Pinnacle of a trailblaser: Queen Elizabeth-II
KEEPING pace with the ongoing period of seven decades, Her Majesty the Queen became the longest-serving monarch in Britain.
Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor, nicknamed ‘Lilibet’ was said to be her father’s ‘pride’, while Margaret- her sister, his ‘joy.
Along with the qualities of integrity and fidelity, she was witty as well. The 8th day of September 2022 brought the death news of the Queen.
There is persistent mourning in the United Kingdom and around the whole world. She is succeeded by her son, who will be called King Charles III.
Queen, then Princess Elizabeth resisted her parents, began her service as a second subaltern, and served as a truck driver, auto mechanic, and honorary colonel in WWII.
The Royal family often has ties with the British Army through such colonelships. The National Army Museum explains, “Although they have no operational role, they are kept informed of the regiment’s activities, pay visits to deployed troops, send messages of support, attend regimental dinners and take part in ceremonies. ”
Out of fifteen British Premiers she swore in, three were women – Margaret Thatcher, Theresa May and the recent Liz Truss.
A psychologist’s interview with the Los Angeles Times stated that her rise to the throne had given American women a “heroine who makes them feel superior to men, and that wives would now want to have the same kind of authority in their own marriages that Elizabeth had over Prince Philip”.
She was no doubt an authoritative, principled and calm lady. Her Majesty was the epitome of dedication and commitment to her unprecedented reign, sustenance in troubled times and a role model for female leaders.
She advocated gender equality through soothing actions like praising the champion female athletes and including them in her annual honours lists.
Most importantly, she constructed an identity that was above the egotistical insensitivities of politics.
She spoke about gender equality during her speech at the Commonwealth Heads of Governments Meeting in 2011.
Next, she gave royal agreement to the Succession to The Crown Act, which conferred the sons and daughters, equal rights to hold the throne.
Adding further, she improved the homeschooled education for royal children to get an education outside the palace.
Ever keen to dress up, and an embodiment of decency, Queen was the first ever monarch who attended the London Fashion Week Show in 2018 to advocate women’s fashion as a serious pursuit.
As an eminent figure of her time, she has also been portrayed in movies by vibrant actresses of the contemporary industry.
They have successfully portrayed Her Majesty as an aspiring monarch, an absolutely convincing figure, with natural dignity and elegance.
She has also been shown as an impulsive girl but with the burden of duty to serve the nation to be performed at every cost.
Adding more, the portrayal of the Queen also revealed her as a sympathetic, sensitive and pleasantly wonderful woman managing a nation through seven decades.
Helen Mirren, the lead character of the movie The Queen (2006) balances the two sides of the Queen’s life at the time of Diana’s death.
One was Her Majesty’s personal emotions and responsibilities- including her concern for Prince William and Harry who lost their mother.
The other was her responsibilities toward the people, especially the British nation who gathered hoping to hear the Queen reverberate their grief.
Along with other Commonwealth nations, Her Majesty was the Crowned Queen of Pakistan in 1952, though the role was ceremonial, and duties were performed by one of her governor generals.
Her reign lasted till 1956 when the country adopted the Republican Constitution. Later she visited the country twice during her reign.
Her Majesty’s first visit was accomplished in 1961 during the presidential rule of Ayub Khan.
Her sixteen days visit to the country helped her explore Lahore, Quetta, Karachi, Peshawar and the Northern Areas.
Swat- then a princely state, famous for its captivating scenery caught the Queen’s attention, and Her Majesty was hosted by the royal family of Swat for three nights.
Queen, enthralled by the enchanting beauty called Swat, Switzerland of the East. She again visited Pakistan for seven days, when the country was celebrating 50 years of independence in 1997 with the then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto as the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly.
The Queen also made an undisclosed donation through the British Red Cross for the flood victims of Pakistan in 2010.
Quite strict in her policies, she set herself aside from interfering in the political affairs of Commonwealth countries and was called a non-controversial figure.
People are paying tribute to honour her legacy in their own ways, as an “elegant, incredible woman” called Jennifer Garner, an actress.
In British icon Elton John’s words, “Queen Elizabeth has been a huge part of my life from childhood to this day, and I will miss her dearly.
” Deeply grieved at the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Pakistan joins the UK & other Commonwealth nations in mourning her death,” Pakistan Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif wrote on his official Twitter handle.
Her name defines an era in history- The Modern Elizabethan Era. A daughter, wife, mother, grandmother, grand grandmother, but most of all, a proud woman – a proud working woman, who carried out her duties even at the impressive age of 96 makes her a strong-willed woman.
After Prince Philip’s demise, her health deteriorated in the months, and the profound effect of his death became all too apparent.
Her state funeral was held on Monday, the 19th of September 2022. World leaders gathered to bid goodbye to the kind-hearted Queen.
Her words for the victims of 9/11, ‘Grief is the price, we pay for Love’ are a soothing reminder for all her mourners in this hard time. May, she rests in peace.
—The writer is Lecturer in English Literature at Government College University Faisalabad.
