End Of An Era

The death on Thursday of Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom, has not only pulled the curtains down on the immensely eventful life of a Head of State, but also marks the end of an era for the entire world. While she was queen from February 6, 1952, until her death on September 8, 2022, Queen Elizabeth's reign of 70 years and 214 days was the longest of any British monarch and the second-longest recorded of any monarch of a sovereign country. While her tenure as Head of State had started during the early post-War years, she was also responsible for bringing into effect a historic paradigm-changing shift in the balance of political power from the British Empire to the Commonwealth, which in turn flagged off the emergence of free, post-colonial nations. It was also during her tenure that the Cold War came to a close. What was even more significant for England and the whole of Europe was that the UK's experiment lasting 47 years as a member of the European Union, which had begun during her tenure, also came to a close during her tenure itself. When one looks at the politics and governance of the United Kingdom, one also finds that as many as 15 Prime Ministers came and went in the United Kingdom while she occupied the throne, the list starting with Winston Churchill and ending with Liz Truss. Queen Elizabeth's tenure was also marred by a number of controversies, the biggest one featuring Diana, the former wife of Prince – now King – Charles, when she died in a car accident in Paris in 1997. In the aftermath of that tragic accident and death, the monarchy had become the centre and target of criticism for allegedly shying away from public response. It is also important to note that on several occasions during her 70-year reign, the very institution of the Crown was brought into question. The Right had fired criticism at her for presiding over the end of the Empire. For progressives in Britain and beyond, however, the Crown was the ultimate symbol of aristocracy and unearned privilege. Despite that, however, Britain's longest-serving monarch transcended the limitations of her office by staying solidly with the best principles of being the constitutional head of a democratic state. It is significant to note that in the process Queen Elizabeth made sure that the Crown not only survived the post-War churn but also continued despite the unprecedented shifts in politics and society.