Such terribly sad news to wake to yesterday, the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
Such was the length of her reign that few of us can remember a time before she was Queen - she has always been there. For people my age we grew up with her speech on Christmas Day, and God Save the Queen was still sung more often at school than God of Nations.
I remember images of black and white television, royal tours, a different New Zealand, certainly a much more British NZ than today. The wedding of Charles and Diana and all the pageantry that looked like another planet compared to our place in the world.
Of course many will have memories of events going back another two or three decades of her as a young Queen so elegant and stylish, even in my earliest recollection she was like someones Nana, a much loved one.
I enjoyed the movie “A Royal Night Out” recently imagining the Queen and her sister celebrating VE Day in London all those years ago, it was a delicious thought that it could be somewhat true.
Sometimes when someone dies it is not only the individual themselves that we grieve for but the memories we have and the part they played in our lives be it family, friend, a favourite author or musician, or even the Queen. And with the Queen it is the whole of our lives that she has been constant through.
She has provided a link back to another time when we remember relatives and others long gone. The generations that knew the war, she was their Queen too. Now that link is broken and we grieve for that passing too, for the loss of this remarkable woman, and inevitably our own limited mortality
Elizabeth was not only a link back to those memories of others but also a connection that made past events feel like a part of living memory because the Queen had lived through them also.
Whatever we thought of the monarchy and about NZ having someone overseas as head of state I reckon most of us thought the Queen was a bloody good sort. She seemed to have a cracking sense of humour and you got the impression she didn’t suffer fools.
From having the leadership of an empire thrust upon her at such a young age and ruling selflessly for so many decades, she gave a lifetime of service to her people.
I told my youngest boy, he asked if there would be a day off school, I said I wasn’t sure but it wasn’t today, so get up.
On the radio there were good calm considered words from Jacinda which were soothing in the face of such sad and, despite her age and health, shocking news. I’m sure I wasn’t the only one to be a little surprised at just how saddened I was by the news.
RNZ did an exceptional job through the day of reactions, speaking of the history, talking to people about their memories. Just quietly RNZ also feels more and more like a reminder of years gone by of decency, of standards, of honesty - let us not also lose that.
The Queen, do we still call her that? I’m still calling her that. Was born in 1926, ten years later her father became King and as a child of primary school age she was the heir to the throne.
A young woman of 19 at the end of the war, married at the age of 21 and then Queen at 25. Who could have possibly imagined she would still be Queen 70 years later.
An Empire when she came into the world so different to now. During her reign she saw 15 Prime Ministers from Churchill to today, and 15 US Presidents. Of course so many world events and advances, changes and tragedies.
The things she loved - her corgis, horse racing, her family, her people. Awful times too of course, the break down of her children’s relationships, the death of Diana, the fire at Windsor, and so sadly recently the loss of Phillip her beloved husband of 75 years.
What an incredible life. Yes full of glamour and wealth but also sacrificing many of the freedoms of normal life to the service off others.
No doubt there will be discussion in future weeks of whether NZ should become a republic, my two cents - I hope we don’t.
Yes of course there are the arguments that is is ridiculous to be ruled from the other side of the world even to this very limited degree by Queens and Kings.
But I can't think of anything bad the monarchy has done during my lifetime that would give consideration for it to be removed except one. Allowing, through at least not intervening, the removal of Gough Whitlam the democratically elected PM of Australia.
Aside from the costs to taxpayers, and even those must be balanced against the money generated for tourism or raised for charities like the Prince’s Trust, it is hard to see much negative about the Royal family
Yes it is anachronistic that our Head of State represents a colonial history we have mostly moved on from. But I’d far rather a Governor General that is largely uninvolved in our politics than a Head of State elected by half the population – we have enough division as it is without having a John Key or a Helen Clark as President.
I find it sad to see the way Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, even at this time of mourning, are been treated by the tabloid media. A campaign all because they took the option of stepping back from royal life to actually live somewhat normally.
There has been something of a truce between the Monarchy and the Press, some standards still in place, you hate to think what it will be like now the Queen has gone, what new level of vileness the British press will lower themselves to.
It makes you wonder what else will change now she has gone? What has been waiting until she passed?
And now King Charles III, what a life waiting your entire life for a job to only finally get it at the age of 74. I like Charles he is eccentric and honest and a greenie - fine qualities.
Some say Charles should pass the baton to William, I disagree why should he, he has waited his whole life for this role. I feel like Charles provides continuity he has been around for so long and I think is well respected by people.
Won’t it be strange in the future to see money without the Queen on it?
My memories and most of what I mention here are through the lens of Elizabeth being the Queen of NZ but think how many people there are from different countries, different generations, who have had their lives touched by her.
How many people hold memories of a brief encounter perhaps a wave from an open topped car or even an exchange of pleasantries that they have cherished for decades?
Think of the joy she has brought to millions.
She represented virtues of decency, of respect, of politeness, things that can seem old fashioned these days but are more important than ever.
In a world, and through times, where leaders were too often driven by ego or greed, when there have been truly monstrous rulers Elizabeth was devoted to service and gave her whole life for the role given her - and she did it bloody well I reckon.
Thank you ma’am. Rest easy your great service is done.
A lovely tribute from you Nick. I also was shocked when I heard the Queen had died. I knew she was unwell but when I saw the photo of her with the new dubious ( my opinion )PM Ms Truss the Queen is standing, to welcome her a big smile on her face. She has/had a beautiful smile. I thought she's been unwell but the doctors will pull he through. But they couldn't.,and didn't. I had a cry because it is a loss- it felt a little like losing a grandmother- a wise female role model. But my maternal grandmother was not a royalist. She was born in London at the end of the nineteenth century. She riled against the English class system and the privilege of the royals. She was especially angry about the situation of men who had served in the Great War-1914 to 18, and the poverty and joblessness they came back to. She definitely saw the royals as being completely out of touch with ordinary people. She met my grandfather when he was a young kiwi soldier having r@r in London-on a tram no less. He was in uniform-she invited him to her family home for dinner and they kept in touch by letter after the war. Eventually he proposed and she said yes. Her family gave permission and she became a NZer. , a staunch Labour party member . She died in the 1960s -too soon. I've often wondered what she would have made of the royal family now when they are so much more accessible. Still privileged, but the role they play in the UK,and NZ is much more tangible. Especially as a stabilising factor in our particular form of democracy. If the USA is an example of a modern republic, I am happy to have a monarch 12,000 miles away, represented by a governor general as an extra level of protection against the chaos and anarchy they are experiencing.
A very moving tribute. Thank you Nick. The question of a republic is difficult. What are the models to consider? How did those European countries manage it? Interesting times.