Richard Holliday – Author

This note was originally sent to my newsletter subscribers on Monday September 19th 2022, on the day of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s State Funeral.

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On Thursday 8^th September 2022 the UK – and indeed the world – learned of the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II after a reign of seventy years.

I remember where I was – in my kitchen, browsing Twitter as I prepared to make a cake for work, and I saw the news. Immediately afterwards a news alert came up, and at that instant I realised the world changed. For a while, I stood there as this news sank in, and I’m not ashamed to admit that I shed a tear or two for the Queen. Going into work the next day was a muted affair, and for the week that has hence passed between the news breaking and today’s State Funeral, I showed my respect with a black tie and a Union Flag on my desk – a small token but one that was acknowledged and recognised by my colleagues.

I’m not a Royalist; instead, I am a patriot. I show my pride in being British as far as I can – through my work, which has been described as infused with innate Britishness – and I am not afraid to vocally and zealously show support for the country I am from and of which I am very proud. Why? Because I sincerely believe the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the greatest country on the face of the planet and, through a complicated history, we’ve done so much good for the world and will continue to do so.

But the Queen symbolises a collective National experience that, despite the change we see across the last seventy years, or even the last seventy days or weeks, had remained constant. Despite the upheaval and the trials and tribulations, the Queen had remained. I remember fondly my memories recently this summer visiting London during the Platinum Jubilee and the atmosphere of happiness, hope, pride and power that radiated from every surface. Now things feel quite different.

I feel this experience is a uniquely British one that people from the UK will reflect on with sorrow, yes, but remembrance of the positive good that our institutions and values stand for and that we must defend; and to those who are not British, they may see it as a curiosity, but I hope they can learn to empathise with this particular set of feelings.

And now that national experience is gone and the world changes. I’ve lived through so many “world-changing” events – September 11^th, Brexit, the COVID pandemic – it feels immeasurably tiring. For the UK, the Queen and indeed our constitutional monarchy are so closely intertwined that it will take some getting used to and adjusting as mundane objects in our everyday lives – money, stamps, and even our National Anthem – change once more.

From my understanding, the Queen herself was well aware of her place in history and her place of duty in maintaining traditions and customs that built up the core fabric of the UK. Her approach set the tone for the British spirit, and now all that changes. I feel she was aware that she was a constant, and derived strength from that position as a constant on which the people of not just the UK but the Commonwealth and the whole world could rely on.

Personally, having a constant in my life was comforting and heartening. There are fewer and fewer constants in my life, and I face that challenge as I progress through adulthood with… apprehension and uncertainty. Change is scary and unknown. However, I am comforted with the community of people around me as we face these new and uncertain challenges together. I will live my life with pride of who I am and what I am honoured to represent.

The Queen is dead. Long live the King.

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