The top 5 most impactful moments of the late Queen Elizabeth II
Savannah Williamson, Staff Writer
The great Queen Elizabeth was a woman from a different era. It was an era full of class, style and authority. The world reeled at the news of the death of her majesty, and in the wake of her passing, the question arose, what were Queen Elizabeth’s most impactful moments during her reign?
According to Encyclopedia of World Biography, Elizabeth II was born on Apr. 21, 1926, in London, to George VI. George VI became King of Great Britain and Ireland in 1936 when his older brother Edward VIII, abdicated the throne. Elizabeth married Prince Philip Mountbatten on November 1947, and in June 1953, she became queen after her father passed.
Jeff Cook, a professor of history at NGU, gave insight into what made Queen Elizabeth a true queen. Cook said, “she had a great lineage and was held in very high regard by her contemporaries.”
During her coronation, Queen Elizabeth pledged herself to her people and to her country, and promised to do her duties as Head of State and Queen, said Cook. This event was of importance because it set the stage for her 70-year reign.
In 1966, there was a mining disaster in Wales. According to History.com, a mudslide covered an elementary school killing 116 children and 28 adults. Queen Elizabeth made the executive decision not to go until a week after the event because she feared her presence would distract from rescue and recovery efforts. In the end, Queen Elizabeth regretted not going sooner. This was the first time she was seen as being presented in a negative light.
More recently, we have Queen Elizabeth’s visit to the Republic of Ireland. In May of 2011 she accepted the invitation of President Mary McAleese to visit. This was the first time a British monarch had visited the Republic of Ireland in 100 years.
According to History.com, while in Ireland she expressed her sincere thoughts and deep sympathy for the victims of the troubled Anglo-Irish past. “That was really important. It helped to break up the animosity between the Brits and Ireland” said Cook.
Taking a look further back into her reign, we have Queen Elizabeth’s service in WWII. According to BBC.com, on her eighteenth birthday she enlisted in the Auxiliary Territorial Service, despite being heir to the throne. She spent three weeks in London learning about basic motor mechanics and how to drive a lorry. Because of her enlistment, she boosted soldiers’ morale and encouraged civilians to help with the war effort. These things made people start to recognize her as a queen.
Cook recalled his favorite memory of Queen Elizabeth which was her visit to Maryland. During the Queen’s 1991 state visit to Baltimore, she asked George H. W. Bush if he would take her to a baseball game. Bush agreed, and took Queen Elizabeth to a Baltimore Orioles game. Later on, she gave a speech at the game. However, the podium was too tall for her. She continued on nonetheless with her speech. From the side it looked okay, but if you watched from the front, it looked like a skit from Saturday Night Live. And it was just hilarious. And you know, she just went with it said Cook.
Finally, one of the most impactful moment during the reign of Queen Elizabeth, is her address and tribute to the United States after the attacks on the World Trade Centers on Sept. 11, 2001. Two days after the attacks Queen Elizabeth gave the executive order for the military band to play the Star Spangled Banner during the changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace. During her speech to the United States, she offered her condolences to all those affected.
According to the Washington Post, she said that grief is the price we pay for love. What she did meant a lot. Because we were living in it said Cook.
According to Cook, Queen Elizabeth was not just a queen, but an amazing woman too. He said that she was really something. Throughout her entire reign, Queen Elizabeth had many memorable moments. Until the end, she was the people’s queen. These five events described only scratch the surface of her life.
