Queen Elizabeth II: Diamond Jubilee

This weekend is the Queen’s 60th anniversary – 60 years of public service, can you imagine?

When the Queen first ascended the throne, there was no internet, very few people had a television, no motorways, cars were for the privileged few and going on holiday meant a trip to the seaside for most of us.

In those days, not everyone had a telephone in their house, never mind their pocket!

In these intervening 60 years she has gone from being universally loved to hated and back to wildly popular again.

When her father died in 1952, there were 2 billion people on the planet – and she became queen of most of them!

Queen Elizabeth I

In the days of the first Queen Elizabeth, being Queen meant having the power of life and death over all her subjects. Now, however, the UK having “shortened” a couple of Kings in the years since Elizabeth Tudor, the monarch is a figurehead with real power residing with an elected Parliament.

Still, the one power she retains is to veto any Parliament’s desire to extend its life – she stands between us and a dictatorship. Personally, I’d rather trust her with that role than a politician!

Symbolism

She’s a symbol. A symbol of an entire nation, of family and an echo of the days when one tiny set of islands off the coast of Europe ruled most of the world. In case you hadn’t noticed, we still have that attitude of Empire.

In Europe, we consider the other nations should really be doing what we say.

In the world, we firmly believe we are a nation to be reckoned with!

Although often confused by our chutzpa, other nations do treat the UK like it matters – even the ones that don’t like us. It’s all a question of self image and belief structures.

Personal Belief Structures

Which brings us nicely on to a point about personal belief structures.

If, as the world moved on and power shifted to “newer” nations, we had just given up and decided that we didn’t matter any more, do you think that the United Kingdom would be the power it is in the world today?

It most certainly wouldn’t.

Yes, we’ve had a few setbacks in the last 60 years – who hasn’t? But still this island nation, barely visible on a world map, is known and respected throughout the world through our creativity, marketing and through our old fashioned monarchy.

Well, not everyone can be a Queen. But there are times that accessing our inner Queen, convinced of our own worth, gifts and vision is something we need to do in order to rise above the everyday wear and tear of modern life.

So. Are you a figurehead – or a power in your own life? And what do you do to bring that power into manifestation in the world?

Congratulations on your Diamond Jubilee, Your Majesty – long may you reign over us!

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