While my fascination with the monarchy has waxed and waned over the years, the death of Queen Elizabeth gave me pause. For someone who I thought that I had outgrown, her death brought back memories and some nostalgia for the excitement of a Royal visit. For many of us, she was the only monarch that we ever knew, having reigned over the United Kingdom and Commonwealth for over seventy years.
My early memories of Christmas morning were of the Queen giving her annual holiday message on television. She became a holiday tradition, although as we grew older, the Queen’s message became a background to our family celebrations. As a teenager, I caught sight of the Queen and the gloved hand doing the ‘wave’ as her motorcade travelled swiftly down the main street of Brampton. I am sure that Prince Philip was there, but, alas, he was not the star of the show. For the 25th anniversary of her coronation, I remember, as a student, receiving a commemorative medallion. A great-uncle of mine served as a Press Secretary to the Queen during her Canadian visits in the 1970s and 1980s – much of our interest in following media coverage of the Royal visits was to see if we could see Uncle Jim on television.
While I lost much of my monarchist zeal as I grew older, questioning the value and role of the Royal Family in modern society, I still had an enduring respect for the Queen and her lifelong dedication to public service. She was the constant, stable, and enduring icon in a turbulent world. But she, too, had to adapt and evolve with changing social norms, expectations, and realities and she did it with grace, dignity, and honour.
What are your favourite memories of the Queen?
Cheers, Karen