We will meet again

The Only Time Queen Elizabeth Bowed Her Head

“The Queen is dead, long live The King!”

By now most of the world is waking up to the news that the Queen had died. Like many of us, she will be remembered by her family and friends but as a Queen, she will be remembered in history, as the longest reigning monarch in the history of England.

All of seventy years and a few months, from 6 February 1952 to 8 September 2022.

She died as the Catholic world was celebrating the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

In his first official statement King Charles, the heir to the throne, had this to say about the passing of the Queen, his mom.

“The death of my beloved Mother, Her Majesty The Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family.”

“We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished Sovereign and a much-loved Mother. I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world.”

“During this period of mourning and change, my family and I will be comforted and sustained by our knowledge of the respect and deep affection in which The Queen was so widely held” — King Charles in a statement released by Buckingham Palace

None of us knew the Queen as her family does. In my generation, as someone who lives thousands of miles away from England, like the rest of the world, she was the only Queen I knew by name.

Now that I’m in my 50s, the memories of a younger Queen come to mind, and from where I am sitting right now, she had long earned my respect through the years.

Last year, the Queen lost her prince. Still, she had to act like a Queen and not as a grieving wife. It was also during the pandemic, that while all of us suffered, she too lost more than was expected from a 95-year-old woman.

And yet her strength, courage, and grace would see her through the most difficult times of her life.

We will meet again

Full transcript of her broadcast to the nation, and the world during the height of the pandemic.

“I am speaking to you at what I know is an increasingly challenging time. A time of disruption in the life of our country: a disruption that has brought grief to some, financial difficulties to many, and enormous changes to the daily lives of us all.

“I want to thank everyone on the NHS (National Health Service) front line, as well as care workers and those carrying out essential roles, who selflessly continue their day-to-day duties outside the home in support of us all. I am sure the nation will join me in assuring you that what you do is appreciated and every hour of your hard work brings us closer to a return to more normal times.

“I also want to thank those of you who are staying at home, thereby helping to protect the vulnerable and sparing many families the pain already felt by those who have lost loved ones. Together we are tackling this disease, and I want to reassure you that if we remain united and resolute, then we will overcome it.

“I hope in the years to come everyone will be able to take pride in how they responded to this challenge. And those who come after us will say the Britons of this generation were as strong as any. That the attributes of self-discipline, of quiet good-humoured resolve and of fellow-feeling still characterise this country. The pride in who we are is not a part of our past, it defines our present and our future.

“The moments when the United Kingdom has come together to applaud its care and essential workers will be remembered as an expression of our national spirit; and its symbol will be the rainbows drawn by children.

“Across the Commonwealth and around the world, we have seen heart-warming stories of people coming together to help others, be it through delivering food parcels and medicines, checking on neighbours, or converting businesses to help the relief effort.

“And though self-isolating may at times be hard, many people of all faiths, and of none, are discovering that it presents an opportunity to slow down, pause and reflect, in prayer or meditation.

“It reminds me of the very first broadcast I made, in 1940, helped by my sister. We, as children, spoke from here at Windsor to children who had been evacuated from their homes and sent away for their own safety. Today, once again, many will feel a painful sense of separation from their loved ones. But now, as then, we know, deep down, that it is the right thing to do. While we have faced challenges before, this one is different. This time we join with all nations across the globe in a common endeavour, using the great advances of science and our instinctive compassion to heal. We will succeed — and that success will belong to every one of us.

“We should take comfort that while we may have more still to endure, better days will return: we will be with our friends again; we will be with our families again; we will meet again.

“But for now, I send my thanks and warmest good wishes to you all.” — Queen Elizabeth II during the pandemic.

The Queen bowed her head to Princess Diana’s coffin when it went off past Buckingham Palace

In 1992, the Queen had called it her ‘annus horribilis’, or horrible year. It was a year supposed to be a landmark year as she celebrated her 40th year since she ascended to the throne, but during that year scandal after scandal rocked the royal family.

And in 1997, on August 31 when Princess Diana died in Paris from a car accident, many thought the royal family would not survive.

But it did, thanks to the Queen, who had to address a grieving nation, who had to walk away from tradition and bow down her head to a woman who was stripped of her royalty and yet became the people’s princess.

The Queen bows to no one.

That was 25 years ago, and now the Queen is gone, and yet she will not only be remembered but celebrated.

In her life as a monarch, none of her predecessors could match her tenacity in honoring the privilege she was born with, and one can look back at what she said 75 years ago. She did devote her life to the crown, her family, and her nation.

In her statement on her 21st birthday,

I declare before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong. — Queen Elizabeth II

Let me close by saying,

We will all meet our end, and let us grieve the loss, but as the Queen said, we will also meet again.

Farewell our Queen, until we meet again.

Rest in love.

Thank you for reading.

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