MAJESTIC IN LIFE AND MAJESTIC IN DEATH
Queen Elizabeth and the march of time
The death of Queen Elizabeth represents the end of an era, millions of us never having known life without her. She became queen the year that I was born, and it feels surreal to think she is simply no longer here.
At the same time there was something majestic about her death. Like most of her life, her exit feels appropriately timed, a perfect end to a life well lived. That rainbow over Buckingham Palace seemed a final sign, the bridge over which she would now return to those who went before her. They await her in another realm, one even more glorious than the one over which she reigned.
What she stood for - what we knew her for - were qualities in far too short supply today. She made a promise and she kept it. She was profoundly consistent. She never wavered in her commitment or her duty or her dedication. Whether she was our queen or not, she modeled for all of us the behavior of a superior human being.
Now she has gone on to the next stage of her journey - and we go on to ours. The world changed dramatically during the time when Queen Elizabeth was alive, and it will most certainly change dramatically in the years ahead. After the chaos of WW2 her job was to consolidate the British Commonwealth; there is a very good chance that Charles will reign over at least its partial dissolution. Relevant as an issue not only in Great Britain but also elsewhere, the world will watch as another stage of decolonization unfolds before us. Many within the British Commonwealth have made it clear that upon Elizabeths’s death, the question of their membership might take a sharply different turn.
The issue of decolonization is more than hanging out in the zeitgeist; it is upon us with the thrust of historic necessity. While anyone - I’m sure, even King Charles himself - can see that removing all vestiges of colonization is appropriate in the 21st Century, you don’t have to be British to hope that future transitions will occur with minimum turmoil and maximum respect. So far, it appears like everyone involved is trying. Then Prince Charles traveled to Barbados when that country cut ties with the Queen and established itself as a republic in 2021, receiving from their president the Barbados Order of Freedom. During his trip Charles affirmed the continuing ties of affection and respect that would mark the new relationship between the United Kingdom and its former colony.
King Charles was smart to make that trip, and hopefully it was a presage to his continued wisdom in dealing with a changing world. A country’s true greatness is not determined by the size of its imperial empire; it is determined in large part, however, by the grace with which it gives it up.
Some have noted that the monarchy is an archaic institution, but in many ways the role it plays is strikingly modern. For its power is psychological. In the absence of any political power, its spiritual significance is only increased. Queen Elizabeth was a stable and stabilizing factor in the global imagination. She reminded us of order in a world too filled with chaos.
The ceremonial magnificence of the mourning period for Britain’s Queen, the amazing pomp and circumstance that accompanies her kingdom’s grief, is not mere meaningless ritual. It has deep significance in the psyche of her people, and in a way for all of us who allow ourselves to gaze into its beauty. It’s a rather extraordinary way to say farewell with love.
Great Britain is mourning its Queen, but all of us are mourning the time in our lives that she represented. She truly did preside over a second Elizabethan era. Now she is a part of history and will remain so forever. Elizabeth was a shining example of a woman who knew her destiny and honored it. Who knew her country and loved it. Who knew her people and served them well.
I shed a tear watching on television as her coffin was carried up the steps of St. Gile’s Cathedral in Edinburgh. There is something about death that reminds us of the importance of life. Elizabeth’s majesty transcends them both.
Beautiful post
I cannot agree with the praise heaped on Queen Elizabeth. I am black man who was born in Barbados. As as a lived experienced we have seen these English come to our country and act like the country is theirs. They try to stop us even using our own beaches. The Queen has done nothing in her reign to alleviate the unequal wealth in the country. She and her descendants and most white folks have benefited from the colonization of several Caribbean countries. They have gotten very rich from the slave trade and the sugar cane industry while our folks have to struggle to improve conditions in our living conditions. She has never at anytime offered an apology for the brutal and savage treatment that was thrust upon citizens of the Caribbean. Why should any black person with the knowledge of what occurred at the hand of the Queen and her descendants want to heaped praise on Her. One wonders when folks have not lived the experience, it is easy to do this kind of thing. Marianne Williamson is a person that I listened to earnestly but in this praising of Queen Elizabeth, she failed to mention the atrocities of the Queen and her folks. I am sure that she has her reason for this, but I would say that she has not had the LIVED Experience, so it may be okay for her to ignore these atrocities and pretend that they never happened. I will heap praise on my Grandmothers, Rose and Emily, my aunts and sisters and cousins, but I cannot in good faith to myself see any reason to be heaping praise on Queen Elizabeth whether she is alive or dead. This is the situation in life,we all have the best version of circumstances especially when the indignities did not happen to us. I am expecting the supporters of the Queen to see any relevance in my views here, and that is okay. I am a black man and I am living the experience. I will try the best to live the best life that I can, Queen or no Queen.