The Death of Queen Elizabeth II

Where were you?

I remember where I was when Princess Diana died. In the parking lot of my local methodist church. I had moved from Port Elizabeth and my fiance’ at the time, who was agnostic, had sourced this church while waiting for me to pack up my belongings and make the move. He told me that while he would never be a believer; he liked me a lot more when I was going to church. That says a lot about his character. Most people are content for you to be at their level. Few have the courage to help you be the best you that you can be. 

I had somehow gotten the times for the service muddled in my mind and so I had a good 45 minutes to spare and so it was while listening to the car radio I heard the news.

Growing up in a country governed by Presidents, I never thought of myself as a royalist. But the news shook me more than I could have imagined. As a child, I remember several classes of students being bundled into the art studio of our school in Bloemfontein, in South Africa, straining to get a glimpse of the royal wedding before the days of large flat screen TVs. As a little girl, the fairy tale notion swept me up in the romance of those beautiful classic tales, like Cinderella. But as my naivety fell away, I realised that being a royal was not just about pretty dresses, banquets, and admiring subjects. It is about dedication, discipline and about all DUTY. 

This week while participating in my writing group on our “Teams” get together, the organiser’s face became paralysed by shock and the group’s enthusiasm for a night of writing evaporated as we gave her some privacy to absorb the loss of a great icon. The news of Britain’s longest reigning British monarch Queen Elizabeth II had rippled through international media just hours after her death on Thursday 08 September 2022. Her reign lasted 70 years and 214 days and was exceeded only by Louis XIV of France, who succeeded his father as king at age five and he holds the record for the longest-reigning monarch, with a 72-year and 110-day reign from 1643 until 1715.

As a novelist, I am intrigued by the romantic drama that led to Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor Being crowned as Queen. Her uncle Edward VIII abdicated the throne in order to marry the twice-divorced American Wallis Simpson, who was deemed to be unacceptable on political and religious grounds. His actions made the way for Elizabeth to ascend to the throne at age 25, in 1952, just a few weeks before my mother’s birth.

As a homeschooling parent, I gain courage when I hear that Elizabeth and Margaret were home-schooled by their governess Marion Crawford. I can’t imagine a young princess joining the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) during the war and learning to drive and service a lorry, but it speaks to me of the range and scope of experiences that women can gain when they choose to break moulds.

Monarchs, in their best form, are a symbol of trust, loyalty and diary, which speak to our higher emotions and while the institution has received many criticisms, no one can doubt a well loved monarch has had to face challenges and sacrifices that many of us could never imagine. My private moments of sadness at my father’s passing; arguments with my husband and my children’s disappointments and triumphs are as private or public as I choose them to be. My responsibilities, although at times overwhelming to me, pale compared to the levels any head of state has. I do not have paparazzi or false friends vying for power through my influence. No discussion about how short or long my dress is or if my handbag matches my shoes. My day is as I choose it to be. When Queen Elizabeth was a girl of six, she told her riding instructor she wanted to become a “country lady with lots of horses and dogs”. A simpler life than the one society thrust her into. The news is full of stories of men and women who chose a simpler life than the one of duty that this grand lady chose. Each man and woman has to choose a life that brings them a peaceful night’s rest and the end of the day despite public opinion and so I celebrate all those who make choices that honour their own personal values.

In my book series, I cover the death of two sets of kings and queens. King Radolf’s mother died tragically through false accusation and his father’s remorse that caused him to adopt behaviours that led to his untimely death. In my medieval fantasy novella; “Mother’s Warning” I write of a tale of self sacrifice to save a Princess trapped by a tyrannical King. All life is a series of choices, and it is my prayer that both you and I will have the courage to make the correct choices for the greater good.

Copyright: Kim Vermaak 2022