By Dr. Nsungbemo Ezung
On June 2, 2022, the Kingdom of Great Britain marked the 70th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s accession to the throne of the Kingdom, as their Queen has become the longest-reigning monarch in the history of more than 1000 years old the United Kingdom. The longevity of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II is no doubt a triumph of the right side of history as the Queen and her reign epitomized the great traditional western values which represent the best of humanity – not just the British culture but the timeless values that define humanity. While the political power and influence of the British monarch in the politics of the British nation and the nations of the world diminish to a considerable extent in modern times, what makes Queen Elizabeth II an inspiring and adorable monarch/personality is that amidst moral bankruptcy and decline that becomes an order of the day all over the world, she continues to exhibit high moral character in public life and represent the moral standard which was the foundation of the great western civilization.
For seventy years, Queen Elizabeth II has been on the right side of history. She has been left as the few remaining western leaders as the defenders and promoters of western traditional values including democracy as the best form of government, right to life, freedom of religion and traditional definition of marriage and family value; all these values which makes the western civilization as the greatest civilization ever known to humankind. Nevertheless, the defence of this great western value comes at the time when powerful liberal forces had already emerged, from within and outside the west, to challenge and redefine those values, an attempt that amounts to undoing the very essence of humanity.
During her last seventy years of reign, Queen Elizabeth II rarely voices her opinions on different social and political issues that confront her Kingdom and the world. The world may not know her views and opinions on different issues, but the world knows her personality. The world knows her as a monarch who is a woman of faith deeply rooted in Judeo-Christian tradition that believes and promotes honesty, integrity and decency in public life. Her 2000 Christmas Message was an affirmation of her commitment to the Christian faith, and its role and influence on her life as a British monarch: “To many of us, our beliefs are of fundamental importance. For me the teachings of Christ and my own personal accountability before God provide a framework in which I try to lead my life”. At a time when many leaders and people in the world choose to follow their own feelings and opinions which only leads to chaos and conflicts among humanity, the Queen’s 2000 Christmas Message reminds us of the need for faith in a Power that is above our feelings and opinions, and the need to be accountable to that Power (God).
2022 should not only be a year for celebrating the 70 years of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II as a British monarch. The world should also not forget the 74 years of her wonderful marriage life with her spouse, Prince Phillip, until his sad demise in 2021. The Queen had led by example in promoting the traditional institution of marriage and family value with 74 years of faithful marriage with one man – meaning a lifetime commitment to one man, keeping her marriage vows that she took, not just seriously but obediently, at the age of 21 in 1947 in front of God, the Church and the world which is a rare of its kind in present-day’s world standard. By keeping her marriage vows along with her spouse – till death do us apart, the Queen had fulfilled the most important obligation as the Supreme Head of the Church of England.
In fact, it was the question of marriage/divorce that had brought the then Princess Elizabeth to the throne in 1952 who was otherwise nowhere near to the line of succession prior to her accession. It was in 1936 that the proposal of the then reigning monarch King Edward VIII to marry an American woman who was then twice divorced became unacceptable to the Church of England and the Church refused to give sanction to their marriage. The then King had decided to abdicate the throne in favour of his younger brother, George VI, to pursue his marriage plan. And upon the accession of George VI to the throne in December 1936, the then new King’s daughter Princess Elizabeth became the next in line for the throne, and the rest is history.
When this crazy world began to challenge and defy the traditional institution of marriage as a union between one man and one woman, the Queen, by remaining faithful to her spouse for 74 years, only to let death separate them, had conveyed a powerful message to the world that other than a union between one man and one woman no other form of unions can be termed as marriage, and that the so-called the demands of progressive world/society cannot alter this great institution of marriage as ordained by God. She defended marriage not through speaking or by lecturing but by demonstrating in her own life.
The sad side of the story though is that the next monarch, going by the present succession plan, will be someone who had broken his marriage vows. In the post- Queen Elizabeth II world, the Supreme Head of the Church of England will be someone who had failed in his marriage which will be a nightmarish scenario; meaning the beginning of the dilution of the great values of faith and humanity that the Queen had defended and promoted during her reign. It is inspiring to note here that as the next monarch-to-be had broken his marriage vows and choose to get married for the second time through civil ceremony in 2005, the Queen choose not to attend the marriage programme and never pressured the clergies belonging to the Church of England, using her power, to perform the second marriage of her son from the Church. In other words, even when the prestige and reputation of her children were at stake, she chose principles over compromise.
One can only hope and pray that the British royal house will produce many monarchs like Queen Elizabeth II even in the future who will take the lead in promoting those timeless values of humanity and inspire the world to embrace those values toward making the world a better place to live in.
Considering the inspiring life that the Queen lived, and the values and traditions that she has been defending, upholding and promoting not only in her Kingdom but the world around, it is right and proper for the United Kingdom, British Commonwealth, conservatives and well-wishers from around the world to sing for her – God Save the Queen!