A Brief Comment by Doug Draper
I can’t believe I am posting this in a sense because I am by no means a monarchist. The whole idea of a monarchy with its royal blood lines repels almost every rebellious impulse and craving for democracy in my body.
The Queen as I remember her during my earliest grade school days.
Yet I can’t help but have a soft spot in my heart for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and offer a nod if not a bow to her on the 60th anniversary this February 6 of her accession to the British throne.
I’m not all that sure where the soft spot came from but it may have a little bit to do with the fact that in my life she has always been around. I was barely more than nine months old in February of 1952 when her father, George V1 (portrayed so well in the recent film ‘The King’s Speech’ died too young and the 25-year-old princess was called home from a trip to Africa to wear the crown.
Queen Liz was there each and every day during my earliest grade school years in the 1950s, looking down at my classmates and I with that regal smile from that portrait at the front of the classroom. I think most of us knew who she was before we knew who the prime minister of Canada’s prime minister was and when one year her royal yacht glided through the Welland Canal for a journey up the Great Lakes we all waving from along the shores.
The Queen as we know her today
She has outlasted 10 Canadian prime ministers and 11 U.S. presidents. She was here to celebrate Canada’s 100 years of Confederation in 1967 and she was back in 1982 for the signing of Canada’s Constitution. She has been there through the best of times and the worst of times in this world, always solid as a rock and carrying herself with a dignity and class we rarely see in many of our elected leaders any more.
So for that and for all of the more than half a century of collective history she carries with her, I think she deserves a heartfelt nod from all of us. So here’s to you Good Queen.
(Niagara At Large invites you to share your thoughts on this post in the comment boxes below. Remember that we only post comments with real first and second names attached to them, and we thank you for visiting this online news and commentary site for our greater Niagara region.)
Niagara At Large 
I caught a brief glimse of her Majesty when as Princess Elizabeth she opened the Liverpool Cathedral, and visited Liverpool on a cold wet day, the big black car was moving, the crowds were horrific the people still reeling from the food rationing and the austerity that was gripping the country.I think I was either ten or eleven years old, the visit gave an aura of exitement to our miserable lives, and a boost to our morale, that this young woman could take over and perform all her public relation duties for 60 years is indeed remarkable, that sixty years, saw a quantum change between the classes, as last year her Grand son married a commoner, the UK that was a white society is now a multi-ethnic nation with different traditions and culture.this was a time when fuel was dirty coal and smog was killing tens of thousands of Britains the pictures was big, (movies) and a form of escapism.The rest of Europe was also in bad shape.this was the Liverpool the Beatles grew up in.and formed their view of the world.
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A nice commentary Mr. Jardine. I am not exactly a monarchist either but must admit the royals do keep things interesting. I think they should receive less public money but do perform many services for the public and provide for some Brits and others around the world, a sense of tradition and constancy. Let’s face it, nobody does pomp and circumstance like the Brits.
I do not think I would want her job for all the world.
I did admire her father much more after seeing the “King’s Speech” and not just because George was played by Colin Firth. YUM! He was a strong, principled man and passed on to his daughter a true sense of duty. Recently on BBC I saw a programme about the Duke of Windsor and the conclusion was that Wallis Simpson saved Britain by making sure that theUK had the right king to lead them in war. Likely very true.
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