The Queen
Having been born in late 1952, I, like most people today, am experiencing the first day of my life in which Elizabeth II isn’t the reigning sovereign. It feels a bit odd. I’m setting out to record a series of thoughts that have been running through my head today. Whether you agree or disagree is immaterial – that’s your prerogative. This is simply how it is for me.
I grew up in a conservative part of country Queensland. Every morning at primary school, we lined up outdoors facing the flagpole resplendent with the flag and recited, ‘I honour my God; I serve my Queen; I salute the flag’. Her portrait adorned the front wall of our one-room primary school. At the end of ‘the pictures’ at Forest Hill on Saturday nights, those in attendance stood in silence while ‘God save the Queen’ played to the image of the Queen on her horse at (what I guessed to be) the Trooping of the Colour.
Royal tours (and there lots of them) attracted massive crowds and media coverage was lavish. My mother subscribed to The Australian Women’s Weekly and New Idea where the Queen outrated movie stars and the visiting English cricket team. Mum had a commemorative plate featuring the Queen and Prince Philip in her special, glass-fronted sideboard. Nary a poor word was said about Her Majesty, not just in our home but in the community generally. (Except, perhaps, for some of our Irish neighbours.)
The conservative secondary boarding school I attended did nothing to question or challenge the status quo of the 60s. While God had primacy, the Queen was a symbol of all that was good, right and proper in the world. Stability, responsibility and duty were highly valued currencies.
I’ve loved history all my life and went on to major in it at university along with Politics. Exposure to the full range of historical and political systems and thought from the ancients to the present expanded both my knowledge and critical faculties. My understanding and perception increased, my views and opinions evolved. And yet, through it all, she was still there, someone to be respected and admired, a symbol of continuity in times of increasingly rapid change.
I voted against a republic at the referendum, primarily because, as is now widely accepted, its adherents botched their fragmented case so disastrously. Talk about a mess of pottage. We can only hope that the next mob get their act together and make a better go of it.
Detractors of Elizabeth II will probably point to her ‘interesting’/dysfunctional family and their individual and collective eccentricities. Perhaps that’s fair enough but a look in the mirror might give cause for a rethink. Or their drain on the public purse. But how do you evaluate that against the continuity, stability and service rendered in a country/Commonwealth/world looking for someone or something to value?
We could quibble endlessly about such issues but I suggest that today is a day to honour a lady who achieved exactly what she committed herself to at the beginning of her reign – a life of service to those within her realm of responsibility. RIP Elizabeth II.
Finally, as a would-be historian, two thoughts:
– historically, Queen Elizabeth II will be recorded and acknowledged as one of the greatest figures of the post World War II era and the early 21st century;
– Australia will become a republic by 2030.
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A former teacher with a (very) modest sporting CV enjoying his retirement years. A Queenslander through and through, especially when it comes to cricket and rugby league. Enjoys travel, coffee and cake, reading, McWilliam’s Cream Apera and a glass or three of wine. Footy Almanac’s Thursday online editor who moonlights as a hobby editor.
What does it say about Australia that in 2022 our head of state is a hereditary monarch who has never lived here, pays no tax here (debatable about the level of tax paid in their country of birth), and is from a blood line where interbreeding is well established. Truly poor fellow my country.
People may debate the head of the British monarchy is the Australian head of state, they may say the Governor General is the head of the state. OK, who is the Governor General? The representative of the British Monarchy.
Interesting to note when Australia federated in 1901 the constitution enacted then, which remains in place, makes no mention of a head of state. Make what you want of that.
King Charles is hopefully the last of this ilk to be ‘Australia’s head of state’. Maybe his dialogue with plants could be filmed/broadcast in lieu of his late mother’s Xmas message. It could be a spin off from the movie’ The madness of King George’, where another royal had ongoing dialogues with his garden. Inbreeding does not auger well for the family.
It’s sad that Australia fawns like this over this wealthy, foreign family. No wonder there are those who see Australia as the scared, little white nation of the Asia, Pacific region.
Old Betty-Battenberg may have been a nice person, I recall far worse individuals in my long life. However that’s not the issue. After 234 years of white occupation of Australia are we not mature enough to have our own head of state, our own flag without a colonial flag prominent in the corner? I’m happy for us to remain in the English speaking Commonwealth as our nations share many commonalities , but is it dependent on a hereditary monarchy ruling over us?
In 2022 it would be good saying goodbye to Betty Battenberg, hopefully consigning the day of a hereditary monarchy to its rightful place in the dustbin of history. Concurrently it would be good seeing Australia standing up as a mature, middle power. Maybe we could start with negotiating a treaty with our original occupants, also being mature enough to have a representative republic. If it’s not now, when?
Glen!
Nice words, Ian.
As someone from Irish Catholic stock, who was brought up in a household in which we were continually told that the royal family were nothing but parasites, I cannot argue with the fact that Elizabeth II was someone’s mother/ grandmother/great-grandmother etc. And as such, there should at the very least be a level of basic respect for her passing.
The royal family as a concept, as an institution? That is an entirely different argument. And an argument for another day, possibly when she has been laid to rest.
Thanks for your thoughts, IJH
Ian, Glen!, Smokie – all proponents of a Republic and it’s interesting to see your views as such fall along a continuum. I’m also quite keen to be rid of the infrastructure and would expect the current government to propose a referendum leading up to the next election or just after, should they be returned. Should it follow the KISS principle, I’m reasonably confident it will carry.
And as for Elizabeth herself; seemed nice enough while I was around. As the last of the conquering European empires with an unbroken chain of monarchs, there have obviously been issues with decolonisation (particularly in West Africa) to which she must shoulder some of the blame, but on balance her later years have been marked as a source of stability in an increasingly unstable world.
Actually, Jarrod, I’m not a republican at this point in time. I am open to ‘conversion’ if a decent model can be presented. At the moment, that seems some distance away because some of the major proponents are too interested in their own narrow versions of what it might look like (and their sense of their own importance in the overall scheme of things) to gain wide enough support.
Given our history and evolving frameworks, I’m content to remain a constitutional monarchist for now given that, essentially, that system works well enough, especially when put up against just about every other model of government on offer throughout the world. From that perspective alone, I can’t think of anywhere else in the world that I’d prefer to live.
Smokie, I agree that the wider issues of the monarchy (for GB) constitutional monarchy (for us in Australia) are real and in need of reassessment. And that will happen here, for sure. But, as you say, right now is not the right time for that discussion. Perhaps Albo has it right in suggesting not during this term of government.
Glen!, I think we do well to separate out the issue (the future of the monarchy both in the UK and here) from the individuals (eg Elizabeth II and Charles at this point in time). ‘Betty battering’ and/or ‘Charles scoffing’ is not the issue and wins no votes for the republic. Only reasoned, respectful discussion has the possibility of advancing the cause. My concern about the current state of the republican debate in Australia is that there seems to be a lot of in-your-face talk on all sides, precious little listening, and a seeming unwillingness to actually discuss. Maybe my suggested 2030 timeline is optimistic.
Overall, as these present days pass, my thoughts on the standing of Elizabeth II worldwide are being borne out.
Perhaps ‘proponent’ was too strong a word for your shared views, Ian. Open to the possibility is still a reasonable starting point for the conversation though.
As for the ‘who needs a head of state’ point from Glen!, I wonder if the Swiss model bears thinking about?
Hi Jarrod the Swiss system with the Federal Assembly is quite different. I’ve looked at it a few times, though still trying to decipher it.
Their use of referenda seems quite intriguing. Here referendums, also plebiscites, have not had a great rate of success. The Swiss involvement of the populace in democratic decision making seems interesting, though like the Federal Assembly, I need to know more.
Switzerland’s democracy is premised on a constitution from 1848, a tumultuous year across Europe. The fact they’ve still got a constitution predating ours makes me think. Our constitution certainly needs looking at, as the Australia (World) 0f 1901 is not what it is in 2022. Constitutions need to be living documents representing the direction, the nature of the society, or else their relevance becomes lazy & limited.
Any how time to look at where Australia is heading. Hopefully we can use our skills, our minds, to take us to a better future. The future is unwritten.
Glen!
Sorry Ian, I came across this one a bit later.
Essentially I look forward to a republic but your point is valid. It has to be a broadly acceptable model which the previous proposal obviously wasn’t.
The Queen herself? She performed a challenging role well with much stoic dignity albeit with an inordinately obscene amount of money behind her particularly as credible evidence has now emerged that African slavery money bankrolled large amounts of her inherited wealth. Sorry but I really struggle to wipe that from my thinking.
And BTW, I feel very much like your Irish neighbours for reasons a quick check of the consequences of the Plantations Acts would bear out. The very genesis of “the troubles” even before you consider the great famine.
With respect to Elizabeth’s picture in your classroom, we never had to endure that but we did have Pope John XXIII to watch over our lessons.
All that said, I trust you are well. Jill and I head off for a month in NZ next week so we’re very much looking forward to a post COVID getaway.
RDL .