The late Queen Elizabeth sadly passed away last week, which has left the country feeling united and joining together in this mourning period, to grieve the inspiration we lost. She may have been the reigning sovereign, but she was also an inspiration and a true reminder of how far we have come in the last 96 years.
Elizabeth was never really meant to become Queen - her Uncle abdicated which caused her Dad to take to the throne and left her next in line. From going from Harry’s position in the succession to 11 years old and watching her father become King, Elizabeth immediately faced change in her life. Married at 21, she took to the throne when she turned 27, being a young Mum, woman and wife. With inexperience, she was expected to lead the country out of a period of darkness and despair, and faced extreme prejudice because she was a woman reigning in a patriarchal society.
In the 1950s, women were expected to go back to being a domestic housewife (after working during the war) - as a woman’s place in 1952 was firmly regarded as ‘in the home’ - and although women had a vote, they were discouraged from acting politically. Rationing was still in force, Churchill was in power and feminism was only entering its toddler faze. Women were not allowed to buy or sell property, had little control of their earnings, and only 1.2% of women went to university (this was only the higher class). This was less than a century ago, yet Elizabeth lived through this change, where she went from being an ‘inferior female monarch’ to the Queen of 32 sovereign states, and the longest reigning British monarch and longest reigning female head of state in all of history (70 years and 214 days).
Whilst in power, Elizabeth has seen 15 Prime Ministers, and has always given her all to service and the country, even greeting the new Prime Minister at 96 years old, 2 days before she passed away. She has also reigned through political instability, for example the Brexit referendum, Princess Diana’s death and Andrew’s scandal, as well as being alone during Philip’s funeral. Whilst Boris Johnson was out partying and breaking the laws he set for people, Queen Elizabeth sat alone at her late husband’s funeral, who had stuck by her all throughout her reign. She gave her all for the country; where many celebrities wouldn’t be able to handle the pressure and suffocation of being in the spotlight, Elizabeth stayed loyal and gave her best for the country.
You can see how much she meant to her family, England and the whole world. Her family have not had time to grieve and mourn the loss of her, and even though they are Royals and have made mistakes, they are still people missing the company of their Mum, Grandma, Auntie. They are having to resume ‘public service’ and attend official gatherings, instead of sitting at home and looking through pictures at fond memories. Across the UK, the public have been gathering together to show their support. I went to Buckingham Palace recently, which was swarmed with crowds, flowers and letters, cheering when a flag was put up and admiring the sea of colourful petals together. Security guards were helping people take pictures, police were talking to the public; children, dogs, parents, grandparents - everyone was at the Palace (or around the UK) paying their respects.
She may have been born in a patriarchal society, but she passed in a diverse and accepting one, and I hope she’s proud of that. She is an inspiration for so many people, including young girls and women, who have seen that a woman can make such a difference and can be the monarch of a country. A woman can be in power, can represent her country, can help be the difference. Elizabeth is a symbol for girl power and feminism, which we will remember fondly - we will never see a Queen again in our lifetime.
As the Queen once said, ‘In order to grieve, you have to have loved’.
By Grace Wells
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