As head of state for 70 years, Queen Elizabeth got here to personal an extended listing of attention-grabbing gadgets. (PHOTO: Gallo Photos/Getty Photos)

Following the loss of life of Queen Elizabeth, Bouwer van Niekerk asks that as we replicate on her life, if there any positives that we are able to take from it and even be taught from.

“The Queen is lifeless. Lengthy dwell the King!” This well-known phrase was little doubt heard throughout the depths and breadths of the UK and the Commonwealth shortly after the loss of life of Queen Elizabeth II, the ceremonial head of state that occupied stated place for some seven many years, and within the course of turned arguably probably the most well-known lady on the planet. Proclaimed initially in French – le roi est mort, vive le roi! – it was first declared upon the accession of Charles VII to the French throne instantly after the loss of life of his father Charles VI in 1422 and arose from the legislation of le mort saisit le vif – the switch of sovereignty happens instantaneously upon the second of loss of life of the earlier monarch. A phrase that holds vital historic which means to an amazing many royalists, it leaves many (if not most) South Africans chilly.

Loathed throughout South Africa and the continent 

The explanations for its chilled reception are as apparent as they’re plentiful and are virtually universally shared by South Africans of all completely different heritages and cultures. As a logo of one of the prolific colonisers in historical past, the king or queen of England (depending on the second in time) has been loathed not solely in South Africa however throughout Africa and past to the farthest reaches of the globe the place its armies forcefully conquered and enslaved peaceable nations that meant the tiny island no hurt. As is aptly identified by the Financial Freedom Fighters in its assertion of 8 September 2022, instantly following Elizabeth II’s loss of life, probably the most sacred of British establishments had been constructed up, sustained, and lived off a brutal legacy of the dehumanisation of tens of millions of individuals internationally.

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Nearer to residence, the English colonisers fought what has grow to be referred to as the South African Wars underneath the banner of their royal household and within the course of killed numerous South Africans in focus camps and on the battlefield throughout our stunning nation. The atrocities dedicated within the title of whomever sat on the British throne from the time their ships first set foot on our shores up till effectively into the 20 th century have triggered many South Africans to so intensely detest the English and their royal household that that they noticed it match, even needed, to move this hatred down by way of generations. To this present day, I nonetheless hear the phrase God straf Engeland (God punish England) at sure social engagements.

So why would we as South Africans ever care concerning the loss of life of a nonagenarian white lady born into grotesque privilege who discovered it match to once in a while to don among the most valuable stones ever mined, none of which originate from her personal island, and plenty of of which had been plundered from our pure sources? Why ought to we even lengthen her the courtesy of debating whether or not there’s something pertaining to her life that’s value mentioning, particularly to a those who over the centuries, solely knew struggling and injustice underneath her predecessors’ rule?

Higher than the British 

For one, I consider we are able to accomplish that (can thoughts you, not ought to) as a result of we as South African are, on the entire, a forgiving individuals, and we’re (our historical past with the Brits however) a peaceable nation. We’re a nation that may say that we overcame apartheid – an atrocity that stands on equal footing with colonialisation with regards to crimes towards humanity – with out reverting to conflict. This makes us higher than the British. I don’t intend this assertion to be demeaning, however I will even not remorse it whether it is interpreted as such.

So, now that we’ve got established that we are able to (and I once more stress can, not ought to), give the lifeless queen the time of day to replicate on her life, are there any positives that we are able to take from it and even be taught from?

READ | ANALYSIS: Queen Elizabeth – Monarch who needed to regulate to the shift from Empire to Commonwealth

As a twenty-one-year-old on a go to to Cape City, the then Princess Elizabeth promised that, whether or not it’s lengthy or quick, she would dedicate her total life to the service of her individuals. This was not a political assertion; she saved that promise. There are two classes to be taught from this.

Firstly, and axiomatically: maintain your guarantees. We dwell in a world the place distinguished figures are all too typically caught breaking guarantees. Our Public Protector is embroiled in an unsightly impeachment course of that partly stemmed from a judgment by the Constitutional Courtroom that discovered her to be lower than truthful in her dealings and investigations. We have now a President who has promised to be devoted to the Structure who’s now caught up in a scandal involving the alleged theft of tens of millions of Rands in money, and who has didn’t take the South African individuals into his confidence and in truth and utterly take care of very severe allegations levelled towards him. As an alternative, he has meekly chosen to cover behind due course of moderately than being seen to maintain his promise of upholding the rule of legislation and candidly responding to questions in Parliament. Protecting your guarantees matter as a result of they communicate to your character or, relying in your capability or failure to take action, your lack thereof.

Serve the taxpayers

Secondly, if the taxpayers sponsor your way of life, serve them accordingly. Elizabeth II attended numerous engagements over the entire of her life as much as the very finish, not in furtherance of her private ambitions, however within the service of her individuals. Love her or hate her, one can not however respect the truth that she all the time positioned her responsibility to the crown first, even earlier than that as a mom to her kids. She accepted that, having been born into her distinctive station in life, she had a accountability that will play a big half in figuring out whether or not there would nonetheless be a spot for a British royal family in an ever-changing world. And he or she took that accountability severely. In a rustic the place an amazing many individuals and political events will within the subsequent couple of months and years, vie for political, state-sponsored energy, it’s worthwhile to recollect the instance that the departed sovereign set in inserting service above private achieve.

READ | Melanie Verwoerd: It isn’t simple for an Afrikaner to love the British queen, however she received me over

Lastly, every time the queen throughout her reign was confronted with criticism and even outright public animosity, she didn’t try to defend herself by issuing public statements whereby she tried to defend herself and blame others for the censure meted out at her. Somewhat, she noticed the general public opinion and acted in the very best method she deemed match within the surrounding circumstances. In a rustic the place all of us too typically see individuals in energy try to defend themselves by issuing prolonged statements whereby, they both attempt to justify their condemned actions or blame the denunciation aimed toward them on all types of conspiracy theories, Elizabeth II’s actions (or at occasions, merely inactions) over phrases strategy was each recent and dignified. T

hat Her Majesty was removed from good needn’t be justified greater than merely stating it. The flawed ruler of a deeply flawed household comprising a monarchy that many view as more and more irrelevant, Elizabeth II will little doubt be remembered each fondly and coldly for triumphs and failures alike. However her standing as the top of the church of England, she was very a lot human. However then, so are all of us.

Her faults however, there are classes to be learnt from her life. Similar to there are from all our lives. These classes grow to be obvious once we look previous our worst attributes and deal with what is sweet in us. Let this be our lesson to all of us, from all of us.

– Bouwer van Niekerk is a Johannesburg-based legal professional.

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