Above: a touching tribute to Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II by Sky News
As millions of Britons, citizens of the Commonwealth, and others around the globe mourn the loss of Elizabeth II, I have come to reflect upon my former Head of State with a sense of bittersweet splendour - pained that Her Majesty is no longer with us, yet, altogether marveled by the memories of her glorious reign, stamina, and poise.
For as long as I have lived, Queen Elizabeth II has been somewhat omnipresent in my life. I fancied myself quite the numismatist and philatelist in my most tender years - I am a citizen born into the commonwealth twice over: as a Canadian by birth, and as the daughter of an immigrant from the then-commonwealth state of Hong Kong.
It was during these formative years that my young mind became fascinated by the striking portraits of our Head of State, ever evolving throughout those very impressionable phases of my own life: from youth, to teenagehood, to womanhood. I saw her increasingly aging visage everywhere throughout the years as my past times seamlessly moulded themselves into a deep passion for history - both Canadian, and British.
It was the profile, and the face of Elizabeth, embossed on the faces of
coins and printed on the surfaces of stamps from all over the world, that
piqued my curiosity. I wanted to know more about this woman who
seemed to dominate swathes of nations of varying tongues: who she
was, and what she meant to my country and to our British cousins. That
curiosity led me down the path of studying Canadian and European history,
and later - and perhaps most naturally - to the music that helped pave the
path toward our shared freedoms, as our ancestors fought in battle to
create, in my humble opinion, one of - if not the - greatest nation
in the world. As I became more embedded in my studies, I both marveled over
and embraced the legacies of the composers who performed in battle long
before Elizabeth's conception. I learned of the propagandists and musically
inclined courtiers who so crucially and cleverly manipulated, supported, and
volleyed their way through the upper echelons of the British state. In many
ways, it was an early lesson in psychology and an invaluable teaching of the
cunning use (and misuse) of music for purposes of political persuasion and
domination.
Though Great Britain's distant past may be marred by undeniable bloodshed, where kings were made kings on the battlefield, and men became men through daring and chivalric conquests, the reign and life of Elizabeth was different. Having both served in, and survived the Second World War and having acceded to the throne whilst arguably still a child herself - at the tender age of 25 - her role was that of a peaceful monarch: a consistently present and poised ruler who never appeared to take for granted the rich (albeit often gritty) historical past which would end up making her unprecedented 70-year long reign possible.
Her Majesty shunned the methods of her royal predecessors, opting instead to shy away from public conflict by holding close to her breast matters of both personal and political affairs. She put forward a mask of neutrality in an ever changing, not always friendly world.
Music and musicians of (and associated with) the court became less thought of as mere political pawns but rather allowed to triumph in their own right: during her reign, the so-called 'Land without Music' - England's status as a musical mecca having waned in popularity since the triumphant days of the English Renaissance - once more became resplendent as the likes of Ralph Vaughan Williams, Arnold Bax, William Walton, and Edward Elgar introduced to a new generation a majestic, and regal shift from the ever embellished icons of English composers past (men like Thomas Tallis, William Byrd, Orlando Gibbons, Henry Purcell, and German-turned-naturalised citizen, George Frederic Handel).
Full of fanfare, stateliness, pomp and circumstance, swathes of musicians
(and even non-musicians) the world over would soon recognize the
sound of British royalty in the new Elizabethan age, and envision in their minds images of the resplendent Queen in her
chariot, as regal and dignified as the compositions which flourished
throughout her reign.
Above: Vaughan Williams' grand ceremonial arrangement of the
sixteenth-century hymn "The Old Hundredth", performed at the coronation of
Queen Elizabeth II, 2 June 1953 Westminster Abbey, London (preceded by
fanfare)
To the very end, Her Majesty remained poised even throughout the dishonours inflicted upon her by those who attempted to corrupt a legacy of leadership - one in which our beloved Sovereign had managed to rule for some seven decades with a refined reticence. It was this sense of stoic disposition which had so notably garnered the admiration and awe of all those who met her, from world leaders to subjects alike.
There is something to be said for this level of personal conviction. Throughout the numerous traumas Elizabeth faced, particularly over the course of the past several years, her stamina and resolve proved to all of those who supported her that silence speaks volumes, that privacy is a virtue, and that dignity over historical savagery and present day insolence will always triumph in the end.
Her Majesty vowed to work until the end of her days, and she has honored her oath. Having seldom wavered from her steely-faced, yet gentle resolve, she will be remembered as a ruler of sound mind, a connoisseur of political adroitness, and as a woman of extraordinary courage, strength, and heart.
With condolences to all those who mourn the loss of Her Majesty, including the working members of the Royal family.
God Save the Queen.
Long Live King Charles III.
See more: St Paul's Service of Thanksgiving to Honour the Queen
-Rose.
