New Telegraph

The Queen as sovereign

Anyone would perceive the aroma of the many flowers that littered sequentially around the Buckingham Palace and the Balmora; conveying the mournful emotions of a people on the death of their sovereign, Queen Elizabeth II, who trodden this plane like a colossus and sustained the purity and piety of a monarchy for 70 unbroken years.

The elegance of those flowers, their beautiful colours, their flourished lushness, epitomise the totality of the Queen’s quintessential heart, and the distinction and aura of her personality.

Her candour was palpable and presence graceful; it bore elegance and humour. Her wits almost unparalleled, and her understanding of the world around her was Queenly propitious.

Queen Elizabeth was an uncommon persona, a woman of delectable poise, who played host to the high and mighty from all over the world; she led the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth Countries to their enviable heights. Generously unruffled no matter the situation, providing her shoulders for all to lean on, Queen Elizabeth’s trajectory is woven in several positives.

Her leadership went beyond the call of her royalty, she gave a unique meaning to the capacity of women to lead in a male dominated world. Her influence, ability to deal with all categories of persons; politicians, entrepreneurs, educators, academics, youths, ambassadors, and others, defined her persona.

As the motorcade left the Balmora to Edinburgh, one could feel the touch of history and tradition of a monarchy that has retained its originality for many centuries. She was a walking history. The procession to Edinburgh was picturesque; people turning out in their thousands to bid farewell to her journey of no return.

The end of an era that was defined by class, finesse and panache. The beginning of an era that would define the place of the monarchy in an emerging world order where technology and modernity is gradually eroding the traditions and history of many monarchies.

The beginning of another era of King Charles III, trying to fit into his mother’s huge majestic shoes in providing leadership to a people that have come of age. As the body travelled through that spectacular scenery, such lush greenery by the country side, lined with beautiful vegetation, one couldn’t but appreciate the functionality of a system that is alive to its responsibility.

As early as 6a.m on Sunday, 11th September, mourners had lined the roads, waiting to say goodbye to their eponymous heroine, who gave colour, class, distinction and royal grandeur to their country with her cerebral personality.

The people were still throwing flowers on the road to celebrate her warmth and candour. If they had their way, they would wish to feel the Queen’s presence once again for her usual assurances.

They would love to feel the pulse and poise in her voice. They would love to hear her golden and velvety voice, that usually resonated with aplomb and camaraderie.

 

The walls of Buckingham Palace could feel her absence. The flowery environment and the stamina of the network of roads to withstand human traffic, all spoke volumes of her sense of depth, quality and content. Queen Elizabeth II was a paragon of beauty. With age, her beauty remained her characteristic attribute that could not be overlooked.

Her welllined dentition retained its orderliness till her death. Her smile conveyed the grace and aura of a hearty soul who was very much at home with her subjects. She was the mother of her nation, and to many others within the Commonwealth.

 

From being a mechanic during the World War 2 to becoming an uncommon Queen for 70 years, she understood different worldviews in terms of class and status. She connected easily with the ordinary people and tried to make the throne as uniquely traditional in the modern age as possible.

To understand the stability of the monarchy would be to draw a parallel between it and the political class led by politicians and their allies.

The Queen alone saw 15 Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom, the last of them being the current Liz Truss, who emerged barely two days before the Queen breathed her last.

For whatever you may hold against her and her reign although history, she was a good representative of her Kingdom who did so much to sustain her history, persons, traditions and its pride of place in the commity of nations.

The outpouring of emotions and love underscores the recognition of such epochal roles of this Lady of quintessential persona. Angers have been expressed by some commentators over the role of the United Kingdom in colonisation and wars of conquest.

While some accused the monarchy of being masterminds of genocidal experiences in parts of African countries, others are of the opinion that if Africans were to be that altruistic in their public engagement, many years after their independence, their countries would have improved beyond the relics  of under-development, corruption, greed and avarice that presently dominate the continent. At the time of colonisation, the world was still at a somewhat stoneage era without a discernible roadmap to define the vision and mission of most African countries.

Till date, several years after independence, most African countries still exist like a ship without a rudder, while several others wear the inelegant garb of an awkwardly overgrown adults struggling to walk straight. But for vision and mission, all the internal frictions and grumbling in the United Kingdom would have altered the grip and grit of the monarchy.

Her televised journey from Balmora to Edinburgh exposed the beauty of a functional system that is steeped in tradition and history; lovely countryside ambience amid lush vegetation all year round. You could feel the bond of a Kingdom that is poised to sustain a legacy of unity and oneness despite inherent vibrations from time to time.

Africa and Africans must learn something from the death of Queen Elizabeth II whom they saw as their coloniser; in delivering utility-driven leadership, show capacity for leadership even in the face of daunting challenges, be pro-public interest rather than selfish interest and be ready to sacrifice for the common good of all.

You may agonise for all you care about the departed Queen, she was able to hold her own and sustained a legacy of service to her people; right from the Second World War when she served as a mechanic up till the modern times before she passed on.

Her legacy of service has been echoed by different people across the world and especially amongst the Commonwealth of Nations. African leaders who have opportunity to preside over their countries ended up in corruption and malfeasance of unimaginable proportions travel across Africa, what you see are decayed infrastructure, collapsed edifices, bad roads, insecurity, poverty, hunger and impoverishment.

While some often desire to live like the Queen, their love for acquisition of the Commonwealth of their people leaves behind a history of backward integration in the face of so much human and material resources. Rather than blame the monarchy for the ills of colonialisation, they should blame their leaders for neo-colonisation which further plundered the collective till for self aggrandizement.

Lamentations about the sorry state of Africa and her nation- states would not entrench a culture of growth and development, it will only help to open old wounds that have been compounded by self-inflicted maladies. Let me wish the Queen a deserved rest in the hereafter.

It is a journey that differentiates God and mere mortals. It is a journey that all humans must undertake at one time or the other. A journey of no return, when we will be resting with the worms of the earth to typify the vanity of humanity. Queen Elizabeth II, at 96, in a world of uncertainties and challenges, lived a fulfilled life in deeds and conduct of the responsibilities thrust upon her shoulders.

She held the Kingdom together as a united front, confronted her challenges, offered leadership at the most auspicious occasion and rested in the Lord at the appointed time. In fact she died in the line of duty having just proclaimed the new Prime Minister 48 hours earlier. Looking forward, the new King Charles III must be ready to show grit and gravitas that defined his mother.

He must display uncommon qualities to sustain the achievements and legacies left behind by the departed Queen.

At a time of global challenges in the areas of security, poverty and hunger, with increasing responsibilities on the shoulders of world leaders, King Charles III should rise up to the occasion to chart a new dawn for man and country. United Kingdom has its own peculiar challenges after its exit from the European Union.

A King of Charles’s calibre should be able to rally the country together to generate new ideas that could be a direct response to the issues at hand.

No doubt, this monarchy has come of age and has sustained its class anddistinctionovertheyearsasthecynosure of other monarchies. From the outpouring ofemotionsandlove acrosstheworld, nomatterherimperfections, QueenElizabethIIrodeanddiedlikea colossus, an idyllicQueen of extraordinary emanations.

May her gentle soul rest in peace. My condolences to all lovers of good causes who share fromthis painful loss. Adieu, the Global Queen, mother of all. Rest In Peace

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