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It’s the hottest summer for Britain: temperatures have risen like never before. Prime Minister Boris Johnson was forced to resign after a boycott by ministers from his party in Parliament at the House of Commons, and the Wimbledon tennis tournament turned 100 years old. Among that and more, a remarkable woman is the only one who has seen everything happen in almost a century.
Elizabeth II celebrated in February 2022 no less than 70 years as monarch, in April 96 years of life. And in June, she celebrated both life records with a celebration called #Platinum Jubilee hashtagged as #HM70 throughout the world and even with corgi included if we wrote on Twitter #PlatinumJubilee. Corgis are her royal pets: she has had more than 30 since she was a child.
The neighborhood aristocracy
But who cares about British royalty? No one, except those of us who love history, culture, elegance, ancient customs or etiquette; to the fanatics of glamor and formal style, to those who read Hola! or Vanidades in their childhood or at the hairdressers. If we like reading social magazines, why shouldn’t we love watching British royalty and nobility? It’s like stepping into a time capsule.
In Latin America, perhaps we are attracted by the fact that it is a distant glamour or that sometimes its members seem taken from a soap opera. Even though our history is painfully linked to the European Crowns in its miscegenation. Why does it fascinate us?
What is a Jubilee?
The religious celebration after 50 years of being a Rabbi in the Jewish culture. Over time, other religions adopted it. And as head of the Anglican church, Queen Elizabeth II also marks her jubilees: she has already lived the Silver, Gold, Diamond, and Platinum jubilees with separate parties in London with her subjects.
The Platinum Jubilee will not be repeated for at least a century. Take into account that the heir to the throne, Charles the Prince of Wales, is 70 years old. Even if the Royal family is long-lasting, if the Duke of Cambridge is already 40 years old, staying for 70 on the throne does not seem easy. Only centennials may see Prince George reign, who is barely 8 years old.
The dynasty is assured in flesh and blood. The question everyone is thinking is, «what will happen when the bastion of the British monarchy, the matriarch of the royal family of Windsor and icon of the western monarchy as we conceive it in the present and past, is gone»
At the end of the 20th century
Without a doubt, the 20th century will end with her forever: its culture, its troubled conception of changes with the excellence that had never been presented before in previous centuries: We went from the invention of the radio to that of social networks; from the first man on the Moon -Neil Armstrong- to the most detailed photograph of the Universe from the James Webb telescope; from Marilyn Monroe to Kim Kardashian; from the androgyny of David Bowie to that of Harry Styles and from the garish colors of Warhol to the true colored neons of Elizabeth II’s own wardrobe in her millennial public appearances.
And everywhere, she was there. She has seen 14 prime ministers pass by. The first was the legendary Winston Churchill, champion of European freedom in World War II. Not to mention the historical events she has witnessed. And the war conflicts, natural disasters, and independent countries she has seen being born, including the 195 countries The Telegraph register visited, adding up to 1 million 032 thousand 513 miles. Who else has done that? Who else?
Who cares about royalty in the 21st century?
Those who have seen the historical evolution of a queen who was never perfect. Who with her rights and wrongs is still standing, brilliant, and devoted to 70 years of traditions in a single reign. If that’s not fascinating, what else can be?
Gabriella Morales-Casas has been a journalist since 1993. She has covered sports, culture, entertainment, and lifestyle. Since 2018, she has been a royalty analyst in several Latin American and United States media.
Follow her on IG @gabriellamoralescasas and on TikTok @elprincipado
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Gabriella Morales-Casas.
