By: Marcia King-Gamble
Long live our noble King,
God save the King!
Send him victorious,
Happy and glorious,
Long to reign over us,
God save the
King!
On Saturday, May 06th, after years of singing “God
Save the Queen” a new King was crowned, and the lyrics were changed slightly. Whether you are an anglophile or not, the excitement
was palpable and contagious. We were welcoming a new era with pomp, splendor,
and glitz. Lots of it.
For someone like me, a product of the colonies, someone who hadn’t even been born during the last coronation, I had conflicting feelings. As a child, Queen Elizabeth was my monarch. I knew what a Union Jack was. I waved that flag many times. Not to mention the many hours practicing to curtsy, and wave to the Queen when she came to visit my tiny island. I perfected my folk dancing – a prerequisite for entertaining royalty when they were in town. Now all of a sudden, the queen was being replaced by a king; a young boy that I watched grow up. This was a Queen I was often in touching distance of.
Flash forward to life in the USA. I am currently a US citizen.
I graduated high school and college in New York. Like many of you, I watched the coronation with
some awe and a lot of trepidation. Trepidation
because at widely viewed public events, people often used them to make a statement.
I prayed there would not be a mass shooting (case in point what happened in
Texas this weekend.)
Thankfully, there was not, and the coronation, the official end of an era,
and the beginning of another, went smoothly. To me, change is good. Change means growth. Change
means endless possibilities. Now that’s the optimistic side of me coming out.
Even so, this was a bittersweet moment. I was a fan
of Princess Diana, and standing in for her was an imposter; a woman who
set my teeth on edge. I still have memories of that interview with Diana mentioning
the three people involved in her marriage; an isssue so many people can relate to.
I suppose I need to let that go.
Even more disconcerting was the golden carriage rolling down the “Kings Procession.” In my humble opinion, the Golden Jubilee coach should be sold, or put up for auction, (even though it really is only giltwood). The proceeds could be used for those in the UK in need. And there are those in the UK barely surviving. It is a country on the brink of a recession. Its economic growth is reputed to be nonexistent.
For cripes sake, the nurses are on strike in the UK, or were, and all over wages and the rising cost of living. The price of security for the
coronation was reputed to be upward of 125 million, paid by the taxpayers, of
course. 52 % of the population were not
at all happy about this, especially when according to a friend in the UK, it
was impossible to get the police to respond to burglaries during this time.
I hope I don’t come off as a Debbie Downer. My purpose is to
make you reflect on the cost and consequences of any over-the-top celebration. Many of us set our clocks to watch a ceremony attended
by tourists and world leaders. Those proceeds can only help
boost the UK economy.
Many of us will never be alive to see another coronation in our lifetime. To those of you who saw it, enjoyed it, and took it all at face value, the former British Citizen in me - the one with the stiff upper lip, says “God Save the King." I drink to a new Monarchy that puts the people first.
USA bestselling romance
writer, Marcia King-Gamble originally hails from a sunny Caribbean island where
the sky and ocean are the same mesmerizing shade of blue. This former travel
industry executive has spent most of life in the United States. A National
Bestselling author, Marcia has penned over 34 books and 8 novellas. She has
contributed to Michael Fiore’s DigitalRomanceInc and served as a moderator on
the now defunct eHarmony advice boards. Having witnessed the bad, the ugly, and the
not so good in relationships, she still prefers to write about happily ever
after. Caring for her animal family keeps her grounded and sane.
Visit Marcia at
www.lovemarcia.com or “friend” her on Facebook: http://bit.ly/1MlnrIS
Be sure to join
her newsletter mailing list.
8 comments:
Marcia, I did watch the replay of the Coronation and the live Coronation Concert. I think a gift Diana gave to the world is the importance of being our own authentic person. I think the British Monarchy is better for her being a part of it and yet, Charles always wanted to marry Camila. I would rather she not be Queen ... time will tell how long Charles' reign will last.
I do wonder what the percentage of GDP is from tourism and how much of that tourism is due to the monarchy. When I took my granddaughters to a conference in Edinburgh, we spent a couple of days in London so we could see the changing of the guard, etc. Otherwise, I don't think we would have spent any time in London.
Well said and I totally agree with you!
Judith I actually like London; afavorite city. As a child growing up in a British environment this was a difficult blog to write. There are many people very angry in the UK about the $$ spent. As my British friend said to me, and I had to look it up- Camilla is Marmite (you either like her or don't.) I am currently reading SPARE and I am Club Harry! BTW, our May 15th Blogger, Author Teri Wilson flew over for the Coronation. Would be interesting to get her take.
Thank you anonymous. Appreciate your comment.
Thanks for giving us a more nuanced view of the coronation. I hope the UK has a brighter future.
Lynn, I certainly hope it does and wish the new monarchy well!
I'm not surprised you have mixed feelings, Marcia, for all the reasons you cited. I hope things will change for the better. I didn't watch the coronation because I knew I'd be saddened by how much money was being spent that could be put to better use. What an amazing example of loving one's people that would have set!
I completely agree Sarah. I could have stomached one coronation dance.
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