The Queen... there was only one, a North Star for the globe. No need to add the word Elizabeth, and now she's gone.
Queen Elizabeth II and the word dowdy would never appear in the same sentence… over the decades the wardrobe of vibrant pastels was remarkably lively in color, visually stating the Queen's outlook towards life. And let’s not forget those wide brimmed matching hats that she wore such easy grace. On any other, they may have seemed passé. With Elizaberh they were de rigeur.
And of course a reason for it. According to fashion expert Daisy McAndrew, she wanted to make sure that her people saw her, literally. Except for somber occasions, she succeeded magnificently. I literally smiled every time I saw a photo of her...and yes, she stood out from every other royal in the picture.
In her day job she was a workhorse. In fashion she was more like one of her beloved showhorses. Like them, she drew attention for her poise, discipline and demeanor that underscored her role as mother and then grandmother of the kingdom.
She knew it, she acted it, she delivered it with measured grace. On rare occasions when she fell short, she followed up with apologies.
We never knew about her in her inner life, emotional state. It was not necessary. It would’ve cluttered her single-minded sense of purpose, duty, and service to her country and every citizen within it.
On June 2, 1952, I ran home from school to watch her coronation. My parents had purchased a huge RCA mahogany radio, television, record player console. I sat on the floor, fascinated by that pomp and circumstance and sense of history of the occasion captures on a 12 inch black-and-white TV in the console. Like most citizens of the commonwealth, she is the only Queen I have known.
Joni Mitchell famously sang, “You don't know what you've got 'till it's gone."
Well, we knew what we had and it still stings that we have lost it.
https://inews.co.uk/news/entertainment/queens-lighter-moments-sense-humour-shine-through-olympics-paddington-1841850
https://www.elle.com/uk/life-and-culture/culture/g41130520/queen-best-quotes/
https://www.cnn.com/2012/06/05/world/europe/rainbow-queen-outfits/index.html
https://www.townandcountrymag.com/style/fashion-trends/g22550728/queen-elizabeth-headscarf-photos/
During her ordinary days in the country, she wore a simple headscarf, a touch that endeared her to her subjects. For all the photos I've seen, the Queen in a headscarf remains one of the most affecting.
Post script 1
"I was willing to wait 24-48 hours. This is a woman who was so much more. She was modest. She communicated with us at our level," he says as he waits to pass the Queen's casket in Whitehall.
Post script 2
I'll bet the Queen was wearing her headscarf when this hilarious event took place as she was walking the hills near her home in Scotland.
Post script 3
I always read stories to my 4th graders. In the first years of my 34 year career, I read "Mike Mulligan and The Steam Shovel," written by Virginia Lee Burton. One of the lines that always got a chuckle was Mike asking about the steamshovel operator - "How does he go to the bathroom?"
I wondered the same thing as I watched the miles long queue (line) waiting to pay respects to the Queen. The answer: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/sep/13/toilets-and-first-aid-on-five-mile-queue-route-to-view-queens-coffin
Post script 4
There will be challenges to be managed. We shall find out whether King Charles III has the steady long view of his mother.
Going to miss her.
Posted by: Jeff | September 15, 2022 at 10:12 PM
I’m surprised how much I do too but not by how much a presence she was here and the world at large. She was steady, was trained then learned on the job how to serve her people and her country and never wavered in her commitment and delivery.
Sadly, We will never see another like her. Hope her son can come close to her example.
Posted by: Paul A Tamburello, Jr aka pt at large | September 16, 2022 at 03:01 PM
Great job Paul as always!
Posted by: Myke Farricker | September 16, 2022 at 04:03 PM
Well said...
Posted by: G. McMahon | September 16, 2022 at 04:06 PM
One of the best essays I've seen in all the press, Paul! You have a fine command of the English language, conscious awareness of what you experience, and a deep and warm heart for sharing about a QUEEN (for God's sake!) whom you never met. I'm sharing this.... And Thank You!
Posted by: Sarah Mills | September 17, 2022 at 02:19 PM
Thank you, Sarah, for your generous response, a true gift to this writer. Thanks for passing the story along. I hope it resonates with others who, I'm sure, have their own memories and opinions about The Queen.
Posted by: Paul A Tamburello, Jr aka pt at large | September 17, 2022 at 02:39 PM