[Editor's Note]
Local time on the afternoon of September 8, 2022, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom died in Balmoral, Scotland at the age of 96.
On February 6 this year, Elizabeth II ushered in the "Platinum Jubilee", which is the 70th anniversary of the ascension of the throne. On April 21, she celebrated her 96th birthday. She is the longest-lived and longest-reigning monarch in Britain so far, and has witnessed the coming of power of 15 British Prime Ministers. For the British, she is a symbol of the country.
However, since this year, the queen was first diagnosed with COVID-19, and then missed many important events due to "leg and foot inconvenience". The death of Elizabeth II, who is loved by the people, marks the past of an era. The British royal family is about to usher in the controversial "King Charles", and the discussions surrounding the constitutional monarchy of in the UK may be put on the table again.
February 6, 2022 is the platinum jubilation anniversary of the 70th anniversary of the ascension of the Commonwealth Kingdom Queen Elizabeth II. 70 years ago on February 6, Elizabeth II, who was only 26 years old at the time, inherited the British throne after his father George VI5 and was officially crowned on June 2, 1953.
Wearing a heavy crown and shouldering the heavy responsibility of the royal family. Elizabeth II, who has led the United Kingdom and even the Commonwealth for more than half a century, is the most well-known representative of the few old nobles in the world and a symbol of Britain. Although she was respected as a monarch by more than ten countries, Elizabeth II had no real power. Under the constitutional monarchy , she was fixed as an "actor": she could not expose her emotions and remain neutral forever - this also became the keyword of Elizabeth II's life.
On December 23, 2021, local time, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom delivered a Christmas speech. All pictures in this article are from Pengpai Image
In the world's doubts about constitutional monarchy and the transformation to republic, the British people still maintain awe of the monarchy because of Elizabeth II's dedication, but what will happen to the constitutional monarchy that has lasted for more than three centuries in the UK after Elizabeth II? Can her successors continue to win the love of the British people?
The throne falling from the sky
1926 On a rainy night on April 21, 1926, Elizabeth II was born at the home of grandparents in London. She was the first child of Prince Albert. According to the succession of the throne, the first heir is Prince Albert's elder brother Edward. As for Prince Albert, he is only the second heir to the throne, and the possibility of inheriting the throne is not high.
It is precisely because of this that the young Elizabeth and her sister Rose were able to live a pastoral and concise life in the countryside of England. They went to school at home, and the royal family invited tutors to teach French, music and dance. Their parents never asked them to be very good at academically, but they only required that they should write neatly and beautifully. In addition, Elizabeth has made a reading plan for every day throughout her teenage years. The works of Stevenson , Austin , Bronte three sisters, and Dickens are all under her favorite book list.
However, Elizabeth's uncle - Edward VIII The choice to abdicate for love completely changed Elizabeth's fate. On December 10, 1936, Edward VIII, then the King of England, wanted to marry an American woman named Wallis Simpson twice, and Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin told him: "The British church opposed remarriage after divorce, and people would not tolerate becoming queen." In the end, Edward VIII abdicated, which made his 41-year-old brother, Prince Albert, who was Elizabeth's father, unexpectedly crowned king in 1937.
The sudden change of the throne caused great trouble to the royal family: the soon-to-be successor King George VI was never trained as the crown prince. "I never thought of becoming a king, I never reviewed government documents, I am just a naval officer." The new king suffered from severe stuttering, slightly weak in body, shy since childhood, and was not suitable for speech occasions.Under the pressure of the crown, George VI still took on the heavy responsibility. Two years later, when the King's Christmas speech broke out in World War II, inspiring the morale of the British people. This incident was later adapted into the movie "Handling of Kings' Speech ".
When George VI ascended the throne, his eldest daughter Elizabeth naturally became the "quasi-heir" and should be cultivated and educated as the crown prince. Therefore, the royal family gradually paid attention to Elizabeth's schoolwork. "The Biography of Queen Elizabeth" has a detailed discussion of Elizabeth's education: In order to teach Elizabeth's "The Laws and Customary Laws of the Constitution", Sir Henry Martin, deputy provost of Elizabeth, formulated a comprehensive and in-depth course for her, and also offered reading lists such as "British Social History", "Imperial Federation", and "British Constitution", to help Elizabeth accumulate knowledge and understand British politics. Elizabeth spent six years studying the Constitutional Formation Law and Customary Law, and made every effort to outline and annotate the book, and with the help of Martin, he understood the constitutional system and the parliamentary system. These accumulations did not disappoint her, and helped her through 14 Prime Ministers from Churchill to Boris Johnson, which surprised the prime ministers of their sharp problems and their clear understanding of difficult laws. Under the education of my mother, Elizabeth's etiquette lessons never fell. "The Biography of Queen Elizabeth" records that the queen told her that a noble lady could never lean on the back of a chair. According to the wife of the Queen's second prime minister, Elizabeth's back slightly away from the back of the chair when she sat in the chair. This sitting position could last for several hours. The queen also tried to Fushun Elizabeth's somewhat anxious and irritable personality: avoid ridicule, not show off, whisper, and "never yell or scare", otherwise "will lose trust", "always remember, control emotions, and win love." Under the education of the royal family, Elizabeth did not disappoint the identity halo of "quasi-heir" and grew up to be the crown prince who is independent and has an appropriate and elegant manner. British actress Helen Mirren was preparing to play the protagonist of "The Queen", and repeatedly watched a video of the Queen when she was eleven or twelve years old. "She walked out of a large black sedan, and a group of tall men came out to greet her. She stretched out her hand, with a solemn and calm expression. She knew what to do and performed very appropriately."
According to the records of British historian and biographer Robert Reese, George VI once said: "In her (Elizabeth II), I seemed to see Queen Victoria (Grandmother of Elizabeth II, known as "European grandmother" because of her descendants spread throughout the European royal family, is the second-largest British monarch). I see a great monarch being born. We don't necessarily need a boy to be a king, she will do better."
Dedication and Service
1939, Germany blitzed Polish , World War II broke out in full swing, and gunpowder filled Europe. Shortly after the German army began bombing the British mainland in 1940, Elizabeth and her sister were sent to small towns and villages around London, like 3 million London civilians (mainly children). King George VI's family did not choose to take refuge in other countries, but stayed in London in danger of being bombed, which won them the love of the people of London. The Queen once said: "The children cannot be without me, I cannot be without a king, and the king will not leave under any circumstances."
On October 13, 1940, in order to appease the restless people's hearts under large-scale population mobility, the British National Radio and Television Station (BBC) broadcasted Elizabeth's speech to children who were separated from her family. She was only 14 years old at the time, which was also her first public speech, "Ten millions of people in this country People have to leave their homes and separate from their parents. My sister, Margaret Ross and I feel so sad for you, we understand what it means to leave the person you like the most. We show you true sympathy for you who live in a new environment, and we also thank those kind-hearted people who accept you." In
World War II , Elizabeth, like many other young British people, longed to make a difference for the country. In 1945, 19-year-old Elizabeth convinced her father to allow her to directly participate in assisting the war.She later joined the rear defense support force, the "Domestic Women's Territorial Service", which provided key support during the war, with members serving as anti-aircraft guns, radio operators, mechanics and drivers. Elizabeth's number in this unit is No. 230873. After six weeks of driving and car repair training, she became the first formally trained car repairman in the British royal family and received the rank of honorary lieutenant.
This is the first time Elizabeth has been trained with other peers. It is said that she liked this experience very much. It was because of this experience that Elizabeth later sent her children to school, rather than letting them study at home like she did when she was young.
After the end of the European War in World War II, on Victory Day celebrations on May 8, 1945, Elizabeth and her sister Margaret were anonymously among the celebration crowds on the streets of London. Elizabeth later said in a rare interview: "We asked my parents if we could go out and see it ourselves. I remember we were afraid of being recognized... I remember rows of people I didn't know walked in the Whitehall neighborhood (local location of the British government center), and we were all washed away by the wave of happiness and relief."
After the war, Elizabeth, who had been in the UK for a long time, began traveling around and devoted himself to his diplomatic work as a member of the royal family.
When visiting South Africa in 1947, Elizabeth witnessed the division of this country deeply involved in ethnic conflict and learned about the contradictions and differences among different ethnic groups in South Africa. The trip was Elizabeth's 21st birthday. In order to celebrate, the South African government announced that this day was a national legal holiday and gave her a necklace made of 21 diamonds (South Africa is an important diamond origin). Elizabeth gave back a touching speech to greet young people who had experienced the difficult and brilliant World War II just like him. "As long as we walk hand in hand with firm belief, high courage and calm mind, we can carry forward the long-standing Commonwealth...... to become an eternal and powerful force in the world."
What makes this speech more classic is the ending, and she said: "I want to make this vow now. What I want to say is simple. I swear to all of you that I will use my life - whether it is long or short, to serve you and our great imperial family."
On February 6, 1952, due to long-term state work during World War II and a lot of smoking, George VI passed away due to lung cancer at the age of 56. At that time, Elizabeth was on his way to Kenya , and the one who sent her on the plane was her father who had never seen her last time.
After receiving the news of his father's death, Elizabeth hurriedly returned to China to succeed the throne. "Everything was too sudden." Elizabeth recalled 40 years later: "At this point, I have to accept reality. This is my destiny, and royal inheritance is the most important thing." Elizabeth's personal secretary Martin Chatrius admitted: "Churchill was very impressed by the queen at this time - she was meticulous, knowledgeable, serious and responsible. As soon as she ascended the throne, she met prime ministers and ambassadors... She did nothing wrong."
At this point, Elizabeth's life dedicated to the royal family and even the United Kingdom officially kicked off.
Data picture: Prince Philip of the United Kingdom and Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom.
In the early days of succession, domestic public opinion in the UK optimistically predicted that a "new Elizabethan era" would come, but in fact, what awaited Elizabeth II was the dilemma of the decline of the country's national strength after World War II, the shortage of materials, the gradual disintegration of the British Empire, and the severe cold war situation of the expansion of the Soviet camp around the world.
To deal with these difficulties, Elizabeth tried to maintain the relationship between Britain and its former colonies through the Commonwealth, especially in maintaining good relations between Britain and South Africa, Britain and India. The Commonwealth was born in the anti-colonial wave after World War II. At this time, the British Empire gradually disintegrated, and decolonization was achieved by strengthening territorial autonomy, and many former colonial countries were included in the Commonwealth.The Commonwealth is composed of dozens of countries related to the United Kingdom, including the United Kingdom, India, Canada, Australia, etc. The member states have strong mutual circulation in tourism, study abroad and trade, but they are just a loose alliance in military and diplomacy. All countries have equal status and are an international organization with the goal of supporting cooperation and common values, connecting all countries through trade and international cooperation.
Although Elizabeth II was the head of the Commonwealth without any real power, she exerted a significant influence on the Commonwealth through this position. As New Zealand former Prime Minister David Langyi said: "We are fighting, and she is united."
Elizabeth II did not break her promise in 1947. During her 70 years in power, she made great contributions to international solidarity.
Local time, London, England, a screen shows a picture of Queen Elizabeth II and her evening speech at the COP26 conference. The COP26 Climate Conference is held in the Scottish city of Glasgow until November 12.
Grandmother's wisdom
Elizabeth II's interpretation of the duties of the head of state under the constitutional monarchy is perfect: representing the image of the country, not interfering with the Prime Minister's policies, and uniting the people of the country.
British media once reported and hyped former Prime Minister Mrs. Thatcher and Elizabeth II had different opinions on the South African issue, Commonwealth policy, and the overly tough policies in the UK. There were even reports of disagreement and tit-for-tat news. For example, in the fourth season of "The Crown", Thatcher and her husband Dennis visited the Queen's estate in Scotland and expressed their discomfort to the upper-class lifestyle of the royal aristocrats: they did not understand hunting and could not sleep in two bedrooms separately. Mrs. Thatcher, played by Gillian Anderson, said in the episode: "They (noble) are not elegant, gentlemanly or anything special."
However, Mrs. Thatcher said: "The story of conflict between two powerful women is easy to make up."
Elizabeth II herself never expressed her views on political affairs. A senior adviser said: "She never expressed her opinions on sensitive issues." The Queen's friend Mrs. Angela said: "The Queen knew since she was a child that she was not involved in partisan politics. She would never express her like or dislike for a political leader."
Elizabeth II's non-interference and non-expression were also reflected in the family: she never interfered in the internal affairs of her children's marriage - but this does not seem to be a good thing. In the 1990s, Crown Prince Charles kept saying that he had a disagreement after marriage with Princess Diana , "He doesn't talk to me." Diana complained about the taciturn and coldness of Charles , and the queen was not good at discussing love life. She firmly believed that everything would pass.
However, the storm has not passed. In 1994, Charles admitted on a TV show that he had an extramarital affair with his first love Camilla; Diana appeared on the TV live broadcast, facing 23 million people to reveal the inside story of the marriage: "There are three people in this marriage, which is a little crowded." She widened her eyes and gently mocked herself, and the two finally divorced in August 1996. Charles' media spokesman Dick said in the documentary "Elizabeth II": "I knew at the time that this marriage was shaky, just to maintain the monarchy. If anyone intends to make suggestions on Charles' marriage, he will only get indifferent and squinted eyes from the queen, so that you can manage your own affairs."
Data photo: Princess Diana.
British royal tradition requires members to remain aloof and majestic, and keep a distance from the people. However, this sense of distance was shattered by the arrival of the Internet era and the attack of the trend of equality. Princess Diana Easy-going and friendly, always hugging the people enthusiastically during the inspection, with a charming appearance and being widely loved by the people; while Elizabeth II does not shake hands with others, never takes off his gloves, and always keeps a distance from others - this also forms a sharp contrast with the cuteness of Princess Diana that the media has vigorously exaggerated. Gradually, when the people saw Princess Diana's kindness and sincerity, they gradually regarded Princess Diana's appearance as what the entire British royal family should do, which reached its peak in Princess Diana's death.
In 1997, Diana unfortunately died in a car accident in France due to evading reporters' follow-up photos. At this time, she had divorced Prince Charles and was not a member of the royal family. The queen kept silent about the death of her "ex-daughter-in-law" based on the royal tradition. In contrast, the British people spontaneously held a commemoration event for Princess Diana. Many people came to Buckingham Palace to send their beloved princess for the last journey. This situation lasted for many days and nights. People asked, "Where have the royal family members gone?" On the fourth day after Princess Diana's death, British media published an article complaining that the royal family was silent, accusing the royal family of silent, cruel and inhumane, and the people were extremely dissatisfied with the royal family.
Local time on July 1, 2021, in London, England, British people laid flowers outside Kensington Palace to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Princess Diana's birth.
Faced with the ever-changing modern society: the growing media and the awakening of public opinion, Elizabeth II gradually realized that tradition should be changed to adapt to modern thought.
In the end, the queen left Scotland and returned to London, lowered the flag of Buckingham Palace, appeared in front of the mourning crowd, and made a TV speech with the mourning crowd gathered in front of the gate of Buckingham Palace as the background. "It is not easy to express pain, because the initial shock condensed a variety of emotions: doubt, incomprehension, and anger." "Now I tell everyone as the queen and grandmother, I pay tribute to Diana from the bottom of my heart. I think her life, after her death, makes everyone sigh and miss it, and is worth learning from our learning. May the deceased rest in peace."
In the subsequent folk visits, the queen gradually changed the way of communication with the people. Mary Francis, the queen's secretary assistant, said: "The queen has learned a lot from Diana, especially in the new era of communication with the people. ”
Associate Professor of History, Fudan University, , told The Paper (www.thepaper.cn) that after the end of World War II, anti-monarchy power was the mainstream of world politics. “In Europe, there are not many countries with royal families, and the royal family is developing in a direction of being close to the people. It is to step down from the altar and become ordinary people to be better accepted, rather than emphasizing the privileges of this group.”
Post-Queen Constitutional Monarchy
In 2018, the Commonwealth held the most important Commonwealth Heads of Government Summit (CHOGM) since its establishment at Buckingham Palace in the United Kingdom. The heads of 54 member states have never been so together. Since Elizabeth II announced that she was old and would no longer fly long distances, the meeting that year was also the last Commonwealth Head of Government summit she attended. At this meeting, the Queen also expressed her hope that the next Commonwealth Head of State would be the Crown Prince Charles, which was unanimously agreed by the heads of 54 member states.
Although Elizabeth II has won the support of many Commonwealth countries with her wisdom, as she grows older, where will the United Kingdom and even the Commonwealth behind her go? Which heir can bear the burden of the queen? These have been talked about by observers and people around the world over the past decade.
Local time on June 22, 2021, London, England, 2020 European Cup D group stage round 3, Czech VS England, English fans cheered with the national flag with Queen Elizabeth II of England.
If it is harmless to talk about the "ruling method" of constitutional monarchy, then the issue that Queen Daqing is brought out to discuss is even more acute and realistic: Does modern society still need a constitutional monarchy?
If Elizabeth II could generally win the support of the people for constitutional monarchy, her crown princes: Prince Charles, Prince William, Prince Harry (and her wife Meghan announced their withdrawal from the British royal family in 2020) do not seem to be competitive enough. Prince Charles was labeled as a "scumbag" and "weak" by the media, and the two princes were often involved in the love scandals of popular tabloids.
Data picture: Prince Harry and Princess Meghan in the UK.
In recent years, the attitude of the state implementing a constitutional monarchy towards the political system has not been stable.Public opinion in Canada and Australia has some discussions on whether to abolish the constitutional monarchy and turn it into a republic. Australia even held a referendum in 1999, with the ratio of supporters to opponents of the constitutional monarchy at 55:45, which can be said to be comparable.
As for Britain itself, the country's public opinion now believes that if it is necessary to choose, the people would rather Prince William ascend to the throne than his father Prince Charles. The debate committee of Oxford University in the UK once discussed the necessity of constitutional monarchy. Opponents believed that constitutional monarchy was neither democratic nor representative, and was a product of the old era and a breeding ground for elitism .
Zhu Lianbi pointed out that there have always been anti-monarch voices in the UK, and many people dislike Charles and the royal family. Therefore, Britain and other countries that regard British monarchs as their monarchs will gradually tend to republics that conform to the trend of the times. " Barbados is a case in which they transform into a republic in 2021. Australia's republic movement has also had a very mass base."
Zhu Lianbi admitted that in fact, in addition to "deathly fans of the royal family", a large number of people are indifferent to the royal family, and the higher the education level, the more people, the more they are, the more they are, the more they are, the more they are, the more they are, the more they are, the more they are, the more they are, the more they are, the more they are, the more they are, the more they are, the more they are, the more they are, the more they are, the more they are, the more they are, the more they are, the more they are, the more they are, the more they are, the more they are, the more they are, the more they are, the more they are, the more they are, the more they are, the more they are, the more they are, the more they are, the more they are, the more they are, the more they are, the more they are, the more they are, the more they are, the more they are, the more they are, the more they are, the more they are, the more they are, the more they are, the more they are, the more they are, the more they are, the more they are, the more they are, the more they are, the more they are, the more they are, the more they are, the more they are, the more they are, the more they are, the more they are, the more they are, the more they are, the more they are, the more they are, the more they are, the more they are, the more they are, the more they are, the more they are, the more they are, the more they are, the more they are, the more they are, The less interest you have, "The royal family is currently an integral part of the constitutional system of the British , but it is not an inseparable part, because the symbolic function is easily replaced by others. What the royal family needs to do now is not to break out too many scandals that arouse people's disgust, and at the same time release some positive news to maintain the people's recognition of the royal family."
However, the crown princes seem to have not realized that people's trust in the royal family is the result of the people's desire, and it is not that the blood of Elizabeth II can inevitably and easily inherit the throne and the love of the people. "You must carefully choose the heir to the throne. If you choose the wrong choice, it will directly lead to the destruction of the entire royal family." Katie, editor of the British " Sunday Mail ", said, "Unless the people truly support you, there is no need to retain the monarchy, especially when taxpayers spend $80 million a year to maintain the royal life."
Local time on March 29, 2017, in Berkshire, England, Elizabeth II rode a horse in Windsor Castle.
"Prince Charles may eventually ascend the throne, but without the support of the people, his resignation will declare the end of the monarchy." said human rights activist Pete Tacher.
Zhu Lianbi believes that after the death of Elizabeth II's husband Prince Philip in 2021, the reports related to his death occupied a large number of news pages, which has aroused dissatisfaction among some people. They believe that the British government's dereliction of duty caused a large number of elderly people to die during the COVID-19 epidemic and that their own eyes were filled with news of the death of the pampered nobles. "For many people who are not interested in the royal family, these news is meaningless and may even lead to the "
Local time on December 25, 2021, in Windsor Castle, England, members of the British royal family are having a different Christmas: on this side of Windsor, Crown Prince Charles is leading the core royal family members to attend the church mass, and will have a dinner with his mother, Queen Elizabeth II; on the other side, the Duke of Cambridge, couple are taking their three children to celebrate the festival with their parents of Kate .
"Precisely because Britain is a constitutional monarchy, if there is a monarch, as long as this monarch can continue to do it, there will be no essential change. As for the royal family, it can be seen from Prince Harry's withdrawal from the royal family that differences exist, especially this difference directly points to the defects and problems of the royal family's establishment. Therefore, the cohesion within the royal family will indeed weaken after the death of Elizabeth II, and the cohesion within the royal family, as a symbol of the British national (can be compared with the national flag) is also weakening."
Local time on October 7, 2021, London, England, the launch ceremony of the 2022 Commonwealth Games torch relay was held outside Buckingham Palace.
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