Queen Elizabeth II: end of an era

The Korea Times

The Korea Times

Opinion

John J. Metzler

Queen Elizabeth II: end of an era

Posted : 2022-09-21 15:53

Updated : 2022-09-21 15:53

By John J. Metzler

The queen has died; the page of history has turned. The passing of Queen Elizabeth II, Britain's longest-serving monarch, has shocked and saddened much of the world despite the sovereign's declining health and her 96 years of age. Just months after having joyfully celebrated her platinum jubilee commemorating 70 years on the British throne, she has passed.

The daughter of King George VI, Britain's wartime king, Princess Elizabeth assumed the throne in 1952 after the untimely passing of her father.

Though coming of age during World War II, she possessed what the British called the indomitable "Blitz Spirit," the young queen in a sense bridged two historical and social periods: the war and postwar austerity period and that of a very different modernizing, post-colonial Britain ― what some described as "Cool Britannia."

Just before her reign, while visiting Capetown, South Africa, Princess Elizabeth stated somberly, "I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family, to which we all belong."

As a constitutional monarch, she appointed 15 prime ministers starting with Winston Churchill and ending with Liz Truss. Just days earlier at Scotland's Balmoral Castle, she accepted the ceremonial transfer of power to the new Conservative Prime Minister Liz Truss.

Two days after stepping down as prime minister, Boris Johnson wrote, "This is our country's saddest day … wave after wave of grief is rolling across the world."

Two days into her new role, Liz Truss said the queen had been "the rock on which modern Britain was built." She added, "Britain is the great country it is today because of her."

Extraordinarily during the course of three days, the United Kingdom had two prime ministers, saw the passing of the queen, and the elevation of the new King Charles III.

Elizabeth's life encapsulated duty, faith and grace with an amazing wit, while at the same time being the devoted mother to four children, the oldest being Charles, now 73 years old, who has become king.

While family problems often befuddled Queen Elizabeth and her loving husband, Prince Phillip, who died last year, the monarch remained steadfast in her service to the nation. Netflix series "The Crown" has done an admirable job in presenting her storied and sometimes tumultuous reign.

During three visits to the U.S., she helped nurture the Anglo-American special relationship. While visiting New York in 2010, she established a garden to honor particularly the British and Commonwealth victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on America.

Over the years, she met 13 American presidents, starting with Harry Truman and going to Joe Biden, thus witnessing an amazing swath of history.

Indeed the queen was the last global leader from the WWII generation to have served during that time in the British Army's Auxiliary Territorial Service.

Her official BBC obit read in part, "The long reign of Queen Elizabeth II was marked by her strong sense of duty and her determination to dedicate her life to her throne and to her people."

The crown now passes to Prince Charles, who has become King Charles III. As sovereign, King Charles becomes head of the Commonwealth, an association of 56 independent countries and 2.4 billion people. For 14 of these countries, including the United Kingdom as well as Australia and Canada, the king is the head of state.

But the queen has reigned for an age: something like 90 percent of the people living in the world were born during her reign.

Elizabeth II offered stability in the midst of a changing country now facing uncertainty. Not surprisingly, millions of people lined up in gratitude and grief to see her lying in state and to watch her state funeral.

The royal family embodies the role of tradition, not in a stodgy and static way, but one of underscoring historical continuity, honor and selfless service to the nation.

Fraser Nelson wrote in The Spectator, "The relationship between the country and the queen is something quite extraordinary, something far beyond the realms or understanding of politics."

The groundswell of popular sympathy, support and solidarity by the British people for this magisterial queen was unparalleled.

Continuity now sees that the crown changes to her son Charles who has become king. But I'm writing with near certainty that never again will anyone reading these words witness a British monarch with such a long and glorious reign.

The United Kingdom faces serious economic headwinds not least of all from the Russia-Ukraine war and the ensuing European energy shortages. The new king and prime minister enter the stage during very uncertain times.

A legend has passed.

John J. Metzler (jjmcolumn@earthlink.net) is a United Nations correspondent covering diplomatic and defense issues. He is the author of "Divided Dynamism ― The Diplomacy of Separated Nations: Germany, Korea, China."