Respect for one of our Elders and most significant Leaders of our generation
Today is a very special day. Monday 19 September 2022 marks the funeral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. I admired Queen Elizabeth II’s leadership.
I am English, and the events of the past ten days since Our Queen died, have reinforced how proud I am of my heritage. Western Australia has been my adopted home for some 25 years, and I feel immensely privileged to live on Noongar Boodja. My connection to My Country has been strongly reinforced in recent weeks through both visiting family at Home followed by the impact of the death of our Queen.
My husband and I shed a tear on hearing the news on the morning of 9th September 2022. I asked myself why? She has been a constant in our lives. The only other people I can say that about are my parents and sister. Perhaps it made me more conscious of their mortality.
Qualities of Queen Elizabeth II’s Leadership: Commitment, courage, and humility
The qualities I admired most in the Queen included her commitment to her role. Still in active service at 96 years old, working right up until the very end- swearing in her 16th Prime Minister Liz Truscott only two days earlier. Amazing. And just to think, when the Queen came to the throne, Winston Churchill was the Prime Minister.
Her courage to make tough decisions. To do the right thing, but not always the popular thing. Her humility. In addition to being the Queen, she was a Mum, a grandmother, a wife, a sister and a daughter. She was an outdoor woman, most at home in the highlands of Scotland, driving her Defender at high speeds across the moors, walking her dogs, riding her horses. There was something gritty about her.
The ceremony, the formalities, the time-honoured traditions and pageantry we have observed is testament to our English heritage and culture. The Proclamation of the King, a Monarch’s funeral and the forthcoming Coronation may well be a once in a lifetime experience for many of us.
Patriotism and loyalty to the Monarch demonstrated by the British public and servicemen and women
The patriotism and loyalty to the Monarch we have seen demonstrated by the servicemen and women in honour of the Queen that they have served throughout their working lives is commendable.
The hundreds of thousands of British people that have queued up for 12 hours or more to pay their respects to their Queen who has impacted their lives in many and varied ways, speaks a thousand words.
For David Beckham to be one of them, demonstrating his humility and humbleness, not too proud or too famous to stand in line alongside everyone else as a member of the British public. Sharing how proud he was to represent his Country and honour the Queen; singing the National Anthem at the opening of every international match was more than just a formality for him. Those words “God save our gracious Queen” were truly heartfelt for David Beckham.
This evening I will be glued to the television to show my respect for one of our Elders and most significant Leaders of our generation.
