In an age where our concept of the nebulous term "freedom" is largely built around choice and the ability to go your own way from day to day, the notion of a monarchy seems an anachronism. This impression is fed by the royal accoutrements and ceremonies that appear out of step with the world we live in.
If the American Dream – arguably the underlying social narrative in post-war Western culture – stood for anything, it would be the idea that you can rise from nothing to the highest societal echelons simply on your own merit. Free from the social shackles of eras past, we can all be Jay Gatsbys forging our own illustrious future.
Celebrity obsession takes things a step further, with skill and enterprise no longer being prerequisites to having your spell in the spotlight. Not only has this made public figures of people with no apparent talent, it has given us leaders who care for none but themselves.
In light of some particularly unscrupulous (but nonetheless elected) officials, Queen Elizabeth II has upheld principles that others in the British establishment have actively sought to undermine. As a younger person who has had the fortune not to grow up in the shadow of war, my relation to figureheads differs vastly from older generations.
Yet whilst royalist sympathies are increasingly seen as being old-fashioned and “anti-establishment” has come to be seen as a badge of honour, it would be unwise to overlook the virtues that, at their best, these institutions uphold. The Queen was one such institution.
This isn't to say that reverence for establishment stalwarts should exempt them from scrutiny, but it is important to recognise the human values that stand for. They are needed as much now as ever.
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