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The Legacy of Queen Elizabeth II - Ms Anderson
The Legacy of Queen Elizabeth II
by Ms Anderson, Head of History and Politics
Image: Elizabeth II in the early years of her reign.
This feature was originally written as a celebration of the reign of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in her platinum jubilee year before her passing in September. In this series of articles by teachers and pupils, we herald her achievements and those of other remarkable queens throughout history.
heralded her reign a second Elizabethan age, invoking the concept of a ‘Golden Age’ as a panacea for Britain’s post-war malaise. When she was born in 1926 the reign of Queen Victoria was still within many people’s living memory; in this sense and in many others her passing represents the end of an era (a convenient, but nevertheless apt, cliché). She was universally respected and held in affection, both at home and abroad, for her steadfast commitment to duty and service and presence on the world stage over a sweep of time. Many responded to her ‘normality’ and for her ability to connect with people on an individual level; she embodied the mystique of monarchy, combining the common touch with the ability to remain distant and unknowable to her subjects (in this she does bear a close resemblance to the first Queen Elizabeth). She also clearly understood her role as constitutional monarch and avoided interfering in politics; in fact, she rarely made a misstep during the entirety of her reign, even though at times she must have found the need to keep her own counsel restrictive.
Queen Elizabeth II was part of the nation’s consciousness for 70 years, during which time she was to many people around the world the symbol of Britain. As Head of State of the United Kingdom she played a vital role in the exercise of ‘soft power’ in a period when Britain had to forge a new identity as a post-imperial nation, as well as providing a sense of stability and continuity with the past.
That her reign spanned seven decades is, in itself, remarkable. She is the second longest serving monarch in history (the first being Louis XIV of France who reigned for 26,407 days compared to Elizabeth II’s 25,782 days) and Britain’s longest reigning monarch. In more recent years she came to be seen as a living historic figure, mythologised in her own lifetime in the Netflix series The Crown, and an embodiment of the 20th century. She worked with fifteen British Prime Ministers and met countless world leaders. Her first Prime Minister was Churchill, who, always alive to the advantages to be gained from allusions to the country’s history, The changes she witnessed during her lifetime are astounding to contemplate. Upon the death of her father, King George VI, in 1952 she was the head of an Empire that still covered large swathes of the globe. Elizabeth II reigned over a period of decolonisation and the creation of the Commonwealth, playing no small part diplomatically in re-fashioning Britain’s post-imperial identity as an inclusive ‘rainbow nation’. She was witness to and played a crucial part in many defining events of modern Britain, including her handshake with Martin McGuinness, a former commander of the IRA (the paramilitary organisation that killed her cousin, Lord Mountbatten), a landmark moment in the process of peace and reconciliation that brought about an end to the Troubles. In the last few years during the Covid crisis her televised speech to the nation on 5th April during the first lockdown attracted 24 million viewers and on 8th May, the 75th anniversary of VE Day, in a television broadcast at 9 p.m. - the exact time at her father George VI had broadcast to the nation on the same day in 1945 - she asked people to “never give up, never despair”, evoking the spirit of the Second World War. The photographs of the Queen sitting alone at the funeral of her beloved husband Prince Philip in compliance with Covid-19 regulations, aroused sympathy around the world.
British society and culture have transformed over the 70 years that she sat on the throne. The nineties were a notably challenging period when the royal family was beset by scandal and tragedy, and the Queen was accused of being out of touch with the public mourning shown at the funeral of Diana. But as the years ticked by marked by golden and diamond jubilees, and a bravura turn at the 2012 Olympics with Daniel Craig, her popularity only increased, only this past year reaching its apex in the celebrations for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, with the already legendary Paddington sketch endearing her to all but the most die-hard republicans. That she remained committed to carrying out her formal duties as Head of State, meeting incoming Prime Minister Liz Truss and asking her to form a government only two days before her death and demonstrably frail, symbolises her dedication to the service of her nation.
So, is this ‘the end of an era’?
‘An era’ is a term utilised somewhat arbitrarily by historians to organise the past into distinct periods and whether it is true of the death of Elizabeth II remains to be seen. It is likely that questions will emerge about the future of the Commonwealth, Britain’s approach towards addressing its imperial past, whether Scotland continues to remain part of the UK, and even perhaps the survival of the British monarchy. We may be at a watershed moment in the constitutional history of our nation; time will tell. But for now we remember the life and contribution of an extraordinary woman and acknowledge that she undoubtedly fulfilled the commitment she made in her speech on her Coronation Day in 1953:
