On September the 8th, 2022, the longest reigning British monarchy came to an end when Her Royal Majesty Queen Elizabeth II died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. She fulfilled her commitment to the United Kingdom and the members of the Commonwealth nations, by keeping that pledge, “I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service, and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong.”
The Queen accepted the enormous task ahead of her with grace and dignity. And she continued to rule in good times and difficult times with that same grace and dignity.
Since her passing there have been many tributes to her. By the time this is published, she will have been laid to rest beside her beloved husband of 73 years, and the world will have acknowledged King Charles III as the King of England, his son William the Prince of Wales, and the other shifts of responsibility.
I know that many expats feel the loss of the Queen and it certainly marks the end of an era. My ancestry is Scottish and English and, in a small way, she has always been an inspiration to me. The fact that she welcomed her 15th Prime Minister only a few days before her death shows that she has been able to work as a nonpolitical leader. That is quite a feat in itself.
I do not believe there is anyone on this planet who has had almost every measure of their life, loves, and work more scrutinized. And she handled it all with grace and she also showed she could learn from her vulnerabilities. We may never see her like again.
Correction
In the touching piece in last month’s Ojo on the passing of Gloria Palazzo, we neglected to give Judy Dykstra-Brown credit for her research and work and her delicate gift in this tribute to Gloria. We apologize for the inconvenience.
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