Queen Elizabeth II became the epitome of soft power and social glue, writes 1News' Joy Reid.
At 96, it really should not have come as a surprise that Her Majesty’s reign would end and another would begin.
But somehow it was still a shock. As the only monarch most of her subjects have ever known, the Queen had been a constant and reassuring symbol of continuity, dignity and calm in a rapidly changing world. That constant is no more. A great totara has fallen.
Her loss is being felt deeply. It’s a deep mourning for a woman of great stature and mana but also a mourning for the stability, strength and unity her presence provided.
READ MORE: Queen Elizabeth II dies aged 96
She wasn’t born to be Queen, having taken on the role by accident of history following her uncle's abdication of the throne. Yet whether she wanted it or not, it was her destiny. She became the epitome of soft power and social glue, serving as a bond with the world, and in doing so earning the world’s respect and admiration.
So much so - she became the most famous woman in the world - her face reprinted more than that of any person since Jesus Christ.
Despite all that, she still felt “human” - almost like a grandparent you could have a cup of tea with. I often get asked, "Who’s the person you’d most like to interview?” The answer has always been “the Queen”. She never gave an interview and now she never will but she somehow managed to steal our hearts to become a mother, grandmother and great grandmother not just to her Windsor whānau but to the nations.
READ MORE: As it happened: Queen Elizabeth II dies, Prince Charles becomes King
I know she wasn’t without controversy but for a woman who didn’t say much, it’s remarkable how much she achieved - how she turned the Commonwealth from a handful of countries into a “family” of 54 nations representing 2 billion people and practicing diplomacy through her wardrobe, speeches and presence.
Duty and service aren’t words used in many circles these days but they sum up the Queen’s remarkable lifetime. She was a true servant (she called herself that in her Platinum Jubilee statement). Her life was truly not her own, continuing her public duties right until the very end.
She knew her time was nearing and had been subtly preparing us all for it. Her son Charles has been stepping into his mother’s shoes at key occasions, readying both him and the public for the time she is no longer with us. She knew we’d need a transition and she gave it to us. She even allowed us to celebrate her 70 years on the throne with pomp and fanfare in June - she allowed us then to thank her for her lifetime of duty and service without the feelings of grief which are now being felt.
Queen Elizabeth II's eldest son Charles takes the British throne and becomes New Zealand's head of state. (Source: 1News)
On her 21st birthday she declared that her “whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong”.
Well, it’s been long and she’s done just that but it’s now over.
Thank you, your majesty!
Buckingham Palace says she died peacefully. May she finally rest in peace with Prince Philip, her husband of 73 years, knowing she’s more than fulfilled her promise.
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