by Victor Kubik
Friday, September 16, 2022
On Sky News television from London, I watched from start to finish the cortege transporting Queen Elizabeth’s casket from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall where she will lie in state. I felt like I was in the procession itself walking alongside King Charles III, Prince William, and all the Royal Family. A marching band played mournful music to a steady drumbeat. I was sad and tears welled up at various points as the TV cameras panned thousands of people looking on soberly. For many, this is the only monarch they had ever known.
At one time the British Empire ruled over one-third of the earth from a country about the size of the state of Oregon. Queen Elizabeth II, served longer than any other British monarch,
The crown that she was coronated with on June 2, 1953, was placed on top of the casket with flowers from Balmoral Castle in Scotland which she loved to visit.
Queen Elizabeth II will lie in state until the funeral on Monday, September 19th. The entire event will no doubt be the largest public event in British history and will be viewed by billions around the world. Leaders from most countries in the world are arriving to pay their respects.
Even for those who are not British, the influence and aura of the Queen and the British Monarchy affect them personally. It does for me even though I am not British, however, I was born in a refugee camp in the British-partitioned zone of post-war Germany. My parents lived there for four years.
The British Commonwealth countries featured the Queen’s image on their postage stamps. I collected stamps and coins as a youngster and noted how ubiquitous her image was. She was the most recognizable person in the world. I went to college on the outskirts of London in Hertfordshire. In my work, I have traveled to the United Kingdom many times and have a deep affection for its people. I love to hear them speak and like the elegant way that they express themselves.
Her image was on every five-pound banknote. The National Anthem was “God Save the Queen.” The Queen’s signature ER (standing for Elizabeth Regina) is everywhere. “Regina” is Latin for “Queen.”
Queen Elizabeth was an amazing lady. One comment from a man standing in line to watch the cortege go by stated that she was not only the Queen but a real person that people could relate to.
The Christian faith sustained Queen Elizabeth II throughout her life and in times of trouble. Washington Times family and faith reporter Mark Kellner wrote the following on September 8, the date of her death:
She was a woman of deep personal faith who set lifelong examples of belief. Addressing Britain and the world on December 25, 2016, she declared her faith openly: “Billions of people now follow Christ’s teaching and find in him the guiding light for their lives. I am one of them because Christ’s example helps me see the value of doing small things with great love, whoever does them and whatever they themselves believe.”
The queen said Christ’s teachings “have been the bedrock of my faith,” a declaration made months after the April death of Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, her husband of 73 years.
The Crown and allegiance to it have also influenced the propagation of the Gospel. The English language became the lingua franca of the world. The great age of Missionaries in the 19th century followed the proliferation of the English language which has been a critical factor in teaching the Bible.
Our churches have thrived in countries where English was the predominant of official language. I have personally spoken to congregations in the United Kingdom, South Africa, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Australia, New Zealand, India, Sri Lanka, Singapore, and Hong Kong. I could do so with ease because of the English language.
Much more will be said about the funeral and the Queen’s effect on the world. The line of people queued to pay respects is longer than five miles long and people have been waiting in line for more than 12 hours.
One commentator noted: that Queen Elizabeth’s funeral ‘will unite’ the world as mourners queue for miles. Indeed it does seem that way, albeit for a moment. We look to a time when the temporal will give way to the lasting spiritual.
Elizabeth lived a remarkable life of duty, and sacrifice and will be remembered as the “Servant Queen.”
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