With Boris Johnson finally bowing to pressure to resign on 7 July 2022, all the high drama in British life for the next few months was expected to centre around the selection of a new leader by the Conservative or Tory party. The Tories had until early September to select a leader and that process concluded on Monday 5 September 2022 once they chose Liz Truss to be the UK’s next female prime minister.
Liz Truss, the new Prime Minister meets HM The Queen on Tuesday 6 September 2022
The following day on Tuesday, 6 September there were reports that HM The Queen would not be travelling to Buckingham Palace, London to first accept Boris Johnson resignation as Prime Minister and the secondly invite Liz Truss to form a government as Britain’s new Prime Minister. The Queen’s decision to remain in Balmoral was taken on the advice of her medical advisers. The photographs released following HM The Queen’s meeting with the new PM, Liz Truss showed a frailer looking Queen with a huge beaming smile.
I remember looking at the photographs and marvelling at the sight of the Queen and her sheer will power. Yes, I noticed her hands had dark markings and could see that she had lost a bit of weight and was leaning on her walking stick, but I felt certain that she would be able to battle through her health issues. Besides, the Queen Mother, Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon was over 100 when she passed in 2002 so in my mind it was a done deal, and the Queen was going to live for over 100 years. I filed away the matter in my mind.
The Queen Mother, Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon with HM Queen Elizabeth circa 2002
There were rumblings about the Queen’s health the following day on 7 September 2022 with news that she was forced to cancel attendance at a Zoom meeting. I remember thinking to myself that the Queen probably overexerted herself meeting the outgoing Prime Minister Boris Johnson as well as the incoming one, Liz Truss and that a few days of rest and she would be back on track. Once again, I filed the matter away in my mind.
But the updates about the Queen’s health kept coming and by Thursday 8 September 2022 the Queen was reported as being under medical supervision at Balmoral. I realised that the situation was serious. Many mainstream news channels had gone to live reporting including broadcasting on TV the arrival of William at the driving seat of a Range Rover at Balmoral. William had his game face on, but it was the expressions on Andrew, Edward and his wife, Sophie’s faces that gave the game away. Their facial expressions reminded me of the faces of my siblings and I that were taken at our father’s funeral.
The Queen’s immediate family scrambled to Balmoral, Scotland to see her. William the wheel of a Range Rover. In the front passenger seat is Andrew and in the back seat is Prince Edward and wife, Sophie
By 5.30 pm, all the senior royals had assembled at Balmoral and at 6.30 pm the news broke that HM Queen Elizabeth II had died. Even though my rational brain had been gearing me up to expect this news, I still burst into shocked tears. I have mixed feelings about the Royal family and to that end I find myself swallowing my sadness at the Queen’s passing just like I did when Princess Diana passed in 1997.
HRH, The Princess of Wales, Princess Diana, on her arrival at Sarajevo airport Friday, 8th August 1997 at the start of her two-day tour to publicise the international problem of land mines. Picture taken on 8 August 1997. (Photo by Kent Gavin/Mirrorpix/Getty Images
Many BAME people loved Princess Diana and rooted for her success and happiness when she was alive. That notwithstanding one risked looking foolish with ostentatious demonstrations grief because of the Royal family’s link with slavery, genocide, colonialism and racism. In addition there is an Igbo saying that comes to mind about the foolish outsider who wept louder than the bereaved. As British Biafran Igbo woman, I must be careful about compartmentalising my feelings at times like this and to that end I will focus this piece on on HM Queen Elizabeth II, the human being.
Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor
Princess Elizabeth seemed to have a happy childhood in a loving family and looked forward to a relatively simple life filled with farms, dogs and horses. This simple life was not to be because her uncle King Edward VII abdicated to marry Wallis Simpson. The young Elizabeth was now the next in line to the throne and her father, King George VI and in the spotlight.
From all accounts, King George was a shy but dutiful and conscientious monarch and within 3 years of his reign, Britain was involved in the second world war from 1939 – 1942. The young Princess Elizabeth worked as a volunteer ambulance driver during the war and was part of the tough blitz generation of Britons that helped UK prevail in the second world war. Like many of that generation was mentally tough.
HM The Queen Elizabeth
The second world war left Britain broke and needing to borrow a lot of money from the US. Britain on the face of it “lost” its colonies and the US became the leading Western country in the world following the Suez Canal scandal in 1952 that damaged Britain’s global reputation and prestige. This was a tough time in Britain’s history and Queen Elizabeth’s steady hand played a huge part in rehabilitating Britain’s reputation globally.
If rumour is to be believed, her husband the late Prince Phillip had many affairs with various beautiful glamours women. Queen Elizabeth it would appear, never complained, or explained. She kept calm and carried on.
This is the official wedding picture of Princess Elizabeth and her new husband Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, made after their return to Buckingham Palace after their marriage in Westminster Abbey, Nov. 20, 1947
In 1992 three of her four children divorced and Diana, Her True Story was published rocking the Queen and Royal Family to its foundations. To top the year off, Buckingham Palace caught fire. The Queen had a muted Ruby Jubilee celebration to mark 40 years on the throne and declared in her famous annus horribilis speech that 1992 was not a year that she would look upon with undiluted pleasure. Back in 1992, it felt like the Royal family as an institution was on the brink, but Queen seemed to get through it by pushing through her work.
Princess Diana’s death in 1997 was the next big test that again rocked the foundations of the Royal Family. The Queen eventually gave a little ground and British people once again embraced her. In the aftermath, of Diana’s death, there was a lot of talk about Charles being skipped and William being the next King. The Queen seemed to know that given the passage of time a sufficient number of British people would forgive and forget Charles’ infidelity.
In 2002, the Queen lost her sister, Princess Margaret as well as her mother and the British public seemed to rally around her. It must have been a terrible blow, but she eventually pushed through.
In 2005 Charles was able to marry Camilla who up until then was one of the most hated women in Britain. The Queen seemed to be vindicated with her usual low key pragmatic approach to keep pressing on knowing that a time would come when many British people would once again forgive and forget and accept Charles and Camilla.
When Prince Phillip passed on April 2021, I remember wondering how she would cope. Unfortunately there was worse to come following Prince Andrew’s disastrous interview concerning his friendship with Jeffery Epstein, the convicted paedophile in the child sex trafficking scandal.
In 2022, well before her Diamond Jubilee celebrations, the Queen is reported to have paid approximately £12 million pounds to Virginia Roberts-Giuffre who was Prince Andrew’s main accuser to settle the case of alleged child sex trafficking scandal involving Prince Andrew. It must be emphasised that Prince Andrew never admitted to the offence. Once again, we saw a powerful woman in action taking decisive steps to protect her child, the monarchy and Britain.
HM The Queen’s long reign has served to give Charles a long apprenticeship and more importantly sufficient time for many British people to forgive him for his affair with Camilla during his marriage to Diana. This long apprentice will stand him in good stead in his new role as King Charles III. More on that in my next blog post.
For many years, I saw the Royal family as great PR for Britain. However, I now firmly believe that the monarchy is problematic, and again, I will explain further in my next blog post. However whatever one thinks of the institution of monarchy, HM Queen Elizabeth II was a remarkable woman.
HM Queen Elizabeth II was much loved, and many British people are feeling devastated by her death. She is credited with the quote, “grief is the price that we pay for love” HM Queen Elizabeth was correct because so many British people loved her and are are quite simply grief stricken.
“Grief is the price that we pay for love” – Remembering HM Queen Elizabeth II 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022
“Grief is the price that we pay for love” – Remembering HM Queen Elizabeth II 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022
With Boris Johnson finally bowing to pressure to resign on 7 July 2022, all the high drama in British life for the next few months was expected to centre around the selection of a new leader by the Conservative or Tory party. The Tories had until early September to select a leader and that process concluded on Monday 5 September 2022 once they chose Liz Truss to be the UK’s next female prime minister.
Liz Truss, the new Prime Minister meets HM The Queen on Tuesday 6 September 2022
The following day on Tuesday, 6 September there were reports that HM The Queen would not be travelling to Buckingham Palace, London to first accept Boris Johnson resignation as Prime Minister and the secondly invite Liz Truss to form a government as Britain’s new Prime Minister. The Queen’s decision to remain in Balmoral was taken on the advice of her medical advisers. The photographs released following HM The Queen’s meeting with the new PM, Liz Truss showed a frailer looking Queen with a huge beaming smile.
I remember looking at the photographs and marvelling at the sight of the Queen and her sheer will power. Yes, I noticed her hands had dark markings and could see that she had lost a bit of weight and was leaning on her walking stick, but I felt certain that she would be able to battle through her health issues. Besides, the Queen Mother, Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon was over 100 when she passed in 2002 so in my mind it was a done deal, and the Queen was going to live for over 100 years. I filed away the matter in my mind.
The Queen Mother, Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon with HM Queen Elizabeth circa 2002
There were rumblings about the Queen’s health the following day on 7 September 2022 with news that she was forced to cancel attendance at a Zoom meeting. I remember thinking to myself that the Queen probably overexerted herself meeting the outgoing Prime Minister Boris Johnson as well as the incoming one, Liz Truss and that a few days of rest and she would be back on track. Once again, I filed the matter away in my mind.
But the updates about the Queen’s health kept coming and by Thursday 8 September 2022 the Queen was reported as being under medical supervision at Balmoral. I realised that the situation was serious. Many mainstream news channels had gone to live reporting including broadcasting on TV the arrival of William at the driving seat of a Range Rover at Balmoral. William had his game face on, but it was the expressions on Andrew, Edward and his wife, Sophie’s faces that gave the game away. Their facial expressions reminded me of the faces of my siblings and I that were taken at our father’s funeral.
The Queen’s immediate family scrambled to Balmoral, Scotland to see her. William the wheel of a Range Rover. In the front passenger seat is Andrew and in the back seat is Prince Edward and wife, Sophie
By 5.30 pm, all the senior royals had assembled at Balmoral and at 6.30 pm the news broke that HM Queen Elizabeth II had died. Even though my rational brain had been gearing me up to expect this news, I still burst into shocked tears. I have mixed feelings about the Royal family and to that end I find myself swallowing my sadness at the Queen’s passing just like I did when Princess Diana passed in 1997.
HRH, The Princess of Wales, Princess Diana, on her arrival at Sarajevo airport Friday, 8th August 1997 at the start of her two-day tour to publicise the international problem of land mines. Picture taken on 8 August 1997. (Photo by Kent Gavin/Mirrorpix/Getty Images
Many BAME people loved Princess Diana and rooted for her success and happiness when she was alive. That notwithstanding one risked looking foolish with ostentatious demonstrations grief because of the Royal family’s link with slavery, genocide, colonialism and racism. In addition there is an Igbo saying that comes to mind about the foolish outsider who wept louder than the bereaved. As British Biafran Igbo woman, I must be careful about compartmentalising my feelings at times like this and to that end I will focus this piece on on HM Queen Elizabeth II, the human being.
Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor
Princess Elizabeth seemed to have a happy childhood in a loving family and looked forward to a relatively simple life filled with farms, dogs and horses. This simple life was not to be because her uncle King Edward VII abdicated to marry Wallis Simpson. The young Elizabeth was now the next in line to the throne and her father, King George VI and in the spotlight.
From all accounts, King George was a shy but dutiful and conscientious monarch and within 3 years of his reign, Britain was involved in the second world war from 1939 – 1942. The young Princess Elizabeth worked as a volunteer ambulance driver during the war and was part of the tough blitz generation of Britons that helped UK prevail in the second world war. Like many of that generation was mentally tough.
HM The Queen Elizabeth
The second world war left Britain broke and needing to borrow a lot of money from the US. Britain on the face of it “lost” its colonies and the US became the leading Western country in the world following the Suez Canal scandal in 1952 that damaged Britain’s global reputation and prestige. This was a tough time in Britain’s history and Queen Elizabeth’s steady hand played a huge part in rehabilitating Britain’s reputation globally.
If rumour is to be believed, her husband the late Prince Phillip had many affairs with various beautiful glamours women. Queen Elizabeth it would appear, never complained, or explained. She kept calm and carried on.
This is the official wedding picture of Princess Elizabeth and her new husband Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, made after their return to Buckingham Palace after their marriage in Westminster Abbey, Nov. 20, 1947
In 1992 three of her four children divorced and Diana, Her True Story was published rocking the Queen and Royal Family to its foundations. To top the year off, Buckingham Palace caught fire. The Queen had a muted Ruby Jubilee celebration to mark 40 years on the throne and declared in her famous annus horribilis speech that 1992 was not a year that she would look upon with undiluted pleasure. Back in 1992, it felt like the Royal family as an institution was on the brink, but Queen seemed to get through it by pushing through her work.
Princess Diana’s death in 1997 was the next big test that again rocked the foundations of the Royal Family. The Queen eventually gave a little ground and British people once again embraced her. In the aftermath, of Diana’s death, there was a lot of talk about Charles being skipped and William being the next King. The Queen seemed to know that given the passage of time a sufficient number of British people would forgive and forget Charles’ infidelity.
In 2002, the Queen lost her sister, Princess Margaret as well as her mother and the British public seemed to rally around her. It must have been a terrible blow, but she eventually pushed through.
In 2005 Charles was able to marry Camilla who up until then was one of the most hated women in Britain. The Queen seemed to be vindicated with her usual low key pragmatic approach to keep pressing on knowing that a time would come when many British people would once again forgive and forget and accept Charles and Camilla.
When Prince Phillip passed on April 2021, I remember wondering how she would cope. Unfortunately there was worse to come following Prince Andrew’s disastrous interview concerning his friendship with Jeffery Epstein, the convicted paedophile in the child sex trafficking scandal.
In 2022, well before her Diamond Jubilee celebrations, the Queen is reported to have paid approximately £12 million pounds to Virginia Roberts-Giuffre who was Prince Andrew’s main accuser to settle the case of alleged child sex trafficking scandal involving Prince Andrew. It must be emphasised that Prince Andrew never admitted to the offence. Once again, we saw a powerful woman in action taking decisive steps to protect her child, the monarchy and Britain.
HM The Queen’s long reign has served to give Charles a long apprenticeship and more importantly sufficient time for many British people to forgive him for his affair with Camilla during his marriage to Diana. This long apprentice will stand him in good stead in his new role as King Charles III. More on that in my next blog post.
For many years, I saw the Royal family as great PR for Britain. However, I now firmly believe that the monarchy is problematic, and again, I will explain further in my next blog post. However whatever one thinks of the institution of monarchy, HM Queen Elizabeth II was a remarkable woman.
HM Queen Elizabeth II was much loved, and many British people are feeling devastated by her death. She is credited with the quote, “grief is the price that we pay for love” HM Queen Elizabeth was correct because so many British people loved her and are are quite simply grief stricken.
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