puts all of the regal hysteria surrounding his pending nuptials into more sobering context.
Indeed, a few years ago the Queen reportedly gave the royal nod to having one of her most trusted ladies-in-waiting inform the BBC that she considers her role as monarch:
…a job for life [and that] she wouldn’t consider not continuing to fulfill those vows until she dies.
(Queen’s cousin, the Hon Margaret Rhodes, BBC, April 19, 2006)
She might have intended this as an admonition for Charles to cool his heels. But William would do well to take heed as well.
God Save The Queen!
Happy Birthday Your Majesty!
Related commentaries:
Queen’s diamond anniversary…
William to Kate: enough of the wait
Fergie caught in royal sting…
Royal embarrassment…