John MacDonald: Queen's Platinum Jubilee and royal family leave me disconnected

I've never felt as disconnected to the Queen and the royal family, writes John MacDonald. Photo / AP

OPINION:

I'm seeing all the reports about Queen Elizabeth's jubilee celebrations and I'm feeling very disconnected from it all.

I feel like someone who's turned up at a party a few hours after it's started and is not feeling the vibe like everyone else because they've already got a few drinks inside them.

There have been all the reports about people lining the Mall in London, which leads up to Buckingham Palace, hoping to get a glimpse of her.

A couple of New Zealand women were on the TV news last night, setting up their tent and sounding all very excited.

One of them was wearing the obligatory Kathmandu puffer jacket, of course. And they were telling the reporter how they'd always been big fans of the Queen and the royal family. Good on them.

But I'm looking at all this going on and seeing it as something that's happening "way over there" - in the UK - and not something at all relevant to me here in New Zealand.

Which is strange in a way, really, isn't it? Because the Queen is not just Queen of England, she's Queen of the Commonwealth. Which means she's our Queen too. She's my Queen. She's your Queen. But I'm not feeling it, at all.

And in theory, we should be having street parties here and putting up the decorations just as much as the people in Britain.

But I'm not. Chances are you're not.

Now I'm not saying I don't like the Queen. I couldn't say I love her or I'm nuts about her, but I know she has had a remarkable tenure - the likes of which we'll probably never see again.

And you can't help but feel sorry for her with all the nonsense that's gone on within the family over the years.

Princess Margaret wasn't the easiest to deal with, was she? I know that from my passive viewing of The Crown.

Then there was all the stuff with Diana and Charles, and Diana's death. Andrew's shenanigans and his appalling sense of entitlement has been a nightmare for the Queen, hasn't it?

And then there's the ongoing situation with Harry and Meghan - who, to their credit, have turned up in London for the celebrations. Not "on the balcony" at Buckingham Palace, though.

Speaking of the balcony, I don't think I've ever seen as few members of the royal family on the balcony at Buckingham Palace as there were overnight when the Queen came out to see the start of the jubilee celebrations.

And I see the Queen won't be attending the thanksgiving service at St Paul's Cathedral tonight. The official language the palace is using is that she experienced "some discomfort" during the time out on the balcony, and it would be a bit of a stretch for her to travel to St Paul's and take part in that service.

So, we will see how much more of the Queen we see during the official jubilee celebrations which are due to go the whole weekend.

But irrespective of whether the Queen does manage to get out and about and take part in the festivities, it won't change my feeling of being disconnected from it all.

In fact, I suspect most people in New Zealand would say that the last time they felt really connected to the royal family was when Diana died in 1997.

But as for these jubilee celebrations - it's not doing it for me. Yes, she is New Zealand's Queen. Yes, she's been remarkable. But I won't be going out and celebrating.

I won't be begrudging anyone who wants to and, if I was still living in London, I'd probably go out and have a nosey at it all. But for me, sitting here in New Zealand, it is not something I feel a part of, at all.

And I would probably go as far as saying that I have never felt as disconnected to the Queen and the royal family as I do right now. And no amount of flyovers, carriages, horses and Union flags will change that.