Death of Queen Elizabeth ii
Queen Elizabeth ii passed away Thursday afternoon, 8th of September 2022. For 7 decades she was a symbol of continuity, a source of stability and order. Kingdom in turmoil the British public would turn to her, crown soft power and hold remained strong under her reign. I was in denial her reign would end, she had become an ethereal figure in British life. Reign that saw the birth of the commonwealth, modern Britain trying to find its place in the world. Just like when she came to the throne the kingdom is in turmoil, with economy and politics with a sense of malaise.
Unlikely to see another Queen during my lifetime and reign as long. Remarkable women whose sense of duty and values are lacking these days. Of course, we never truly knew who the Queen was, mystery gave the crown its strength. She did care about her subjects, serving them and listening. Her death did cause me a tear, reflecting on my own grief.
I wish King Charles the best of luck, got big shoes to fill. I do have a republican lean but I can see the value of the royal family. In my own way must mourn her passing, the end of an era. She has reminded me to be my best self and that public duty is important.
Paul Keating former Australian prime minister
In the 20th century, the self became privatised, while the public realm, the realm of the public good, was broadly neglected.
Queen Elizabeth II understood this and instinctively attached herself to the public good against what she recognised as a tidal wave of private interest and private reward. And she did this for a lifetime. Never deviating.
She was an exemplar of public leadership, married for a lifetime to political restraint, remaining always, the constitutional monarch.
To the extent that an hereditary monarch can ever reflect the will or conscience of a people, in the case of Britain, Queen Elizabeth II assimilated a national consciousness reflecting every good instinct and custom the British people possessed and held to their heart.
In a 70-year reign, she was required to meet literally hundreds of thousands of officials – presidents, prime ministers, ministers, premiers, mayors and municipal personalities.
It was more than one person should ever have been asked to do.
But Queen Elizabeth II’s stoicism and moralism welded her to the task and with it, the idea of monarchy.
Her exceptionally long, dedicated reign is unlikely to be repeated; not only in Britain, but in the world generally.
With her passing her example of public service remains with us as a lesson in dedication to a lifelong mission in what she saw as the value of what is both enduringly good and right.