Today Scottish political leaders paid tribute to the Queen’s 70 year reign. This is what Alex Cole-Hamilton had to say:
During the Queen’s reign she has seen 14 Prime Ministers come and go and has met with 13 out of the last 14 US Presidents. She has represented this country and the Commonwealth around the world with unfaltering poise and distinction.
In a world that can sometimes seem sadly and increasingly defined by shallow self-interest, Her Majesty has long served as an exquisite example of the best of Britishness: humility, service, dedication to duty, dignity, and forbearance.
She has been a pillar of comfort and reassurance during times of uncertainty and emergency. Whether that be as a young Princess broadcasting during World War 2; when she ascended to the throne of post-war Britain at the age of just 27; or indeed her recent intervention in the early days of the Pandemic when her broadcast, normally reserved for Christmas, provided a desperately needed sense of hope and perspective amidst the darkest of days.
I’d like to thank Her Majesty for her incredible long years of service, and to wish her the very happiest Platinum Jubilee.
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11 Comments
“…the best of Britishness..”
I understand that ACH is keen to burnish his Unionist credentials at every opportunity but I do not think any Liberal Democrat should ever pander to those who believe in British exceptionalism.
@brad – I’m not sure how saying ‘best of’ something = ‘we are exceptional’.
Besides, if there is a ‘best of,’ there also has to be a ‘worst of’. Though a tribute to EIIR probably not the best place for ACH to contrast with the ‘hubris, self-service, carelessness, immorality and indolence’ of a certain PM!
Are there any plans for a Royal and/or a leading politician to visit a food bank as part of the Jubilee celebrations?
I’m sorry to have to correct. Mr Cole-Hamilton (or his researcher) but the Queen ascended the throne at the age of 25 not 27 on the death of her father in February,1952.
I happen to remember it well. My local parish church bell tolled for several hours, all theatres and cinemas closed, as did the BBC – other than for continuous solemn music and the occasional news and weather/shipping forecasts.
“Her Majesty has long served as an exquisite example of the best of Britishness: humility, service, dedication to duty, dignity, and forbearance.”
Queen Elizabeth has shown the best of Britishness, but is it humble or dignified to accept a four day celebration when some people can’t afford food for them and their children let alone champagne for the street party? Not only is it not humble but, from everything being said about Queen Elizabeth II, it’s not what she actually wants.
Remember the Queen is half Scots by descent, outnumbering her German, Danish and English ancestors.
Yes, David Raw is correct. The timing of this Jubilee has been a bit confusing. She became Queen on 6th February 1952 when he father died. I too remember the day and seeing my teachers crying at school. The Coronation was on 2nd June 1953, so yesterday was the 69th Anniversary of her Coronation.
@Ian Sanderson
Yes, and it is also worth pointing out that the King of Scotland inherited the English crown in 1603 and not the other way round. I bet Kenneth McAlpin (Cinaed mac Ailpin) would be shocked if he were able to see what became of the united Scottish crown he established in the 9th century.
Couple of hair shirts on this thread ;-). You may as well say it’s wrong for people to celebrate (anything) while there’s a war raging in Europe, or while people are dying of famine elsewhere, or people here are dying of cancer…
I’m not marking the occasion in any way, but there are street parties and so on across the area, bringing people out and together. Which there wouldn’t be otherwise. (Champagne extremely unlikely!!)
I reckon the UK could do with some colour and celebrations to lighten the mood after two years of Covid, worry over the war, and everything else. We can all go back to being miserable on Monday.
@Mary Reid My memory of the accession is of our school class being taken to outside the Court House in Enniskilen to hear the proclamation of the Queen read publicly by (I presume) the High Sheriff of County Fermanagh. The Coronation we may have heard on the wireless. The BBC pulled out all the stops to get television to eastern Ulster in time, but in the west we didn’t get (even weak) TV until a couple of years later and ultimately saw the coronation in the cinema.
@Ian Sanderson. I was living in the Isle of Wight and we couldn’t get a TV signal over there, so, like you, listened to the Coronation on the radio then caught up at the cinema later. My father had an appointment in London a few days after the event so he took me with him. We travelled along the route and saw all the decorations and stands – it was magical.