Not that this is quite the right time, but is there any list of the Queen's achievements that isn't simply "she lived for very long" and "she witnessed some important events"? I fail to see why this is impressive.
The role of the Monarch is not easy to qualify. She is a symbol of continuation, stability and unity. Her neutrality makes her look like she is doing exactly nothing, when it's the source of her power and influence. She lives above politics.
Beyond that, the Queen has real so called reserve powers that in theory she could use in time of great crisis to change government or stop laws (she used it once I think). But she can't use them in an authoritarian manner or else risk losing them and tarnish her legacy.
I reckon having to endure listening to whatever moron PM is currently in power every week for seventy years is a decent achievement. In all seriousness though, I'd say that not fucking up for an entire reign is a pretty big achievement. Can you name any other celebrity (for lack of a better word) that hasn't really put a foot wrong in all that time?
Put aside what you think about monarchies and royals and look at the actual person. She was completely dedicated to serving other people in the same way that the very best of our uniformed services are and it's why she gets so much respect from just about everyone.
In a way, it reminds me of musicians who aren't particularly known for their collectivism. I don't know for sure, but I can't imagine it's particularly fun to play the same song that made you famous in your twenties and play it every night for the next 50 years. A lot of them can't stand it and stop playing their old songs. Or stop touring all together.
This is kind of what the Queen has done but rather than just every night for an hour and a half, it's literally been every single day of her life. But she went to all those events and met all those people because even though it was the millionth time for her giving a medal to someone, it was the very first time for the other person receiving it. They were overjoyed getting to shake her hand and tell all their friends and family that they got to meet the Queen. And that's what she cared about.
She's done all this every day and not moaned once about it. Put yourself in her shoes. Yes, you get a fancy house and free money. But the life you have to live in exchange for it is not your own. You don't get to pursue your own individualist desires and dreams. All of those are put aside for your duties. At all times in public and most likely a lot of the time in public, you must act completely dignified. No emotional outbursts, you must be the rock that others lean on. You don't really get to retire, you just carry this on until you die.
There have been countless monarchs both in Britain and across the world who have not been up to the job. They've blamed others, shirked duties and abused their powers. But not this one. She really was the real deal.
It's impressive because the rest of us have to read about these things in history books or in the news. She was there for it all, not only witnessing, but discussing, events of profound significance with the people at the center of them.
And, I think, show-me-the-achievements represents a misunderstanding of the role of the monarch in the British government and British culture. It's not comparable to the Prime Minister or the US President, for example.
Her main achievement was utterly subordinating her personal life to the requirement of her public life. No one has any idea of what her personal belief was on any matter more consequential than what brand of cornflakes she ate.
Take a counselling course and you’ll quickly learn that truly listening to people is a difficult and very valuable skill. Ask any counsellor and they’ll tell you that even for the most compassionate people, it can actually be quite emotionally exhausting to give their undivided attention to someone for hour after hour, day after day. It is in fact, best practice for BACP counsellors to schedule an hour with another BACP therapist for every 12? hours (this might not be the exact number but it’s somewhere in this ball park) spent with clients in order to discuss their own state of mind and decompress. The Queen had many luxuries but I doubt this was one of them.
