Queen of her time
With the death of Queen Elizabeth II on 8 September 2022, commentators saw it as the twilight of the British empire. Many people saw the Queen as the embodiment of colonization, an era when the so-called stiff upper lip was the norm. With her passing, will the British royals finally be in step with modern times.
- The young princess Elizabeth, far right, with her little sister Margaret, and her parents when they were Duke and Duchess of York.
- Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth as newlyweds.
- Queen Elizabeth II as a young lady, age can do a number on us. If you are young, enjoy it!
- Britain's Princess Elizabeth, later Queen Elizabeth II, holds her son Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace, following his christening, on 15 December 1948. Seated also is Queen Mary, the mother of King George VI, who is standing behind them.
- Queen Elizabeth II as a young lady, with the Queen Mother.
In all the criticisms against the Queen, what had been overlooked is that as a princess, the Queen was bound by the conventions of formality — a detachment from one's emotions, an unemotional mien that sets the royals apart from their subjects. It was trait that stood out; while the rest of the world moved on and came in touch with their personal feelings, the royals were out of tune with the times.
With the Queen reigning over her subjects for 70 years, Gen Xers and millennials knew no other monarch. With King Charles III now ruling over the British empire, we await how the royal family's character will change. Will the royals finally be part of the 21st century?