Even Republicans cheer the Queen’s qualities

Her stoic dedication to duty stands in admirable contrast to other voluble and emoting royals

Photo by Ryan Johns on Unsplash

You have to feel sorry for the Queen. As on so many other occasions over the decades, the Platinum Jubilee sees her combine her public role as head of state with her private role as mother and grandmother. Not for the first time, decisions about what to do with errant family members in the face of global media scrutiny have been the subject of protracted negotiations.

The scale of the jubilee celebrations, and the limited role offered to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, may come as a surprise to those who forecast doom for the monarchy in January 2020. Back then, Harry and Meghan’s decision to step back from royal duties left commentators lamenting the loss of the royal family’s “most attractive” and “appealing” members.

The couple were praised for “modernising” the monarchy, with their marriage symbolising a new multicultural Britain. Can the royals maintain their relevance without the Sussexes, was the question posed. Yet so far, to misquote Meghan, it seems to be not just surviving, but thriving.