The British Monarchy

By the time you read this, it would be safe to say that millions of words have been written and spoken about Her Majesty’s life. Every news outlet will have published obituaries and tributes. It is not necessary for me to further recount the facts, but I would like to share my personal thoughts. Like every community magazine publisher in the UK, I’ve never known any other Head of State. Every stamp and coin I’ve ever used featured Her Majesty’s profile; every post box I’ve dropped my cards into is embossed with the ‘EIIR’ cypher and every state opening of Parliament during my lifetime (except 2022) was attended by the Queen. Then the thousands of personal appearances. From opening buildings and bridges, diplomatic meetings at home and overseas, awarding honours and of course her own Jubilee celebrations, the Queen's presence was filmed, photographed and documented. This omnipresence made her part of everybody’s lives. Throughout it all, Her Majesty conducted herself with a particularly British dignity. She may have had strong opinions, but they were never publicly expressed. There were no emotional outbursts, and she never gave a personal interview. The tolerance and patience shown for the last 70 years is an example to us all. At a time of considerable turmoil in the world, it is no wonder that there is such sadness at the loss of Her Majesty’s constancy. Thank you Ma’am.

What next?

Looking ahead, King Charles III is well-set to lead. The seamless transition process (and I’m writing this prior to Her Majesty’s funeral) appears to have been incredibly efficient.

A personal experience...

Back in 2006, just before we launched our first publication, my partner Stuart and I were invited to a Buckingham Palace Garden Party following his work as a volunteer Business Mentor for The Princes Trust. Stuart and his coaching client had won The Shell Livewire Award for Norfolk and we received an amazingly thick invitation card to request our attendance at the Palace to meet HRH Charles, Prince of Wales & Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall (as they were titled then). Timing-wise, we were right in the midst of launching our magazine business - in fact this publication was created buoyed by the success Stuart enjoyed with the Princes Trust. We had a 9-month old baby and life seemed 100mph most days, so this event was a very welcome diary date in our lives. What an amazing day; we drove down to London, I lost my hair fascinator as I jumped on the Tube and got a bit flustered as we arrived at the Royal gate where tourists were watching. It seemed a bit surreal to present our invitation and be welcomed through. We walked across to the Palace and quickly found ourselves guided through the magnificent building to the rear garden. A strict ‘no photos’ policy was made clear, so we only have our personal memories... Marquees, military-precision staff, excellent food and fabulous entertainment awaited. We listened to Charles’ speech congratulating attendees on their community achievements, then mingled to find ourselves amongst celebs that included Sir David Frost, Sir Rod Stewart & wife Penny, the Spice Girls and many more. Allowed to ramble around the entire royal gardens (the ladies toilets were amazing!), we soaked-up our surroundings. Thank you, and Long Live the King!