Elizabeth Alexandra Mary” “OUR QUEEN” by Desmond Kelly “the star of eLanka”

(image source: Biography.com )

IT IS INDEED A RARE PRIVILEGE FOR ME TO START OFF A NEW YEAR (2017), WITH A TRIBUTE TO ONE OF THE MOST REMARKABLE WOMEN IN MODERN HISTORY, THE ELDEST DAUGHTER OF A KING, WHO BECAME ONE BY DEFAULT, WHEN HIS OLDER BROTHER GAVE UP THETHRONE FOR THE WOMAN  HE LOVED, FORCING YOUNGER BROTHER ALBERT TO TAKE OVER THE REINS & REIGN OVER BRITAIN AND THE COMMONWEALTH OF NATIONS, UNDER BRITISH RULE. EVERYONE WHO IS ANYONE, KNOWS THE STORY OF PRINCE EDWARD (THE FORMER  PRINCE OF WALES), WHO WAS PROCLAIMED EDWARD VIII KING OF ENGLAND IMMEDIATELY AFTER HIS FATHER, KING GEORGE V PASSED AWAY, IN 1952, BUT DECIDED TO ABDICATE WHEN FORBIDDEN TO MARRY MRS. WALLIS SIMPSON, AN AMERICAN DIVORCEE, STATING THAT HE, EDWARD, COULD NOT BE KING WITHOUT THE LOVE OF HIS LIFE SITTING BY HIS SIDE AS QUEEN, CONSORT. UNFORTUNATELY, IT WAS A RESPECTFUL BUT FIRM “NO”, TO THIS MAMMOTH WOULD-BE BREACH OF THE ENGLISH CONSTITUTION, AND SO, RELUCTANTLY, HIS YOUNGER BROTHER (BERTIE),THEN BECAME KING GEORGE VI. AND HIS WIFE, ELIZABETH, (NEE BOWES-LYON), THEN BECAME (THE QUEEN MOTHER ) ,PLUS THE REAL “TOWER OF STRENGTH” BEHIND THE THRONE. PRACTICALLY, UNTIL SHE PASSED-ON, THE QUEEN MOTHER BLAMED HER BROTHER-IN-LAW FOR THE EARLY DEATH OF HER HUSBAND, BUT THIS IS ALL HISTORY NOW, AND VERY INTERESTING HISTORY TOO.

     KING GEORGE VI WAS KNOWN TO BE RATHER FRAIL, FREQUENTLY ILL, STUTTERED,  AND, WHAT IS NOT KNOWN BY MANY PEOPLE, WAS THE FACT THAT IT WAS AN AUSTRALIAN MAN (LIONEL LOGUE), WHO WAS CALLED UPON TO “TEACH” THE NEW KING TO “MAKE A SPEECH”,ALBEIT, ELOQUENTLY.GEORGE VI  WAS A CARING & KIND KING, ABLY SUPPORTED BY THE QUEEN MOTHER  WHO, NOT ONLY LOOKED AFTER HER HUSBAND, AS A GOOD WIFE SHOULD DO, BUT ALSO GAVE HIM THEIR  FIRST CHILD, A FAIR PRINCESS,ALSO NAMED ELIZABETH, LATER TO BECOME “OUR QUEEN” ELIZABETH II, THE MAIN SUBJECT OF THIS TRIBUTE TO HER, A TRUE, FAIR PRINCESS, IN EVERY SENSE OF THE WORD.

HER MAJESTY IS NOW 90 PLUS, HAS REIGNED FOR A RECORD 62 YEARS WITHOUT “PUTTING A ROYAL FOOT WRONG”, SO TO SPEAK, AND, IN ADDITION, ENSURED THAT “ENGLISH KINGS & QUEENS” WILL FOLLOW HER, TO HOPEFULLY  CARRY ON THE STUPENDOUS WORK SHE  HAS PUT INTO EVERY ROYAL TRADITION FOR MOST OF HER OWN LIFE TO DATE.

     TO BEGIN WITH, ELIZABETH, OR “LILIBET” AS SHE WAS CALLED BY HER YOUNGER SISTER MARGARET, WHEN THEY WERE BOTH TODDLERS,  WAS THE EPITOME OF THE VERY BEAUTIFUL “FAIRY-TALE” PRINCESS ONE READS ABOUT IN “AESOP’S FABLES” AND OTHER SUCH BOOKS. THERE WAS NO MISTAKING IT. MARGARET WAS BEAUTIFUL TOO BUT SHE WAS NO MATCH FOR THE GIRL WHO WAS THE “QUIETER” OF THE TWO, BUT EXUDED A NATURAL BEAUTY & WARMTH WITH A SMILE THAT WOULD LIGHT UP ANY ROOM SHE ENTERED.

MOST “BEAUTY QUEENS” OF RECENT ERAS WOULD PALE INTO INSIGNIFICENCE, STANDING NEXT TO A YOUNG PRINCESS ELIZABETH OF WINDSOR.

TO GO WITH THE BEAUTY, THERE WAS  SPECIAL AND UNMISTAKEABLE GRACE OF “ROYALTY” TYPIFIED IN EVERYTHING SHE DID, WHETHER IT WAS PEERING UNDER THE BONNET OF A TRUCK DURING THE WAR YEARS, LOOKING AFTER HER HORSES & DOGS, (TO ADD TO EVERYTHING ELSE, SHE WAS AN ANIMAL LOVER AS WELL), OR SIMPLY BEING H.R.H. PRINCESS ELIZABETH, DAUGHTER OF THE KING & HEIR- APPARENT TO THE THRONE OF ENGLAND, BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT SHE WAS THE ELDER SIBLING OF THE MONARCH OF THE TIME.

     PRINCESS ELIZABETH GREW UP, SURROUNDED BY ROYALTY, SCHOOLED PRIVATELY AT HOME, BUT, AT THE SAME TIME WAS “PART” OF A NORMAL LOVING FAMILY OF FOUR, HER FATHER, MOTHER & ONE YOUNGER SISTER, MARGARET ROSE. THEY GREW UP TOGETHER, FACED THE GOOD & THE BAD TOGETHER AND WERE NATURALLY “LOOKED-UP” TO, BY ENGLISH PEOPLE OF ALL WALKS OF LIFE.

WORLD WAR 2 ERUPTED. BRITAIN & LONDON ESPECIALLY, WAS SEVERELY BOMBED BY THE GERMANS, WHO HAD TEMPORARILY FORGOTTEN ABOUT THE “ENGLISH BULLDOG” WINSTONE CHURCHILL WHO VOWED NEVER TO GIVE IN, AND THE KING, QUEEN & THEIR TWO DAUGHTERS WERE RIGHT IN THE THICK OF IT, HELPING THEIR PEOPLE IN ANY WAY THEY COULD. PRINCESS ELIZABETH  WAS, AT THE TIME, A MOTOR MECHANIC (IMAGINE THAT!)

     SHE WAS NOW A YOUNG WOMAN, AGAIN, A MOST BEAUTIFUL YOUNG WOMAN. A “PEACHES & CREAM” COMPLEXION, NEVER NEEDED TOO MUCH “MAKE-UP”, TRIM, TAUT & TERRIFIC, LOVED MUSIC, DANCING & PLAY-ACTING, I REALLY CANNOT COMMENT ON HER “SINGING ABILITIES” BUT VIVIDLY REMEMBER THE “GIRLISH” VOICE SHE HAD, EVEN AS A YOUNG ADULT.

PRINCESS ELIZABETH WAS QUITE CERTAINLY ONE OF THE MOST (NATURALLY) BEAUTIFUL WOMEN IN THE WORLD OF THAT ERA & TO TOP IT ALL OFF WAS HER “CROWNING GLORY”, AN ADEQUATE PHRASE FOR SOFT BROWN TRESSES, WHETHER GROOMED OR WAVING AROUND THE WIND, & WHO DOES SHE END UP WITH? , PRINCE PHILLIP, OF COURSE, HANDSOME, AS HE WAS, THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH WAS ONE LUCKY DUDE TO HAVE PRINCESS ELIZABETH FALL FOR HIM.

I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS ANOTHER “TID-BIT” THAT IS NOT TOO WELL KNOWN. PHILLIP TOOK ELIZABETH OUT ON A DATE, ONE FINE EVENING AND, FOR REASONS UNKNOWN, GOT A LITTLE LATE IN TAKING HER HOME. WHEN THEY GOT THERE PHILLIP’S UNCLE,  LORD LOUIE MOUNTBATTEN,  IN NO UNCERTAIN MANNER, SAID TO PHILLIP, “YOUNG MAN, COME INTO MY OFFICE, I WISH TO SPEAK WITH YOU “. PHILLIP OBEYED,(NO-ONE DISOBEYED LOUIE MOUNTBATTEN).HE SAID, “PHILLIP, ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT THE WOMAN YOU ARE TAKING OUT IS GOING TO BE THE NEXT QUEEN OF ENGLAND. REMEMBER THAT!!.

PRINCE PHILLIP SAID “YES SIR” & HE HAS NEVER FORGOTTEN IT. HE MARRIED HER &, AS EXPECTED, SHE MADE THE MOST GLORIOUS BRIDE EVER SEEN,  AFTER WHICH THEY STARTED TO “TOUR” MANY COUNTRIES UNDER THE BRITISH COMMONWEALTH AS PART OF THEIR HONEYMOON & ALSO AS PART OF THE OFFICIAL “VISITS” THEIR “KING” COULD NOT DO BECAUSE OF ILL-HEALTH.

     KING GEORGE VI DIED ON THE 6TH OF FEBRUARY 1952 AFTER SERVING THE WORLD AS KING FOR 14 YEARS. HIS DAUGHTER, PRINCESS ELIZABETH BECAME THE QUEEN WITH PRINCE PHILLIP AS HER “CONSORT”, IMMEDIATELY THE NEWS CAME OUT. SHE WAS IN KENYA AT THE TIME AND HAD TO FLY STRAIGHT BACK TO ENGLAND FOR THE FUNERAL OF HER BELOVED FATHER.

     ALTHOUGH HER CORONATION TOOK PLACE ONE YEAR AFTER HER FATHER PASSED-ON (FAR TOO EARLY IN LIFE), HE WAS ONLY 56 YEARS OF AGE & SHE WAS 25 WHEN SHE BECAME QUEEN OF THE UNITED KINGDOM, CANADA, AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND & MOST IMPORTANTLY, FOR US LANKANS EVERYWHERE, CEYLON (MY ISLAND OF DREAMS), SHE VOWED THAT SHE WOULD “SERVE” US, HER PEOPLE FOR THE REST OF HER LIFE, WHICH SHE HAS NOW DONE FOR NEARLY 63 YEARS. SHE HAS PERSONALLY VISITED ALL THESE COUNTRIES & HAS SERVED US WILLINGLY & WELL,AND WE SHOULD ALL BE EXTREMELY PROUD OF THE FACT.
AS FAR AS “POMP & PAGENTRY” IS CONCERNED, THERE IS NO OTHER LAND THAT CAN BOAST ABOUT IT AS ENGLAND CAN. SURE, THERE HAVE BEEN BOTH GOOD & BAD KINGS & QUEENS AROUND THE WORLD. HENRY VIII WAS NOTHING TO WRITE HOME ABOUT & IVAN OF RUSSIA WAS NOT CALLED “THE TERRIBLE” FOR NOTHING BUT “OUR QUEEN” ELIZABETH II” IS A SHINING EXAMPLE OF WHO A GOOD “RULER” SHOULD BE.  NO-ONE ON THIS PLANET CAN POINT A FINGER OF CRITICISM AT THIS QUEEN FOR 62 PLUS YEARS AND THIS SUMS IT ALL UP. WE ARE LUCKY TO “SERVE HER”.

     TO CLOSE THIS TRIBUTE, I WOULD ADD THAT IT WOULD BE AN ABSOLUTE “INSULT” FOR AUSTRALIA TO EVEN THINK ABOUT BECOMING A REPUBLIC BEFORE QUEEN ELIZABETH II PASSES AWAY. I CERTAINLY PRAY THAT ALTHOUGH RECENTLY, SHE HAS BEEN “NOT TOO WELL”, HER DOCTORS WILL SEE TO IT THAT THE MONARCH IS “WELL LOOKED AFTER” & “WILL GET WELL” SHORTLY. UNTIL THEN, I WOULD SAY, AS USUAL, ON BEHALF OF ALL LANKAN-AUSSIES READING THIS, WHETHER WE BE REPUBLICANS OR MONARCHISTS  “GOD SAVE THE QUEEN”.

                                                         DESMOND KELLY
                                                      “STAR OF eLANKA”.