#454 Musings Beyond the Bunker (Monday September 12)
Good morning,
THE QUEEN IS DEAD; GOD SAVE THE KING
A friend asked last week whether I was going to comment on the death of Queen Elizabeth II. I’m not a British subject, nor am I a close follower of the royals. As such, I may not have the best perspective. But here goes…
One cannot speak about Elizabeth without speaking about Britain. So first, let’s get my Anglophilia out of the way. I loved the study of British history, through Shakespeare, books, and college classes (Tutor and Stuart England were my favorite period). At one point, I could name the British sovereigns in order, starting with the Plantagenets. As any historian or student of jurisprudence knows, the history of America and its legal system cannot be told without the story of Britain. That is true for many of its former dominions. For that matter, much of modern world history—the good and the bad—can be traced to this island nation that, against all odds, expanded throughout the world.
Notwithstanding its failings, the United Kingdom had given the world much, as a leader in literature, the arts, philosophy, medicine, science, government, and diplomacy. At its peak at the turn of the last century, the British empire spanned the globe. It brought democracy, the rule of law, industry, roads, infrastructure, and systems of government to much of the world.
The two devastating European wars over something over three decades—wars in which the UK contributed talent, time, and blood—left the nation victorious but weaker. In the post-war “soft landing” of the empire, Britain ceded leadership of the free world to the United States, becoming an important partner—but a junior partner. It was this UK that Elizabeth inherited from her father in 1952. She is the only monarch most Britons ever knew and one of their last connections to the war. And now that connection is lost.
People say the monarchy is anachronistic, anti-democratic and costly. And in a lot of ways, these criticisms are legitimate. Yet there are reasons to admire the system under which the United Kingdom is governed. As is the case in many countries, the the titular head of state is not the head of government. There are duties to be performed, largely ceremonial, yet also ambassadorial—to the world and to the British people. There are good reasons for this, which I’m not going to address here. Even so, the royal family are not simply mere figureheads and ribbon-cutters. They represent the nation on the international stage, the stability of its government and values, and the connection of the British people to a proud history that goes back to the 800s. Further, the Queen and many of the royals—particularly now-King Charles III—have distinguished themselves as leaders in philanthropy and public service over the years. Polls show that the majority of the citizens of the U.K. support the monarchy. I think they see the monarchy as the physical manifestation of their nation, their ideals, and their history. It is not hard to see why.
As most of us know, Elizabeth is an accidental queen. Her ascension to the throne on the death of her father, King George VI., was not preordained. The only reason George was king was as the result of the abdication of his brother, Edward. That George was king during the London Blitz, rather than his brother, who ended up a fascist sympathizer, was a fortuitous accident.
While Queen Elizabeth’s death is mourned by a people recalling their history and shared national story, the death of a 96 year old monarch seems to have touched people around the world. Some say that our celebrity culture and love of pageantry is what attracts people. But at a deeper level, I think there is a desire in this rapidly changing world to witness something that resembles stability and order. Other than the Catholic Church and a number of universities, few institutions are older. The British nobility is an institution that reaches back over a long history (well, other than that nastiness involving Cromwell!). The mourning of Elizabeth and the ascension of Charles are rituals that go back centuries. Still, much of this is about Elizabeth herself, who represented a number of things:
As I’ve already noted, Elizabeth represented history, continuity, and ties to times gone by. The Queen reigned for 70 years, spanning the administrations of fourteen presidents (Truman, Eisenhower, JFK, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush, Clinton, Bush, Obama, Trump and Biden—she met all but Johnson). She’s seen a lot. She served with an even greater number of Prime Ministers.
While she represented what was once one of the world’s greatest empires, she also represented a country wounded and depleted after the two World Wars. It was no easy task to preside over the orderly and gracious retreat from empire and to support those independent nations arising from that empire. People noticed.
Despite the ups and downs of her nation and her family, she and her husband dutifully executed their responsibilities with minimal drama. This personification of duty and service was admirable.
While she was sometimes chastised for being too formal or stiff, I think this was misinterpreted. Her formality also can be read as dignity, graciousness and respect for her office and the expectations of her subjects. She hearkens back to a time of mutual respect and decorum—in a time when we are sorely lacking in either.
As for Charles, I think he gets the short end of the stick. He has been an advocate for the environment and the poor. These passions are just the sorts of things where people in power and of privilege must embrace. I think he’ll do a fine job.
In the meantime, I’m putting together a list of books about Britain and the monarchy that should be ready next month…
WHAT IT MEANS TO BE HUMAN
I have been watching the miniseries, The Man Who Fell to Earth, on Showtime. It is loosely based on the movie in which David Bowie starred. Its episode titles are the tracks of Bowie’s album of the same name.
The man who fell to Earth is an “Anthean,” of a civilization that is scientific, cold, and logical. At the end of one of the episodes, he dictates a message to his wife, trying to relate what makes humans special. Here is the transcription of what he said:
“The Anthenan god is progress, efficiency. That is what we worship. Have we ever stopped to ask, ‘to what end?’ Humans do. They ask that in every moment, in every interaction, every sunrise. Because their god is meaning. Dinner together, meaning. A father’s touch, meaning. A mother’s strength, meaning… Find meaning in the moment and the moment can become eternal…Humanity is jazz..and it is beautiful.”
This, of course, is the point of humanity, isn’t it? To find meaning in every interaction. Without finding meaning, what’s the point?
Here’s to meaning,
Glenn
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