The last link to my childhood left me when I heard about the death of Queen Elizabeth II. She was always there, always a stalwart presence in my life and if I was bored, there was always plenty of reading material about her and her family to devour and keep me busy for a few hours. This being said, the passing of Her Majesty yesterday, removed the last puzzle piece of my childhood, a link on the celestial chain to my grandparents and my proud British heritage. My DNA will stay intact but that link to yesteryear is gone now and never to return.
Therefore, I'd like to offer my recollections about the queen and the links I have that will stay with me forever.
My maternal grandparents were British, both born during the reign of Queen Victoria. My grandfather was born in Newcastle and my grandmother in London. Both emigrated to the United States in the early part of the last century, both became American citizens, and both never forgot their British roots. I never met my grandfather, but my mother and grandmother always said he was a proud Victorian age man, who's love for everything British was apparent in his daily life. My grandmother was the same but became more American as she grew older. Both, however, loved the King and country and later the Queen and country and always remembered where they came from, their life circumstances, and life left behind in England.
When I was just a little girl, I remember when we learned to sing My Country Tis of Thee. I remember singing it to my grandmother who to the same tune, sang God Save The Queen. That was my first "link" if you will, to my heritage. The Queen herself became a presence in my life from that day forward and, when I heard of her passing, I will confess, I shed a few tears as my childhood link was gone. Therefore, as I type this blog, I'd like to offer a few memories of the Queen from this American's perspective.
First, the Queen was a true lady in every way. She carried herself as a lady should, was discreet with her speech and loved her husband. From what we the public could see; she was a lovely well-bred British lady of whom the people adored. If I could only be a tenth of the lady she was!
Second, she was not born to be the Queen. By accident of birth and her uncle's abdication, she became the Queen. Did she resent her path in life? Who knows but she carried out her duties in the way a queen should do, and the British people appreciated it. She was bound by duty and tradition, and she carried out her lot in life with grace and love for the country.
Third, throughout her life she faced many challenges. Her family has had its share of scandals, but whose family doesn't have a few problems. Charles and his marriage woes brought him down a notch or two in the eyes of the public, especially with his treatment of Diana. He's had a few other issues that because of his "position" became known to the public. The problem with all this, however, is do we know the truth? No, we don't. We only know what journalists have written, what The Crown portrayed, and who knows where they got their information. We as the public judged without ever knowing the full stories and frankly, we never will. The Queen held her head high, kept up with the duties of her position and I'm sure downed a few G&Ts when no one was looking.
Forth and finally, the Queen brought stability to the UK, was a great proponent of British life and was the calming face for the British people. She was a fabulous spokesperson for the UK tourist trade of which I've partaken four times and plan for a fifth next fall.
Therefore, as we watch Britan go through their time of morning of a great lady, let's try to remember, Queen Elizabeth was a human being, a wife, mother to the new king, grandmother to the future King William, and the great grandmother to the future King George. I will morn her passing in a way unique to an American of British heritage. I promise to give the new King Charles III a chance to be a great king. He has large shoes to fill but he's been training all his life for this time in history. Let's wait and watch to see how he and Queen Camilla guide Britian through the next step. This being said, let me be one of the first to say, God Save the King.
Teatime In South Shields, Newcastle on Tyne, 2016
