Millions of people will watch Monday’s funeral for Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II, who died last week at age 96. You might wonder why so many people are saddened by the queen’s death, including people who never met her and even those who didn’t live in Britain or any of its current or former territories.
Much of the reason is that she did her job for a very long time — more than 70 years. She was just 25 years old when her father died unexpectedly, and she took on his role as monarch or head of state for the United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) and several other countries, including Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
Head of state is not a political leader. Queen Elizabeth had regular meetings with the country’s highest political leader, the prime minister. She could advise that person, but she couldn’t propose new laws, for example, and she was expected to not tell the public her opinions about political matters. Instead, she was more like an ambassador. She presided at official ceremonies, hosted world leaders and traveled in support of the British government.
Having a job for 70 years means you have seen a lot of world leaders come and go. The first British prime minister she worked with was Winston Churchill, who had governed the nation through World War II. The last was Liz Truss, who became Britain’s political leader just last week. There were 13 others in between. The United States had 14 presidents during the queen’s reign. France had 10. So the queen provided a sense of stability as politics changed.
But there were other things that the queen became known for over the past seven decades that have touched people’s lives in Britain and around the world.
The queen had a lifelong love of dogs and horses. She favored corgis, a herding dog from Wales with short legs and pointed ears. Elizabeth’s family had several corgis when she was a girl, and her father gave her one named Susan when she was 18 years old. Over the years, she raised about 30 corgis. They followed her around the palaces and were featured in photos and videos seen around the world. The queen also owned dorgis (a mix of a corgi and a dachshund) and cocker spaniels, but corgis became well-known, thanks to her.
The queen also had a strong bond with horses. Her first riding lesson was at age 3, and her grandfather King George V gave her a pony at age 4, according to the International Equestrian Federation. As queen she rode horseback in large parades and on casual outings around her estates. The queen also loved horse racing. She bred dozens of horses and entered them in famous races such as Royal Ascot. It was a serious business, but win or lose, the queen would be seen smiling at her horses and petting them on the nose.
The queen accompanied everyone to the store, restaurants or the movies for decades. She wasn’t there in person, but her picture was. The queen’s portrait has long been on all printed and minted money in Britain and several other countries. So just as you are used to seeing a dollar bill with George Washington’s face on it, people in Britain, Canada and Australia are used to seeing the queen’s face every time they pay in cash. The money won’t immediately feature the new monarch, King Charles III, but it will be a striking change when those new bills and coins appear.
Sporting events and parades often feature the national anthem, a song kids usually learn in elementary school. In Britain, it’s difficult not to think of the queen at those times. That’s because the national anthem is called “God Save the Queen.” Or rather it has been for the past 70 years.
The British anthem is more personal that the United States’ national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner.” It starts with “God save our gracious Queen! Long live our noble Queen! God save the Queen!” The words have been changed to reflect whether a man or a woman was the monarch, but most Britons have never sung “God Save the King,” or at least not until the past week. Although the change in lyrics may seem sad to many, the queen encouraged people earlier this year to look to the future. “And when, in the fullness of time, my son Charles becomes King, I know you will give him and his wife Camilla the same support that you have given me.”
A reminder from the KidsPost team: Our stories are geared to 7- to 13-year-olds. We welcome discussion from readers of all ages, but please follow our community rules and make comments appropriate for that age group.
Source link: https://www.washingtonpost.com/kidspost/2022/09/14/queen-elizabeth-why-people-will-miss-her/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=wp_lifestyle