A constant, steady figure through it all

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

Opinion

The death of Queen Elizabeth II at her Balmoral estate overnight brings to an end a lifetime of service to her country and the greater world from one of the major figures of the 20th century who continued her life's work into this one.

After the abdication of her uncle Edward VIII, her father George VI unexpectedly became king and from that time on her future was set.

Turmoil was a feature of her life, starting with the Second World War in which she served as a lorry driver with the Auxiliary Transport Service.

Then in 1953 the death of her much-loved father plunged her into the monarchy at the young age of 25.

To say her role has been a testing one would be a major understatement.

She presided over the virtual end of the British Empire and huge social changes both in the United Kingdom and around the world.

Throughout them all she was a constant and steady figure, all the way through the Covid-19 pandemic and the loss of her husband of more than a half century Prince Philip.

She is the longest reigning monarch in a family whose royal bloodline dates back to the 10th century. In her time she has dealt with 15 British prime ministers, the latest just this week, 14 US presidents and seven popes.

The Queen disliked stuffiness; she stopped having debutantes presented at the palace and the use of the word monarchy, in favour of the royal family.

Perhaps the only time her stature was really challenged was in 1997 with the death of Princess Diana in a car accident in Paris. At first critics said the Queen was not showing appropriate sympathy to her former daughter-in-law, but she managed to correct that by joining fully in the mourning for Diana.

She also faced challenges in the actions by some members of her family, including the association of her son Andrew with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

But Queen Elizabeth remained immensely popular with the majority of the British public and respected throughout the world.

Her death will inevitably raise questions about the future of the monarchy. Republicans have held back to an extent because of her popularity, but their voices will be heard now.

Many of us will find it strange to speak of King Charles III.

The BBC reports that a six-year-old Elizabeth told her riding instructor that she wanted to “be a country lady with lots of horses and dogs”. She did that and so much more.