Queen Elizabeth the longest serving monarch in the UK

Today our queen passes her father’s reign of 63 years and 216 days. 

I am an unabashed monarchist. I have always enjoyed having a queen and I enjoy the role that monarchy plays in defining our country and our culture. As a community we are a product of our history and the queen stands as a living reminder of the history of western democracy. Also as a living reminder of colonialism. These are not all good memories but I think that she serves as a focal point of history and culture to remind us who we are and inspire us as to where we should be going. I like her. Always have.

 Note that she is the Queen of Canada, she just happens to live abroad.

There are lots of historical events that need to be remembered and kept alive as they still resonate in today’s people. The holocaust, residential schools, the Balkan War, and the Rwandan genocide jump into my mind as fresh, contemporary events that are intimately involved with who we are globally, collectively. Both as individuals and as a community we are the sum of all our parts and history is massively influential in our present. 

We also have the tendency to celebrate history that we think of as important and to belittle history that doesn’t affect us. There is no interest like self-interest and I think it’s a natural human tendency to remember that which is closest to us and to downplay the importance of events that are not – despite the fact that those events may be massively important to others.