Looking back, it looks like she’s been counting on us all along.
Whether due to age, ill health or a feeling that the end was near, Queen Elizabeth II has spent much of the past two years tying loose limbs, trying to make sure the family business will continue to operate after her death.
The transition began slowly, with the Queen handing over more public duties to her son and heir, now King Charles III, as she entered the twilight years. But it moved up the pace in 2022 as Elizabeth celebrated 70 years on the throne. She first expressed her desire for Camilla, Charles’s wife, to be known as the Queen after her death, and then the future king took center stage during the four days of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
Historian Ed Owens said: “Elizabeth II was paving the way for the succession. We have seen a lot of Charles in the last ten years interfering for his mother’s sake in a number of key situations in major public events. And that, I think, was partly intentional in that the Queen.. She wanted her son to be somewhat naturally drawn into the spotlight, to make this look as best as possible as if it was a smooth transition.
Charles’ gradually increasing role began when the Queen began cutting back on long trips, which led to the then Prince of Wales taking her place at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in 2013 in Sri Lanka.
The Queen became head of the Commonwealth, a grouping of 54 independent countries with ties to the former British Empire, when she acceded to the throne and championed her role in world affairs throughout her reign.
In 2018, Elizabeth expressed her “sincere desire” for Charles to follow her as Head of the Commonwealth and its leaders agreed.
The year before, Charles represented the Queen at the annual Memorial Day celebration to honor the country’s war dead, laying the Queen’s wreath at the foot of the London Memorial. It was the first time the queen had not performed the solemn ritual, which featured columns of war veterans walking through the memorial, other than when she was pregnant or out of the country.
But what was a minor shift became more evident after the coronavirus pandemic prompted Elizabeth to seek refuge at Windsor Castle outside London, and the death of her husband Prince Philip reminded the nation of the Queen’s death.
This was confirmed by the image of Elizabeth, her face hidden behind a black mask, as she sat alone in St George’s Chapel grieving the loss of the man who had been her “strength and survival” for more than 73 years.
On the anniversary of her accession to the throne in February, the Queen moved to end the long-running debate over the status of Charles’ wife.
Camilla was a divisive figure in Britain because her long-standing relationship with Charles was the cause of the collapse of his first marriage to the widely loved Princess Diana. The mother of Princes William and Harry died in a car crash in Paris in 1997, five years after her chaotic split from Charles.
When Charles married Camilla in 2005, he announced that he wanted his wife to become queen when he ascended the throne. Diana’s fans protested, saying it would hurt the princess.
But the public attitude toward Camilla, 75, has improved in recent years as she has taken on roles in more than 100 charities, focusing on issues ranging from literacy to domestic violence. Her down-to-earth and humorous style softened Charles’ busy image and made him look more laid-back.
When the Queen complimented on February 6, she indirectly realized that her reign would end.
“When my son Charles becomes king at the height of time,” she said, “I know you will give him and his wife Camilla the same support you gave me.” “It is my sincere hope that, when that time comes, Camilla will be known as the Queen Consort as she continues her faithful service.”
Late last year, Elizabeth was first seen using a walking stick, and in April revealed that a bout with COVID-19 left her feeling “extremely tired and exhausted.”
In May, the Queen delegated one of her most important public duties to Charles, asking him to preside over the opening of Parliament for the state and to deliver the annual Queen’s Speech outlining the government’s legislative programme.
The event is emblematic of the monarch’s constitutional role as head of state and is accompanied by centuries of tradition designed to demonstrate the power of Britain’s political institutions.
When the time came for the Platinum Jubilee, the palace announced that the Queen’s ongoing “mobility problems” would limit her role.
Instead, Charles took center stage.
He wore his full military uniform to parade the troops during the Queen’s birthday parade, sat in honor in front of St Paul’s Cathedral for Mass and saluted his mother at a concert, where he appeared with Camilla. beside him.
After her death, crowds of mourners greeted Charles and Camilla warmly outside Buckingham Palace, where the new king shook hands and spoke with well-wishers who stormed the “God Save the King” choir.
The reaction, and Charles’ early days in his new role, suggest the audience is, at least for now, on board, Michael Cole, a former BBC royal correspondent, said this week outside the palace.
“Look at the thousands of people who came here on their own,” he said, waving to the crowd. “They weren’t bused. They weren’t told to be here. They weren’t given little flags to wave. This isn’t North Korea. This isn’t Putin’s Red Square parade. These people have come to pay their respects to the dead queen and show affection with a big word.”
Copyright © 2022 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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