Elizabeth II: the dawn of a new Elizabethan era

Queen Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor, 1926-2022) has become an icon for several generations and is arguably the longest reigning monarch in the history of the United Kingdom after 70 years, surpassing the period of Elizabeth, nicknamed the Virgin Queen, who spent 45 years on the throne at the head of England. Her nephew James I, son of Mary of Stuart, would become the first king to rule England and Scotland united, and Queen Victoria, who reigned in the UK, held the throne for 63 years.  

The then princess would spend her last days of recreation in Nairobi, Kenya, where she was visiting in February 1952. She would return to England as queen after the unexpected death of her father, George VI. Her coronation took place in June 1953, during a day of torrential rain when nearly 3 million Britons chanted "God save the Queen" in the streets, showing their support for Her Majesty. 

From then on, the Queen bore a burden - in addition to the weight of the crown of more than 2 kilograms - that seemed remote from her childhood, as it was not her place to reign at such a precocious age. Why was her reign rushed? 

For one thing, the rightful successor to the throne was her uncle Edward III, David, who was to rule the country as successor to George V, Elizabeth II's grandfather. He fell in love with an American double-divorcee, Wallis Simpson, which was considered unacceptable on political and religious grounds at the time, and led to his abdication of the throne. 

Elizabeth II's father, the Duke of York, then became King George VI, known as the 'Stammering King'. His coronation gave Elizabeth a foretaste of what lay ahead. 

George VI was a key figure for the British people during World War II, during which time the princess enlisted in the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) where she served as an army mechanic and refused to leave the country. 

During the post-war period, food shortages were a daily occurrence and the country faced not only famine but also reconstruction. British morale was low. In addition, the war between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the Falkland Islands was another burden that the people did not take well, as they were not prepared to face another conflict. Stomachs were still empty. 

At the time, Elizabeth, still living in her royal bubble, was already in love with her future husband, Prince Philip. However, the Queen encountered countless obstacles to marrying him due, among other things, to his foreign ancestry and the political links that hung over his possible support for the Nazi side. The two finally married in 1947. Philip, now Duke of Edinburgh, continued to serve as a serving naval officer. Those were moments they both shared, such as their newlywed trip to Malta. 

The hasty death of George VI, who died of cancer, marked the end of Elizabeth II's dream life. At the age of 25, the Queen's ascension to the throne became a new lease of life for the United Kingdom. A breath of fresh air was coming to Buckingham Palace. Elizabeth II represented the dawn of a new Elizabethan era. 

After her coronation, Elizabeth II became - by the Grace of God - Queen of the United Kingdom, Great Britain and Northern Ireland, its other kingdoms and territories, as well as head of the Commonwealth and defender of the (Anglican) faith. Over the years, the Queen would recognise that, "my father died too young, so it was all a sort of sudden taking over and doing the best job possible". 

During her reign, the monarch appointed 14 prime ministers, saw the rule of 14, and 13 US presidents, including the arrival of Barack Obama in the White House as the first black president in the country's history; the fall of the USSR and the succession of 3 Catholic popes. 

She was also the first reigning monarch to visit Australia and New Zealand, where she received a spectacular welcome from the population. However, during the 1950s, the UK gradually lost influence among its colonies. Many colonies became independent, and in 1956 the UK showed its weakness after the Suez Canal debacle. It was then that the Commonwealth lost power and became a mere representative halo, the brand of the UK. 

In the same year, the Queen came under personal attack from the writer Lord Altrincham, who accused Her Majesty of being incapable of making a simple speech without a written text. From then on Elizabeth II would deliver her speeches from memory. 

These were difficult years in which Elizabeth II found herself caught up in the problems of government and the lack of consensus, even appointing prime ministers herself. A tradition that came to an end at the end of the decade. 

In the 1960s, on the other hand, the Royal Family adopted a tone closer to the British people. The Queen displayed a less formal and more accessible assembly. In fact, the British news network BBC made a documentary entitled 'The Royal Family' in which they filmed members of the family at home and even at their summer residence at Balmoral, where Her Majesty has died. 

Despite the political vicissitudes of the period, the 1960s and 1970s were a period of stability for the monarchy and the restoration of public support for it. Proof of this was the Silver Jubilee, celebrated in 1977, during which the Royal Family enjoyed the affection of the people.  

However, that happiness was short-lived. Two years later, Margaret Thatcher, known as the 'Iron Lady', became prime minister, driving a wedge between Downing Street and Buckingham Palace. 

During those years, despite Thatcher's views, the Queen continued to visit Commonwealth countries and their African leaders, with whom she sympathised. She became Thatcher's scourge. As late as the 1990s, in 1991, in the aftermath of Gulf War I, Elizabeth II was the first British monarch to address a joint session of Congress. 

However, 1992 was for the Queen a "horrible year", as she later described it in an interview. A succession of divorces within her family and the fire at Windsor Castle were just the beginning of a stormy decade. During these years, the Queen tried to maintain the dignity of the monarchy as public debate focused on whether the institution had any future. However, the turning point came with the death of Princess Diana of Wales, known as 'Lady Di' and wife of Charles III, in a car accident in 1997, when they were already separated. 

That event marked a turning point for the UK, which mourned the beloved princess to this day. However, despite the shadow that Lady Di left on the Royal Family and the love she sowed among the British people, the Royal Family managed to overcome suspicions of a possible assassination. 

Shortly afterwards, Prince Charles of Wales hastily announced his 'engagement' to the one who had been the love of his life, Camilla Rosmary Shand, Duchess of Edinburgh and now Queen Consort of the United Kingdom since 8 September 2022 after her betrothal to King Charles III. 

Bitter years that were relieved by a new marriage: that of her grandson, William, Duke of Cambridge, to Catherine Middleton. A sigh of relief for Elizabeth II, who witnessed a new rebirth of the British monarchy. 

On 9 September 2015, Elizabeth II became the longest reigning monarch in British history, surpassing the reign of her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria. 

2021 saw the death of her husband, Prince Philip, in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, and one year before her Platinum Jubilee. Despite the decline of her time as Queen, Elizabeth II decided to continue her work as Queen with tenacity and dedication until the day of her death. 

Indeed, on the occasion of her Silver Jubilee, she recalled the promise she made on a visit to South Africa 30 years earlier: "When I was 21 years old, I vowed my life to the service of our people and asked for God's help to fulfil that vow. Although that vow was made in the days when my judgement was still 'green' I do not regret or take back a single word of it. 

Last Friday, Buckingham Palace announced the start of a period of mourning following the Queen's death that will last until seven days after her funeral, although it has not yet been announced when this might take place. Her successor to the throne, her son Charles III, has already been proclaimed king. 

He will reign at the age of 73, ruling out in his first speech in the Blue Drawing Room at Buckingham Palace, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, his abdication in favour of his firstborn son William and his wife Catherine, whom he has named as heirs to the Crown: "As the Queen herself did with unswerving devotion, I too now pledge myself for as long as God grants me to uphold the constitutional principles at the heart of our nation".