Suzy Says

Love/hate: Royalty

Though I am an American and glad of it, I am also half-English, thanks to my English father and the several generations before his. Because of this, I have spent a fair amount of time in England, and know the Kings and Queens going back to William the Conqueror. I have views on Richard III (he didn’t smother the Princes in the Tower) and Charles I (how could they have executed such a man?). I taped all BBC coverage of the Queen Mother’s Lying in State and Funeral and cried through the whole thing. Not only did I watch Princess Diana’s wedding and funeral (more weeping), but I visited her family home the year after her untimely and tragic death. Royalty, even by marriage or association, fascinates me.

I think of history, and the English monarchy’s history in particular, as a very entertaining soap opera. I personally believe that history is essentially gossip similar to that found in the National Enquirer. None of those involved are around to comment on events directly, and the version of events we now have has been passed down by generations and has been changed by the prevailing political climates. You have well-known scandals like Henry VIII and his unfortunate wives; Jane Grey, who was Queen for 9 days and executed at the age of 16; Victoria, the longest-reigning monarch so far, whose grief at the loss of her beloved Consort, Prince Albert, was the obsession of her life (she had his clothes laid out and shaving water brought to his room every day after his death until her own, and wore deep mourning for the rest of her life); Edward VIII, who famously gave up his throne after reigning less than a year for “the woman he loved”; and of course, the present Queen’s family. She and her parents have led scandal-free lives, but that has more than been made up for by her sister and children.

But it’s not so much the scandal as the history and tradition that appeal to me. I love the pageantry and the connection to the past, going back thousands of years, that the monarchy represents. It doesn’t matter how little political power the Queen has. What does matter is her dedication to her people as Head of State, a lifetime commitment she took on at the youthful age of 24 and a duty she has performed tirelessly, in the face of personal crises and public criticism. I think she has been greatly touched by the outpouring of emotion accompanying her Golden Jubilee celebrations this year (the first since Victoria’s in 1887) and the public support and affection following the loss of the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret in what should have been one of the happiest years of the Queen’s life.

I don’t know what the future holds for the House of Windsor, but I hope that the monarchy is never abolished and the tradition and ceremony continue.