A Right Royal Weekend
Why the Queen matters to so many of us
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If you live in the UK, you will know that we have just come to the end of a four-day weekend celebrating the Queen's Platinum Jubilee. We had an extra Bank Holiday so we could all join in.
It will undoubtedly be a very long time before we celebrate on this scale again. Prince Charles, now in his seventies, is probably too old to make it even to a Silver Jubilee when he finally becomes king, and his son William who will succeed him, is already in his fortieth year. It will most likely be way after our lifetimes that the United Kingdom has a young monarch again, let alone a female one.
I'm fascinated by different people's approaches to celebrating this event. Not everyone is caught up in Royal fever, but many people consider the Queen someone to celebrate. Most of us have never known any other monarch in our lifetimes.
Some people set up camp in the Mall to get a front-row view. That is dedication and something for their children to remember for the rest of their lives! Dressed in patriotic red, white and blue, they are full of joy and camaraderie when reporters interview them.
But some people see the long weekend as a chance to get away. Hence, the airports were overwhelmed as many tried to escape the country.
Most of us, I suspect, fall into the third camp, the majority — people who generally love the Queen and what she stands for without going overboard in their adoration. But I wouldn't say I like the thought of the United Kingdom without the Queen. You might remember the outpouring of national grief after the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, in 1997. So we have a clue of how our nation regards the Royals, let alone a queen who has been on the throne for seventy years.
As the long weekend was approaching, I felt sad that I hadn't made any particular plans for it. Thankfully a friend from my small group at church, who happens to have a lovely English back garden, invited us all around for tea on Thursday afternoon. And she pushed the boat out! We had a choice of sandwiches: Coronation Chicken, egg and mayo and cheese and cucumber. We enjoyed homemade scones, cheese straws (randomly shaped like feet!), fresh fruit, a Victoria sandwich cake oozing with jam and cream…
