The Demise of Perception -- Not Just the Death of Elizabeth II

From teary eyes to "rebellious" individuals blasting the Queen as a reptilian monster, no one's been silent on Elizabeth's demise. Which is why I didn't want to write this, as I typically hate saying what's been said before, but I hope not to do that. I want to share a somewhat different perspective.

As a little girl, I was in love with the British monarchy. Had the whole royal line, from William the Conqueror down to the present taped to my wall. As someone who spent a fair bit of time reading about the monarchy, I couldn't help but look down a bit on the current royal family. Said by some to not even be the "rightful rulers" (with James II's line still existing somewhere in... the Netherlands? No longer sure), the present royal family is a far cry from the monarchy of old. Gone are the days the royal family had any critical power. Gone, even, are the brief and valiant returns to power, such as the one experienced by Elizabeth's father, King George VI.

Still, like many, when I heard the news, I just stopped dead in the street, to check if it was true. My eyes watered when I opened the DailyMail, and it wasn't because of the putrid crap they usually peddle (for a change). Just the title "Queen Elizabeth has died" is so powerful, and so emotional.

Let me throw out an idea as to why. Because I don't think people are so sad right now just because a crowned head has passed. It's because for many, Elizabeth was a fixture. She was there a long time before I was born, for instance. She was on the throne when my mother was born. So I'm sure for many it's the profound shock of a change in the status quo you've known your whole life.

I also think there's more to it, and I think this intense sorrow will not be felt when Charles dies. That's because the Queen, with her grace and quiet, meant something. Maybe not your idea of a monarch. Maybe not even your idea of a good PR head. But she stood, in many people's imagination, for something more noble, for strength, for pulling through in dire times. Something that Charles, or even worse, his children, do not.

I'd say HRM's death is easier to understand if you come from a country where royalty still has more than just a dictionary meaning. I do. Romania's own monarchy had a rather tragic backstory. Our last king was deposed very young, and cruelly so. See, he was tricked to come to a meeting, under the promise of discussing his marriage to the love of his life, the future Queen Ana. When he arrived, however, he was told to give up the country. Or else. Some say there was a gun involved. Regardless, throughout fifty grueling years of communism and beyond, the country never forgot King Mihai (Michael). Many hoped, when communism fell, that it would mean the return of the monarchy. Obviously, that was not the case.

And the reason why people didn't give up on the royal family was because it meant something. Well, for a start, it meant salvation from communism. But it also represented something noble, pure, something strong that made your country stand out, if only in your own eyes, and not blend in.

The King died a few years ago, also at a very advanced age, and with him, all hope of a monarchy in this country. In title alone, his daughter Margaret is the current "Queen", and some still refer to her as that. But she doesn't hold the meaning her father did. That noble, pure strength, that went with the King.

And I think that's what's happening with Queen Elizabeth, also. Sure, the monarchy lives on. But with her gone, it's the end of an era. Even in the eyes of loyal royalists, the current generations are tainted. Who will rule us now? Charles, whose life has been in the tabloids countless times? Andrew, when he's not on the pedo speedboat? William whose pasty face everyone's tired of? Or maybe Harry and his kitschy bride?

Think what you will about these people, but there's a big difference between the younger generations, who've been discussed, and dragged through the mud, and Elizabeth who, as an excellent tribute in Politico points out, was always out of the public eye.

For years now, with Princess Di first, and more recently with the many Meghan scandals, the royal family has been under attack, and it's one that's public, and one that's aimed at shifting your understanding of them. The pervading message over the past couple of years seems to be...do we really need them? With the Queen firmly in place, that was a message no one would've even considered. But with her gone, I fear it's only a matter of time.

In a game that's so much about visuals, Elizabeth remained an emblem of strength and nobility, which her children and grandchildren, unfortunately, do not. They're just pretty people who don fun hats, and go on parades. And as with my own country, I feel something essential has died with Queen Elizabeth. Maybe just an image of what the royalty was. Maybe the part of you that associated the kingdom with nobility and strength.

Whatever it was, may it (and the Queen) rest in peace.