A Historical Moment

This week, we saw a moment in history – the death of a monarch. It wasn’t a lightbulb moment, for sure. It wasn’t a paradigm shift or a brilliant new idea. But it was an ancient concept steeped in tradition.

The Queen is dead. Long live the King.

The outpouring of grief from the English people was at once weird and understandable. Weird, because almost none of those grief-stricken people knew this dignified 96-year-old lady. And understandable, because Elizabeth II is the only head of state most of those people had ever known.

Elizabeth II had rendered a lifetime of service to her people. Right up until the last days of her life, she performed one of her necessary constitutional roles, inviting Liz Truss to form a government. That, my friends, is duty.

I’m no Royalist. I voted for Australia to become a republic in the failed referendum. While I’m an Anglophile of English descent, I don’t want the Union Jack on the Australian flag. I want an Australian head of state. Not an English Queen or King.

But when I saw the video of the young Princess Elizabeth in South Africa, promising to devote her “whole life whether it be long or short” to the service of her people. It brought a lump to my throat.

It ended up being an exceptionally long, well-lived life, and she kept her word. In this day and age, that shouldn't be taken lightly.

Don't get me wrong: I still want a republic, but for the time being, that can wait.

Picture: Speedfighter17