When a head of state visited the UK, the Queen, with her warmth, her sense of humour, her place in history, was the ace up the country’s sleeve. For presidents and prime ministers over the past 70 years, no matter how troubled their history with the UK may have been, time spent in the Queen’s presence was an experience never to be forgotten.Īnd this matters. Trump rarely showed deference to anyone in his time in the White House (a pattern that has continued since he was voted out), and yet his afternoon at Buckingham Palace in 2019 seems to have left an indelible impression upon him that led to this rare show of humility. It was telling that in the flurry of tributes from international figures in the immediate aftermath of the Queen’s death, former US President Donald Trump sent a long, emotional and touching message of condolence. Even the ever-growing number of republicans in the UK would afford her respect, as it is no understatement to claim that there has been no greater, more dedicated public servant to any country in the history of the world.
And this is what the UK has lost: a bastion of dignity, decency, discretion and stability, who displayed those qualities in a way no other global statesman or stateswoman could emulate. To have been in the public eye for 96 years and live in such a scandal-free manner, one which commanded respect in every corner of the globe, seems almost impossible in the 2020s, in the age of social media. The more standards slipped in other UK institutions, the more the Queen stood out. It was, after all, entirely consistent with her conduct as monarch ever since she took the throne in 1952.
That she behaved with such dignity, with such humility, surprised no one. While the parties were going on in Downing Street, she was mourning her husband in a manner that complied with the regulations that applied to the rest of the country. Issues such as Scottish independence, Brexit and the future of Northern Ireland have polarised the country, while the conduct of its leading politicians during the Covid-19 lockdowns dented faith in its leaders and damaged its reputation globally.Ībove all of this has stood one woman: Queen Elizabeth II. Stability, and maybe even decency, have been in short supply in the UK in the past few years.
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