The Queen Ruled and Governed

Al-Masry Al-Youm, Egypt, September 23

I was at my little brother’s house in London two weeks ago, when it was reported that the queen of England’s doctors were “concerned about her health.” I had seen a show on British television, and the channel cut off its broadcast to show the well-known news BBC anchor, Huw Edwards, wearing a black tie, announcing the news of Queen Elizabeth II being placed under medical supervision as a result of her health condition and based on the recommendations of doctors. I immediately told my brother Raafat: “I think that the queen is already dead.” It seemed inconceivable to me that the BBC would have mistakenly entered a state of mourning. The anger that might descend upon the BBC as it misleads the public on such a sensitive issue would have been too much for the network to bear. Indeed, it took several more hours, and then the channel confirmed the queen’s death. Truthfully, I was overwhelmed with sadness and cried. The queen was associated in my mind with my mother, may God have mercy on her. Like the queen, my mother was born in the 1920s and World War II marked her formative years. There was a similarity between them in form and character, and both of them took responsibility for others from the beginning of their life journeys. Since the time I immigrated from Beirut to London, Queen Elizabeth II represented my second mother. Despite not having the honor of meeting her, I, like every other citizen in Britain, considered her a mother. And when she died, everyone grieved for her, as did I, for my mother died twice. Throughout my short visit to the UK in the past few weeks, I’ve grown concerned with the manner in which the powers that were once the domain of the monarch are now conferred upon the prime minister, allowing the latter to declare war and sign treaties without resorting to parliamentary debate. Although Queen Elizabeth demonstrated restraint in the political advice she gave, she made sure throughout her reign to be intimately aware of the decisions of her government, and she didn’t hesitate to express her opinion when she felt a need to do so. She learned a lot from Winston Churchill, who taught her the way, and described her as “amazing for a young woman of her age.” Under Britain’s unwritten constitution, the monarch has the right to be informed of the government’s decisions and policies, and to advise and warn the head of government of action or inaction. Although the law is not written, Queen Elizabeth used to spend about three hours a day reviewing government documents and protocols, which she would discuss with the prime minister during the two’s weekly meetings. The queen’s relationship with the first female British prime minister, Margaret Thatcher, was not friendly due to the latter’s confrontational stance and actions, especially with regard to the role of the Commonwealth of Nations. However, Queen Elizabeth still respected Thatcher and even attended her funeral. Queen Elizabeth once said, “sorrow is the price we pay for love.” And the English people affirmed these past few weeks that all the sadness we’re feeling is a testament to the love we had for an extraordinary queen. The queen is integral to everyday British life. Her portrait is printed on currency notes and postage stamps, and her royal insignia – ER, for Elizabeth Regina – is engraved on flags and red mailboxes across the kingdom. Despite her son Charles being officially declared king, the void left by Queen Elizabeth will be acutely felt for years to come. – Modi Hakim (translated by Asaf Zilberfarb)