Petite, with a leisurely walk, a frank smile and a firm hand. This is Elizabeth II, the Queen oldest and who just this Sunday became the only British monarch to celebrate 70 years on the throne. But this record is tarnished by the absence of her late husband, several family conflicts and poor health.
Although the monarchy does not play an executive role, in these seven decadesIsabel II It has become a central figure in the life of the nation, being the focus of British identity, unity and pride, as well as giving a sense of “stability and continuity to the country”, according to experts.
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The queen is above all these celebrations
However, the celebration of this historic milestone will have to wait until June. Buckingham Palace set the big party between June 2 and 5, with pompous activities around the country and a jubilee lunch in the palace gardens.
Dilating the celebration is explained by two reasons. The first because, at 95 years old, the monarch has to take care of her delicate health, and celebrating in the middle of winter would not be ideal. And the second because Elizabeth sees this February 6 with mixed feelings, given that it is the same day as the 70th anniversary of the death of her father, King George V, in addition to the fact that it is the first time that she will be without her loving husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, who passed away a year ago.
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“The queen is above all these celebrations,” Monica Elliston, an expert on royal issues, told EL TIEMPO, commenting that Elizabeth II “was born and grew up to serve and that is engraved in her blood.”
That sentiment is reflected in her name: Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, officially Elizabeth II, by the grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and her other realms and territories queen, head of the commonwealth, defender of the faith , (born April 21, 1926, London, England). That is the official title of the sovereign, who today enters history as the longest-serving that has governed the destinies of this nation of more than 64 million inhabitants, since February 6, 1952.
His life spans almost a century of history, witnessing and participating in the most important political and economic decisions, not only in his country, but in global geopolitics, from World War II to covid-19.
Isabel II has lived, without questioning, the mandate imposed from her birth to “live to serve”, as her biographers assure. The sovereign has governed the destinies of thousands of subjects, but also that of her prolific family, including her four children, eight grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
Since she acceded to the throne, in times of the decline of the imperial power of Great Britain, Elizabeth earned that halo as matriarch of generations of British, which has earned her to be considered a symbol of stability.
In these seven decades he has been credited with the qualities of calm and uncomplaining dedication to duty, even in old age.
From Churchill to Johnson
14 prime ministers have passed through the queen’s office at Buckingham Palace, from Winston Churchill, the man who led the victory in the war; going through Margaret Thatcher, the famous ‘Iron Lady’; to the carefree and tarnished Boris Johnson, current premier.
Of all, Elizabeth II showed a fascination with Churchill, whom she considered her mentor and friend during her first years of reign.
The followers of the British royalty highlight the strength with which the sovereign has managed to handle each difficult situation, with the death of her beloved husband, Felipe, the point that many feared could break her.
However, Isabel was stoic, albeit lonely, at the funeral of her partner for 73 years, she maintained unparalleled integrity and was an example to her subjects just when her country was experiencing one of the toughest moments of the pandemic.
That character was forged from his childhood years, when the British Empire showed signs of decline, after the devastating First World War.
Elizabeth is the eldest daughter of Prince Albert, Duke of York, and his wife, Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon. As the parent of a youngest son of King George V, the young Elizabeth had little prospect of accession to the throne.
It was on Thursday, December 11, 1936, when the little girl saw her father, Prince Albert, become King George VI and she, the heir to the crown. Almost automatically, court retinues began grooming her as the future sovereign of the British.
At the age of 19, the then Princess Elizabeth joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service and trained as a driver and mechanic with the rank of Second Junior. Five months later she was promoted to junior commander.
After the first post-war royal tour to South Africa, in 1947, her engagement to her distant cousin, Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten of the Royal Navy, formerly Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, with whom she married in November 1947, was announced.
Their first child, Prince Charles, was born on November 14, 1948, at Buckingham Palace. Ana (1950), Andrés (1960) and Eduardo (1964) followed.
Already by the year 1951, in the midst of King George VI’s declining health, the young princess and her husband made their first forays representing the crown. News of the king’s death caught them in Africa. It was a Wednesday, February 6, 1952 when the princess returned as queen.
Since then, he has represented the UK in some 117 countries across six continents. For what is considered the monarch who has traveled the most, having covered at least 12,000,000 kilometers, which took her to places like the communist Yugoslavia of Marshal Tito, the United States of President George W. Bush and the Vatican of the Pope Francisco.
According to royal biographer Robert Lacay, the queen gave the crown a life that no one expected and surprised by demonstrating the strength of the monarchy, beyond the function of “rolling out a carpet of happiness”.
a year to forget
Isabel II has lived, without questioning, the mandate imposed from her birth to “live to serve”, as her biographers assure.
In her seven decades as monarch, the queen seemed increasingly aware of the modern role of the monarchy, allowing, for example, the television of the royal family’s domestic life in 1970 and tolerating the formal dissolution of her sister’s marriage in 1978. .
The truth is that her destiny as sovereign was marked by one of the most iconic love scandals of the last century and that shook the British crown.
1992 is a year that Elizabeth defined as the “annus horribilis” of the royal family. Prince Charles and his wife, Diana, Princess of Wales, have split, as have Prince Andrew and his wife, Sarah, Duchess of York. Also, Anne was divorced and a fire destroyed the royal residence of Windsor Castle.
The separation and subsequent divorce (1996) of Charles and the immensely popular Diana further eroded support for the royal family, which was seen by some as old-fashioned and insensitive. Criticism intensified after Diana’s death in 1997, most notably when the queen initially refused to allow the national flag to fly at half-staff over Buckingham Palace.
Since then, the queen has tried to present a less stuffy and traditional image. But in the last two years, Isabel did not hesitate to show her iron hand with her own family.
After consulting with her eldest son and heir, Prince Charles, and her grandson Prince William, according to the media, the queen chose to remove Prince Andrew, whose friendship with businessman Jeffrey Epstein, prosecuted for child abuse, has had a impact on the British royal family.
The sovereign did not shake her hand to withdraw the noble and military titles from Andrés so that he faces, as an ordinary citizen, the possible trial in New York after being accused of sexually abusing a minor two decades ago.
Apart from the Duke of York, the queen is still facing the consequences of the departure of the Dukes of Sussex, Enrique and Meghan, from the royal house, after the accusations of racism made in 2021 by the Duchess against royalty and legal action that the duke undertook in connection with his safety.
Enrique, who lives in the US, has gone to court because, under the agreements reached with his family when he retired from royalty in 2020, he cannot pay the police for the safety of his family, as he wants , when you are in the UK.
Thus, “no one in his family does anything without the consent of Elizabeth II, who favors simplicity in court life, in addition to being up to date with government business, traditional and ceremonial duties”, as those close to the monarch who seems eternal point out.
MARIA VICTORIA CRISTANCHO
FOR THE WEATHER – LONDON
@mavicristancho
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