The Queen is important to England, in more ways than most people realize - not the least of which is her role as an ambassador, just as in trips like
this. The Queen was raised to be a ruler, to care for her country and it's people in a way that an elected ruler never can be - the only escape from
her burden is either abdication or death - her legacy is her entire lifetime. The interests of the Monarchy and the interests of the country are close
to synonymous - if the country prospers, the monarch prospers. Yes, the Queen is human, and has her flaws (well, unless you believe she's a reptile,
anyway), but as someone who has literally dedicated her lifetime to her country, she deserves respect from other world leaders, in my opinion. If you
consider that the UK is really the US's closest ally, bar none, it's really quite telling to see how the supposed most powerful leader in the world
pales at the side of this very dignified Lady.
I met her when I was still in college - a former noble who owned a house in Windsor great park (where Windsor castle also is, the official family home
of the Royals), after seeing the brainwashing in Nazi germany of the youth, especially, had bequeathed this house to the University of London. It's
run in trust, businesses and such hire it as a conference center, however, any department or school in the entire University of London (which
comprises around 100, 000 students) can rent the facilities for very very low costs for a weekend at a time - their corporate ventures subsidize the
mission they have.. My Physics and Math depts every year had a weekend there, where we had guest lecturers on a different theme, and social
interaction with our professors and other students - interestingly, the theme my first year there was "life in the universe".. (as in aliens, yes)..
(you can read about Cumberland lodge, and it's mission here
www.cumberlandlodge.ac.uk... - wonderfully beautiful place)
As part of the weekend, you're able to visit the Chapel in the grounds of the park for the sunday morning service - as long as you pass a background
check anyway.. This is the Royal Family's chapel when they're at home, along with a small group of locals..
After the service (the royal family's section is hidden to the eyes of the non-regular church members), we came out, to find the Queen, Queen mother,
Prince Philip and Prince Edward.. Both the Queen and the Queen Mother came over to talk to and meet us, a group of maybe 20 students and a couple of
professors.
There was no press. There was no agenda, nobody really important.. There was no obligation for them to do so, this being both their essentially
private chapel and private time, but they did anyway, came over, talked to us about who we were, where we were from, what we were studying, etc. The
one thing I came away from that meeting with, was the sense that they simply cared about the people of their country, wanted to meet us and to see who
we were - as well as obviously giving us a probably once in a lifetime opportunity to meet and talk to them. Nobility is not just what they have from
birth, it is also how they act, with dignity and nobility.
I'm sorry if you can't appreciate that as an American - can't appreciate the respect that the British people have for their royal family, or the
sense of continuity that this brings to a nation. It's as disingenuous to compare the Queen to some of the rulers of the past and their actions, as
it is to compare say, Bush, or Clinton, with Lincoln, or JFK..
