Thursday, February 18, 2010

The Queen

I greatly admire Queen Elizabeth II. A few months ago, I received The Queen on DVD as a gift. Helen Mirren was awesome. I so love the little speech that the Tony Blair character made about the sacrifice of the Queen.

Elizabeth has certain everywoman characteristics that I can relate to as a mature woman and not a cinderella fantasy. She has (had) an incredibly heavy load of responsibilities most of her adult life and particularly as a working parent. Her choice of a husband was not universally accepted at the time, although he was royalty. She has several children who haven't always made the best choices and one or two may not have met her expectations. She obviously tries hard. She can make mistakes and as the film so carefully detailed and has also faced those mistakes.

This was even more interesting to me as I pondered some of the blessings we women receive in our endowments. We are not to be Cinderella and be swept off our feet by Prince Charming. We are queens in our own right, with or without a consort, and we have responsibility to others along with our privilege. As is so wonderfully shown in the film, it is a life of hard work, great thought and meditation, devotion to duty, and great restraint. Soldier, auto mechanic, diplomat, mother, grandmother, head of state and manager, she is a great example.

2 comments:

  1. I have not yet seen this movie. I have wanted to for a very long time. Having lived for a number of years in the United Kingdom, I would love to see this portrayal of the Queen.

    And, I was wondering something. Perhaps I am way off base- if so, please forgive me. But, with the things you have written before about your mother, and with her recent passing, I cannot but help and think you may have wished for someone as the Queen for your mother, instead of who you had?

    I hope all is well with you and yours.

    Respect and love, always. slp

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  2. Yes, a modicum of restraint would have been a good thing I think. Please email me and we will have an offline chat.

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