As the wonderful celebrations of the Diamond Jubilee draw to a resoundingly successful finale, a moment to ponder the ramifications and thoughts for the future.
The Queen came to the throne when I was 4 years old and I knew little about it at the time. I have now lived and served her in public service in the Army and Police Service for 35 years and feel as loyal and honoured to have done so since I first took the oath of allegiance. At no point did I ever feel that she had let me or the country down in any way. She fully deserves our acknowledgement and appreciation for a life of selfless service and duty that she has given throughout her life to us and the nation.
As a product of Empire, created by Empire for the continuance of Empire all people in the now Commonwealth consistently have demonstrated their loyalty and allegiance to her.It has been a very personal relationship. However loyalty is not blinded by deference and times change. Was it right for Gary Barlow a kid from a humble background in Manchester to place his hand on the Queen’s arm to steady her as she crossed the stage at the concert? Yes of course it was.What polite young man would not assist an elderley lady across the road if he saw her struggling?
The Queen has adapted and her position over the years is still ostensibly a benign one,at the whim of politicians who elected by us, ask her to sit down to lunch or invite into her home the most odious characters from around the world in the interests of our country. Uncomplainingly she does it.
She of course recognises this and knowing that her forefather Charles was beheaded, understands her position can be precarious at times, but she remains the rudder that steadies us in rough seas and the jib that catches the following wind and keeps us all on the track to the future. She is a consummate politician and since a young woman in awe of Winston Churchill when new to the job, she now steers the crop of bright young things in the House of Commons with adeptness. She intuitively adapts to the wishes of her people, albeit with reluctance at times as she demonstrated when being behind the curve over the death of the Princess of Wales. However she always learns from the experience which is the mark of a person who is a great leader.
What of the future? do we really need a “firm” as extensive as it currently is and all the Lords a leaping and Princesses by the bucketful? I don’t think we do. A slimmed down Family is inevitable. We have three generations in place of succession and I am sure that the newly marrieds will soon produce an heir to the throne. It is no longer necessary for the public purse to support those with little chance of succession and perhaps they could best serve us in another way either in business or public service. Deference is dead.
One thing which now troubles me is the lack of diverse people surrounding her. All the froth and bubbles of many diverse people in her sphere of influence are all on the periphery,her close advisers and people close to the family are all people from the establishment,who were formed by the establishment and perhaps give the same advice that she wants to or they think she wants to hear.All the Queens horses and all the Queen’s men are of one ilk. She along with the rest of the family tend to dip in and out of the communities they serve. Lots and lots of excellent charity work is done I know, however look at the honours system. I really don’t see the need to honour a person for being the Queen’s bedchamber person when many people who have fostered literally hundreds of children and saved them by their intervention from a wasted life of sloth are not honoured for instance. I would certainly nominate the couple on the recent 56 UP programme who have done exactly that.
Her Bodyguard, The Household Division and Senior people in the Civil Service, Foreign Office and all the other establishments of government are overwhelmingly mainstream whether they are female or male and certain groups of society tend to dominate.
I urge the Queen to now, in the evening of her reign, to once again adapt the monarchy and recognise that disadvantaged kids and people all need to see in a proportionate way people like themselves in her service and that there is a chance for them in the new civitas to be given the same opportunities as all other people in her dominion.
Congratulations Your Majesty on your “Diamond Jubilee” and long may you serve us all.