Queen Elizabeth is celebrating the 60th anniversary of her reign. From now through the summer there will be special commemorative festivities in the U.K and the British Commonwealth as well as many other places around the world.
There are pros and cons on the subject of the British monarchy but personally I think Elizabeth is to be commended for managing a demanding and difficult role with tremendous grace and wisdom. Cue the drum roll, the twenty-one gun salute and the fireworks. Three cheers!
For more photos and history, here is the official website of the British Monarchy.
How do you feel about the British monarchy? Do you give it any thought or is it a non-issue for you? Do you feel it serves a special role even though the political influence is no longer a factor? Through the last 30 years, the private life of the royal family has become fair game for the media. Do you think this has harmed the status of the institution or simply allowed the family members to be seen as regular people born into a rather irregular situation? (Note to certain dear friends – it’s NOT just about the tiaras!)
Well, I’m sure you can guess where I stand on the monarchy… bring ’em on! I agree that Queen Elizabeth II is an amazing woman and has always embodied such grace and poise. Congratulations to her and all of Great Britain.
I hope you had a little chuckle when you saw my “tiara” comment – you and Natalie were certainly on my mind. LOL!
I did! I must admit, when I visited England this last time, I was rather envious of the crown jewels. Apparently, you can’t even get a replica made of her famous crown. Dang. Wouldn’t that be a tiara to wear while vacuuming! Hmm, I wonder if the Queen’s ever worn it while, wait, she doesn’t vacuum, does she?
ROFL!!!
It’s not all about the tiara?!??!?!
WHAT?!?!?
Ok, it’s about the jewels, ahhhmazing clothes, AND tiaras!!!
LOL!
On a serious note, I love the monarchy because of the rich history and significance it has to our country. I think Queen Elizabeth is an amazing woman who has served with incredible grace. And I do believe that opening up their lives to more media has made them more “accessible” and real. Love it!!!
I don’t think she needed to have 5000 purses, but other than that, she’s done a good job of being queenly. I don’t feel like she’s nobler or more worthy than anyone else but I would hate to see such an old tradition (the monarchy) come to an end. I still trotted out to catch a glimpse of her when she came for a visit near enough for me to see her. She was every bit a lady at all times.She must have been doing something right to hang in there all these years.
5000 purses? Hmm – does that beat Imelda Marcos’ collection? I would trot out for a glimpse of her too!
I think the Queen is cool, smart and still stylish. Her offspring are another matter. This being said, I plan on taking my daughter to Ottawa to celebrate another queen on Victoria Day because all little girls and their mamas want to be invited to a royal party!
LOL, I think that will be a very special trip for you and your daughter. Ottawa is a great city!
I adore the Royal Family an everything thu represent. Really think the younger Royals will be a fabulous attraction to the UK for overseas visitors. Who doesn’t love the idea of Prince’s and castles!!!
X
I totally agree, Lou. William and Kate are doing the next generation proud.
I’m an Anglophile. I love London. The monarchy, the pageantry…all the stuff we don’t have here. They have better sandwiches, too! Considering the failings of her predecessors, Queen Elizabeth has done an admirable job. And I LOVE her hats.
Jen – check out this site and scroll down for a 23-page attachment of all her hats. Amazing!
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/02/06/the-queens-head-diamond-jubilee-hats_n_1256908.html
Queen Elizabeth took the throne when I was a baby. My mom thinks I became an Anglophile after listening to the entire ceremony with her on the radio that night. She could be right!
LOL – that’s very funny. Perhaps she is right!
Think she’s done a brilliant job and I feel sorry for her that life hasn’t been a smooth ride. Each generation has changed and the ‘stiff upper lip’ mentality died a generation or two ago… I still remember her ‘annus horribilis speech’ and thought it was extremely brave. It was a glimpse behind a facade she was bred to stand behind. Time marches on – let’s see what happens in the future, but one thing is for sure – don’t marry a royal unless you want to be hounded by the press 24/7. There is no such thing as privacy anymore. It destroys people – including popstars and actors because the pressure is just too much. That’s very sad – everyone deserves to have their private moments!
I so agree Linn. The loss of privacy is shocking and so unnecessary.
I don’t really know where I stand on the whole Monarchy business. Obviously Germany lost hers a while back… hm, let’s not go there. But I’ve lived in the UK for almost 20 years now and I wouldn’t want to miss the Queen and all the Royal family. There’s a lot of dignity and… I don’t know, example being shown there that would be woefully missed. Plus of course we do get the odd free days here and there when the royals are celebrating! And hey, I love Princess fairy tales so long live the Queen!
I’ve schmoozed with Royalty. I met The Princess Royal at Quarriers Village (formerly The Orphan Homes of Scotland where my father was raised) in 1999. Princess Anne is a real hoot! She makes you feel very much at ease in her presence and appears genuinely interested in what you have to say. Our small group of OHS descendants even made her laugh when we were discussing children and her lady in waiting had to prod her a few times to get her to move on because they were falling behind schedule.
If it weren’t for the Queen, there wouldn’t be a Princess Royal.
That must have been very exciting, Melanie! What a lovely experience for you.
Thanks, Patricia! That was fun, especially navigating around the royal site. I sent the link to my mum, who was a British war bride and was from London. She’s seen the Queen on numerous visits as the Queen has done her duties, and our family has always joked that Mom looks a lot like her and acts like her too. She even uses “duchess” in her email address. Such fun! Huzzah to the Queen!
That site is quite something, isn’t it? I enjoyed hearing about your mum. Huzzah to her too!
I’m British and I can’t stand the monarchy. They are a figurehead for our country and a tourist attraction for the country, but serve no further purpose.
They travel the world in comfort in luxury funded mostly by the British tax payer, and the queen can’t even be bothered to smile! You call that hard work? For me they are totally out of touch with the rest of the country, and indeed I find them offensive, spending their tax payer- funded millions on beautiful clothes, cars and properties, when so many in our country are struggling financially.
I know there are many who share your views and the argument about the monarchy is kind of like the one about religion. It will go on forever! It’s always good to hear everyone’s opinion so thanks for sharing yours. I hope things are warming up in Marseilles. It’s milder here in Toronto. Bizarre!