Queen Elizabeth II Has Been a Worldwide Symbol of Strength

On Thursday, September 8, 2022, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom (UK) and the Commonwealth died with her family close by at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. She was 96 years old, and she had reigned for 70 years, making her the longest living monarch of Great Britain, and the second longest living monarch in recorded history. So why should we, as Americans, care? Because she has, regardless of what you think of monarchy, stood as a representative of her country with strength and grace through much turmoil. When other leaders have crumbled, she persisted.

Dedicating Her Life to Service and Her Country

Today we do not so much honor the venerable British “stiff upper lip” as we have in the past, preferring to follow public figures who are “real” and “relatable.” Yet, watch the news and see when times are tough, it is those who are steady in the face of adversity whom we follow and remember for their leadership. It is hard to be strong, as those who stand by their convictions are often vilified. Queen Elizabeth II dedicated her life to be a living symbol of strength and service to her country through good and bad times, and yet she was also very human.

Elizabeth became queen at the age of 25. Unlike Louis XIV of France, who had the longest recorded reign by becoming king at age four, she never had a regent serve in her place. Also, she was never expected to become queen, as her father was the second son of George V. Her uncle, Edward VIII, was to become king. And he was king, but not for long. When George V died, King Edward VIII reigned for a short time before declaring he wanted to abdicate the throne in order to marry American Wallis Simpson; therefore, making Elizabeth’s father the king. At this time, Elizabeth was thrust into the line of succession. A role she took seriously from day one.

Much as her famous predecessor and namesake, Elizabeth I, upon becoming queen, Elizabeth II gave up her life as a “real person” to become the steadfast symbol she knew she had to be.

 Change Came Swiftly and She Rose to It

She lived through World War II. One of the toughest times she would experience. While her parents remained at Buckingham Palace through the bombings of London to give their people hope, at the age of 18 in 1944 she became the first royal to officially join the military. She became a member of the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS), the women’s branch of the British Army. “King George made sure that his daughter was not given a special rank in the Army,” noted nationalwwIImuseum.com. “She started as a second subaltern in the ATS and was later promoted to Junior Commander, the equivalent of Captain.” She saw it as her duty to serve her people.

On November 20, 1947, she married the love of her life, Phillip Mountbatten, a prince of Greece and Denmark by birth. He had served in the Royal Navy during the war, and they began what they believed would be a normal life of some duration while also serving her father the king. They spent several happy years stationed in Gibraltar. But when the young couple went on a state visit for the ailing king in1952, she was notified of her father’s death while staying at a game reserve in Kenya. Everything changed.

 A Life Steeped in History

Over her lifetime, Elizabeth II saw many transformations in the world. She worked with 15 Prime Ministers, beginning with Sir Winston Churchill and ending with the newly appointed Liz Truss, whom she met a few days before her death. She didn’t agree with all of their choices, but she never faltered in showing her fortitude through the hard times by their sides.

She saw Europe rebuild after the devastation of World War II, and was Head of State through the Korean War, Vietnam War, Suez Crisis, the Falklands Conflict, Gulf War, the War in Afghanistan to name some of the major conflicts where the UK sent military. She saw a son, Prince Andrew, fight in the Falklands conflict and grandson, Prince Harry, go off to Afghanistan.

Many significant global events took place during her reign. A safe polio vaccine was developed, man headed into space, reliable birth control was created, China became a communist nation with the Cultural Revolution, smallpox was pretty much eradicated but AIDs appeared on the world scene, the Chernobyl nuclear disaster occurred in the USSR, the Berlin Wall came crashing down with the fall of communism in the USSR, Apartheid came to an end in South Africa, and “The Troubles” ended in Northern Ireland, Britain chose to leave the European Union with Brexit, and, of course, the world COVID-19 pandemic.

Not Untouched by Life’s Tragedies

On a personal level, she has seen much drama in her family. Some of these events she handled well, others perhaps not so much. What she has done is learn over time. Princess Diana’s death was perhaps her biggest misstep, as she was a stickler for royal protocol and saw her death a private matter, but that event led her in more recent years to become more flexible in her decisions.

While 1992 she called her “Annus Horribilis” for all of the private scandal which hit the press about the lives of her children, it is also the year when Windsor Castle burned. But the last two years have in many ways overshadowed the events of 1992. The media has again been filled with stories of family strife, but most of all she lost her beloved husband, Prince Phillip, who was her number one supporter and confidant.

 Remaining a Symbol of Strength to the End

Through everything, Queen Elizabeth has remained above the fray. Loved by her people, she had remained a consistent face staying calm during everything that befell her, the United Kingdom, and the world. She was perhaps the last of the stoics, a philosophy that goes back to Ancient Greece. But she also had a wicked sense of humor and an ability to make those who met her feel at ease.

Historians have labeled various major events as turning points in history, and the death of Queen Elizabeth II is perhaps another. We are a world in transition, and her death may be the mark of the coalescing of changes that are currently taking place. Regardless, as we head into this new future, we go without that face of dignity and elegance under pressure who has often been a symbol of stability and hope – wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and queen — Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Mountbatten Windsor.