As I have been glued to the screen watching the ceremonies that have surrounded Queen Elizabeth II’s death, I have found it remarkable how many common people have related personally to her – many of them not even British. I count myself in this group – about as common as they come and not British.
My interest in “Lilibet,” her childhood nickname, began years ago with the Ladies Home Journal. Back in the day when magazines actually ran interesting stories, they carried the serialized book written by the royal nanny, Marion Crawford, called The Little Princesses. Mama subscribed to the magazine, and I remember waiting eagerly for the next installment. The series stopped abruptly after King George VI died on February 6, 1952. As I recall, there was no explanation but, in my understanding, it seemed that the detailed account of her childhood was considered inappropriate for her new status as Queen. The British, giving time for grief for King George VI, waited until June 2, 1953 for the coronation of the beautiful new queen.
As an awkward ninth grader whose hair was always sticking out in the wrong place, I was in awe of her beauty and grace. In a world with the beginnings of technology, our school allowed those who owned a television to miss school to watch the coronation. We didn’t yet own one of the newfangled contraptions, but my best friend Carol had one and invited me to watch at her house. We glued ourselves to the black-and-white screen that must have been about 12 x 18 inches and watched every delicious minute.
My current reaction to this new event has been to watch the ceremonies in color on a much bigger screen in just as much fascination as that eighth grader long ago. Records have been frequently noted in the commentary as Queen Elizabeth’s time in service exceeds any previous monarch. The numbers of people waiting for as long as thirty hours in the rain with lines nearly four miles long surpasses anything in memory. She hasn’t been a perfect monarch or a perfect person, but many seem to feel she comes as close as any political figure in history.
Besides watching the pageantry, I have also ordered The Little Princesses, which is still in print, for my Kindle. I want to reread the part I saw years ago and finish Crawfie’s account. I’ll put up a review when I finish if I find it worth your time.