Two bookends of national crises, World War and Pandemic, tell the extent and meaning of the Queen’s longevity.
The past half-century of British politics has seen a shift away from the national trend of defining historical epochs by their monarchs, such as the Plantagenet, Elizabethan, Georgian, Regency, Long Victorian, and Edwardian, and towards more epochs. I’ve been witnessing. The American tendency to cast history in terms of elected representatives of the policies that have shaped the socioeconomic and political landscape. As such, historians speak of the Thatcher and Blair eras, highlighting the radical changes between the 1980s and the early millennium.
Partly, this reflects the pace and scope of the changes that have taken place in the Queen’s clock. The monarch continues to be the ceremonial head of state, but he long ago ceased his function as head of government.
But if you take a step back and examine the 70 years of the Second Elizabethan Era, her time as queen is consistent, and future historians will almost certainly appreciate it. Queen Elizabeth II transformed the British Empire into a community of nations and Britain into a devolved but united confederacy of nations.
During her long reign, shadows of past imperial misrule threatened to undermine the imperial-to-commonwealth transition abroad and poison efforts to foster a multi-ethnic British identity at home. Scottish nationalism and the conflict in Northern Ireland risked the collapse of England.
Her father, King George VI, reigned during World War II, and the British Empire was one of the “big three” allies, along with the United States and the Soviet Union, who defeated the Axis powers. In the post-war decades, Britain’s hard power declined significantly as the US-Soviet dichotomy came to dominate world politics.
The decline of Britain’s imperial power during the Queen’s reign was coupled with Britain’s new role shaped by her membership in the Commonwealth, Europe, and the Anglo-American special relationship.
Shortly after her coronation, Queen Elizabeth II declared 56 sovereign and equal nations united by common monarchs from a growing colonial independence movement and a British Empire defined by metropolitan centers and imperial subordination. began to witness a transition to a federation consisting of During her time based in England, the Queen was deeply involved in her role as Head of the Commonwealth, traveling to other Commonwealth countries for much of her time leading up to the throne. spent
She was head of state when Britain joined the European Community (then known as the European Union) in 1973 and when Britain voted to leave the EU in the 2016 Brexit referendum.
She formally appointed 15 prime ministers, including Liz Truss, who took office on Tuesday after visiting Balmoral Castle in Scotland to meet with the ailing queen.
Both leaders’ youthful comments contrasted with Thursday’s dignified statements of concern and condolences. No, but it is perhaps more appropriately received as evidence of the love and respect that the Queen has inspired, even among those who are not inclined to support the institution of the monarchy.
Even self-proclaimed republicans (anti-monarchists, not conservatives) are happy to acknowledge that the Queen fulfilled the duties conferred by hereditary privileges and served in an honorable role as head of state. i like her
The message was simple and clear. The Queen acted according to the laws that governed herself and her subjects. The former prime minister ruled by disrespecting the British public, breaking trust between leaders and acting above the law.
As British and Commonwealth citizens around the world mourn the loss of the Queen, important questions are being asked about what lies ahead for this country and the Commonwealth of Nations. Although the majority of Britons still support the monarchy, there is little enthusiasm for a future King Charles III in Britain.
The coming weeks and months will reveal whether the Commonwealth can outlive the longest reigning monarch.
Source: www.cnn.com
