The queen is dead. Long live the king.
The vast majority of her subjects have never known another monarch -- another head of state -- than Queen Elizabeth II. For that matter, neither has this American small-R republican.
It seems to me, even as someone steeped in our particular Yank brand of civic egalitarianism (such as it is at present), that there are advantages today to having a head of state removed from the realm of electoral politics.
THINK OF IT -- a head of state who is a true symbol of national unity, not fated to be loathed by a significant chunk of the population from the get-go. Because politics. A head of state whose entire job description is service to her -- now his -- subjects seems to be something of a miracle today.I envy the British people, and the people of the Commonwealth, that. Especially during these fractious times.
So, today's episode of 3 Chords & the Truth is different from our usual fare. This program is a memorial to the departed queen, who for 70 years conducted herself not as just a light and an example for her nation, but for all nations.
Godspeed, ma'am. And thank you.
It's the Big Show. And it's all about the queen we all were blessed to have for so long . . . and who now belongs to the ages.
Be there. Aloha.