Britain Mourns: An era ends

Before her death yesterday evening, the Queen, whose official title was Elizabeth 11, was presiding over the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Island, and her other realms and territories. She was also the head of the Commonwealth of Nations, comprising former British colonies and a few countries that just joined the commonwealth. She was also known as the Defender of Faith. Even as a figurehead, she was the sovereign over 14 other independent or semi-independent nations of the world

Born on April 21, 1926, the late queen, whose secret nickname was ‘Lilly Bet’ reigned for 70 years and seven months, making her reign most significant as the longest, both in British monarch history and the world.

With her birth in Mayfair, London, and as the first child of the Duke and Duchess of York (later King George VI and Queen Elizabeth), Elizabeth lived a very remarkable life for a monarch.

She had, no doubt, been destined for the throne by chance because she succeeded in bagging the coveted crown after her father acceded to the throne in 1936 upon the abdication of his brother, King Edward VIII. That made Elizabeth the heir presumptive.

*Education

The late queen was educated privately at home and began to undertake public duties during the Second World War, serving in the Auxiliary Territorial Service.

In November 1947, she married Philip Mountbatten, a former prince of Greece and Denmark, and their marriage lasted 73 years until his death in April 2021.

They had four children together: Charles, King of the United Kingdom; Anne, Princess Royal; Prince Andrew, Duke of York; and Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex.

When her father died in February 1952, Elizabeth, who was then 25 years old, became queen regnant of seven independent Commonwealth countries: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan, and Ceylon (known today as Sri Lanka), as well as Head of the Commonwealth.

She reigned as a constitutional monarchy through major political changes such as the Troubles in Northern Ireland, devolution in the United Kingdom, the decolonisation of Africa, and the United Kingdom’s accession to the European Communities and withdrawal from the European Union. The number of her realms varied over time as territories gained independence and some realms have become republics. Her many historic visits and meetings include state visits to China in 1986, Russia in 1994, the Republic of Ireland in 2011, and visits to or from five popes.

Significant events in her life included her coronation in 1953 and the celebrations of her Silver, Golden, Diamond, and Platinum jubilees in 1977, 2002, 2012, and 2022, respectively. The late Queen was the longest-lived and longest-reigning British monarch, the oldest and longest-serving head of state, and the second-longest verifiable reigning sovereign monarch in world history.

She was confronted with occasional republican sentiments and media criticism of her family, particularly after the breakdowns of her children’s marriages, her annus horribilis in 1992, and the death of her former daughter-in-law Diana, Princess of Wales, in 1997.

However, support for the monarchy in the United Kingdom remained consistently high, and so was her popularity, even till her death yesterday.

*PM Truss: Death tragic, we ‘I miss her

British Prime Minister, Liz Truss, said the news of her demise was devastating.

She said, “We are all devastated by the news we have just heard from Balmoral. The death of Her Majesty, The Queen, is a huge shock to the nation and the world. Queen Elizabeth II was the rock on which modern Britain was built. Our country has grown and flourished under her reign.

“Britain is the great country it is today because of her. She ascended the throne just after the Second World War. She championed the development of the Commonwealth—from a small group of seven countries to a family of 56 nations spanning every continent of the world.

“We are now a modern, thriving, dynamic nation. Through thick and thin, Queen Elizabeth II provided us with the stability and strength that we needed.

“She was the very spirit of Great Britain—and that spirit will endure. She has been our longest-ever reigning monarch. It is an extraordinary achievement to have presided with such dignity and grace for 70 years.

“Her life of service stretched beyond most of our living memories. In return, she was loved and admired by the people in the United Kingdom and all around the world. She has been a personal inspiration to me, and many Britons. Her devotion to duty is an example to us all.”

*Global homage as UK’s longest serving monarch, Elizabeth II, dies at 96

Meanwhile, world leaders have begun to pay glowing tributes to the departed “Queen of Hearts” as she was fondly called by French President Emmanuel Macron.

Also, a statement from the White House quoted President Joe Biden as saying: “In the years ahead, we look forward to continuing a close friendship with The King and The Queen Consort.

“Today, the thoughts and prayers of people all across the United States are with the people of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth in their grief.”

French President Macron, who described her as a “queen of hearts”, in an official statement, said, “Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II embodied the continuity and unity of the British nation for over 70 years. I keep the memory of a friend of France, a queen of hearts who marked her country and her century forever.

“World politics changed significantly since 1952, with segregation ending in the US, apartheid ending in South Africa, and the iron curtain falling after the collapse of the Soviet Union.”

India’s Prime Minister described her as a “stalwart of our times” and offered his thoughts to the Royal family, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described her passing as an “irreparable loss.”

The President of the Irish Republic, Michael D Higgins expressed his condolences “on behalf of the people of Ireland” while Taoiseach Michael Martin spoke of her “popularity with the Irish people”.

Martin said, “Her dedication to duty and public service were self-evident and her wisdom and experience truly unique.”

Her passing is true, the end of an era. Her state visit to Ireland in 2011 marked a crucial step in the normalisation of relations with England’s nearest neighbour.

European Parliament President Roberta Metsola tweeted: “Few have shaped global history like Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Her unbreakable commitment to duty and service was an example to all.

“The world mourns with her people in the United Kingdom and beyond. She was truly Queen Elizabeth the Great. May she rest in peace.”

Former President Barack Obama, who previously described the Queen as a “jewel”, added, “Former First Lady Michelle Obama has previously said her husband was particularly fond of the British monarch.

She revealed: “Barack is so incredibly fond of Her Majesty and I won’t go into his fangirling, but I think it’s because she does remind him of his grandmother Toot, she’s smart and funny and honest. He is a huge fan for sure.”

Michelle accidentally broke royal protocol by hugging the Queen during a state visit in 2009, but said Her Majesty brushed off the protocols as “rubbish”.

Of one visit, Michelle said: “This was on our last visit, and we went to Windsor Castle, and we took Marine One, the helicopter, and we landed in a field, and we were going to be driven by the Queen and picked up in the car.

President Buhari mourns Queen Elizabeth II

“I had all this protocol buzzing in my head and I was like ‘don’t trip down the stairs and don’t touch anybody, whatever you do and so the Queen says, ‘just get in, sit wherever and she’s telling you one thing and you’re remembering protocol and she says ‘Oh it’s all rubbish, just get in.”

Her reign saw 13 separate presidents from Harry Truman, through to John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, and Bill Clinton, before Joe Biden became the last after his inauguration in 2021.

After the Palace announced her death, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said: “It was with the heaviest of hearts that we learned of the passing of Canada’s longest-reigning Sovereign, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

Canada is one of 15 countries that count the monarch as the head of state.

“She was a constant presence in our lives – and her service to Canadians will forever remain an important part of our country’s history,” Trudeau added.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese marked his country’s part of the commonwealth earlier this year by lighting a beacon in tribute to the Queen.

“This week marks the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. In her seven decades on the throne, The Queen has been a reassuring constant, projecting calm and strength,” he said.

“Tonight, along with 53 other nations, we light a beacon to give thanks to Her Majesty and send our warmest congratulations.”

European Council President Charles Michel added: “Our thoughts are with the royal family and all those who mourn Queen Elizabeth II in the UK and worldwide. “Once called Elizabeth the Steadfast, she never failed to show us the importance of lasting values in a modern world with her service and commitment.”

Meanwhile, the late Queen’s eldest child, Prince Charles, stepped into his mother’s shoes to become the next British monarch as King Charles III, going by the British monarchy’s rules that “a new sovereign succeeds to the throne as soon as his or her predecessor dies.”

However, it may be months or even longer before Charles’ formal coronation. In Elizabeth’s case, her coronation came on June 2, 1953 — 16 months after her accession on February 6, 1952, when her father, King George VI, died.

A look at the formalities that take place after Charles accedes to the throne showed that within 24 hours of a monarch’s death, a new sovereign is proclaimed formally as soon as possible at St. James’s Palace in London by the “Accession Council.” This is made up of officials from the Privy Council, which includes senior Cabinet ministers, judges, and leaders of the Church of England, who are summoned to the palace for the meeting.

Parliament is then recalled for lawmakers to take their oaths of allegiance to the new monarch.

The new monarch will swear an oath before the Privy Council in St. James’s Palace to maintain the Church of Scotland, according to the Act of Union of 1707.

The proclamation of the new sovereign is then publicly read out at St. James’s Palace, as well as in Edinburgh, Cardiff, and Belfast – the capital cities of the four nations that make up the United Kingdom.

Charles must declare to Parliament on the first day of its session following the accession, or at the coronation, whichever is first, that he is a faithful Protestant. The oath is mandated by the Accession Declaration Act of 1910.

He must also take a coronation oath as prescribed by the Coronation Oath Act of 1689, the Act of Settlement of 1701, and the Accession Declaration Act.

He must be in communion with the Church of England, a flexible rule which allowed King George I and King George II to reign even though they were Lutherans.