It has become fashionable of late to point to the apparent dearth of women in public life. Too few women preside over our blue chip companies. Too few women occupy the benches of Parliament. Too few women of a certain age on our televisions. The list goes on. It certainly creates debate for our media to fill its pages but I somehow doubt if it is quite as bad as they would have us believe. Perhaps it is instructive to reflect on the past before we start bemoaning the present.
For a shade over 70% of the last 176 years, our monarchs have been women. Just the two of them though. In 1837, at the tender age of just 18, Queen Victoria reigned over the golden years of the British Empire until the birth of the next century. Fuelled by the advances of the industrial revolution, Britain became the dominant player in world affairs. Her early years benefited from the wisdom and guidance of her Prime Minister, Lord Melbourne, who was a much older man. Her children would prove a great burden to her with her eldest son Prince Edward rarely out of the press reports for all the wrong reasons.
On this day in 1953, our present Queen began her reign which today assumes diamond status. Crowned at the age of 27, she had the 79 year old Winston Churchill as her first Prime Minister. The man who had seen the country through the Second World War was on hand to witness the beginning of the Elizabethan era in which we have now lived for sixty years. Churchill had first been elected as a Member of Parliament for Oldham in 1900. As such, he managed to straddle the reigns of the two women who have so utterly dominated British life for the past 176 years.
While the reign of Victoria encompassed the growth of the British Empire, it has been Elizabeth's job to witness its steady decline. Still passionate about the Commonwealth, she has witnessed unbelievable social change. While the remnant industries which drove the industrial revolution have slowly fallen away, new ones have replaced them. If Victoria's reign is synonymous with industry, Elizabeth's has been notable for technology. A couple of months before the coronation of Queen Elizabeth, Watson and Crick successfully elucidated the structure of DNA and medicine was changed forever. Sir Tim Berners-Lee created the first website in August 1991 and by this creation, I can now write to you - whoever you are! The technological advances during the reign of Elizabeth are truly mind blowing and I only wonder where they will all ultimately lead?
Elizabeth has also had to contend with the shortcomings of her children and has done so with enormous grace. Such is her influence, it is difficult to imagine our country without her reassuring presence. In an age of uncertainty and huge change, she remains a solid, indomitable force resistant to the countless pressures around her. She has served us well and stuck to her task like glue. An ambassador second to none, we will only truly appreciate her worth when she is gone. For now though, let's celebrate this wonderful lady. With age comes wisdom and with prudence comes health. She is mercifully blessed with both and long may it continue.
The decision earlier this year by Queen Beatrice of the Netherlands and Pope Benedict to relinquish their roles has prompted some to call for our Queen to do likewise. By making such calls, they demonstrate a profound lack of understanding. To our Queen, her reign is one of solemn duty and the oath she made on that day in 1953 holds as true today as it did then. People seem to forget that the only abdication in our recent history was that of Edward 8th. It would be naive and misguided to expect a repeat. As such, Prince Charles will, like Edward 7th before him, begin his reign as an old man.
We may not have as many women in public life as the proponents of equality would wish, but where it really matters we have been blessed with two giants who have bestrode us as Gulliver among the Lilliputians. Men may continue to occupy the key positions in public life, but only under the watchful eye of Queen Elizabeth II!
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