Royal wisdom
Queen Elizabeth II never forgot that she was anointed, not appointed, to reign, not to rule
End of an era’ is a clichéd headline of news reports about the death of some towering personality. In the case of Queen Elizabeth II, however, it was the end of many eras. Queen Elizabeth II, who died on Thursday at the age of 96, wore the crown for 70 years, becoming the longest reigning monarch in British history, and the second-longest in world history. She saw 15 prime ministers, from Winston Churchill to Margaret Thatcher and now Liz Truss. She became the heir apparent before the Second World War and Queen in 1952, when Churchill was prime minister. It was a different world, a world that is now part of history and even folklore. The British Empire was folding up; the very idea of monarchy was being questioned, even her own country, by the people who had embraced the principles of fairness and equality (In her earlier days, British Prime Minister Liz Truss also favoured republicanism). To ascend the throne at such a time was tough; it became tougher by the course of events—many of which had origins in the royal family itself—as years and decades passed. Never did Elizabeth II allow the personal and family problems and national, political controversies scratch the veneer of royalty. She never forgot that she was anointed, not appointed, to reign, not to rule. It was because of this dogged insistence on such separation that she was able to maintain the glow and the gravity of the institution of royalty in the UK.
Unsurprisingly, her public statements were words of wisdom (some may say trite), never political statements. So, in her 2019 Christmas broadcast, she said, “It’s worth remembering that it is often the small steps, not the giant leaps, that bring about the most lasting change.” In her 1991 Christmas broadcast, she said, “Let us not take ourselves too seriously. None of us has a monopoly on wisdom.” Wise or trite, her remarks or actions never brought any disrepute to the royal family or the British government. Our political system is patterned on the British one. So, our leaders—especially those holding offices that ought to be bipartisan—can learn many lessons from Queen Elizabeth II. First and foremost is reticence. They must realise that silence and truisms are better than bombastic remarks which attract undue attention and thus uncharitable comments; such a situation is detrimental not only to the image of the person occupying a high office but also the office he holds. There have been instances in the past when some Indian presidents’ behaviour smacked of interference in governance and often encroachment upon the domain of the executive. Second is respect for conventions and precedents. They must acknowledge the fact that democracy cannot thrive without conventions and precedents—something Elizabeth religiously stuck to. Hopefully, her son and heir Charles will remember these lessons, and our politicians will learn them.
Source: The Pioneer
