Like many of you, I was one of the estimated 4 billion people who watched the funeral of Queen Elizabeth 2nd last night.
I actually had no intention of doing so. The saturation coverage of her life over the past ten days was enough…or so I thought.
You see, when the proceedings began I became enthralled by the spectacle, the pomp and sheer majesty of the occasion.
I saw the streets of London through a different lens and was in awe of the millions who turned out to pay their respects to someone most of them had never met.
I understand the Queen had a hand in planning the ceremony herself but it’s hard to imagine even she would have anticipated the sheer outpouring of love and respect so many in the UK, and around the world, had for her.
It was simply amazing and an incredible part of history.
We’ve never had a live global telecast of a British Ruler’s funeral. To see her heirs and successors upholding their dignity and duty in the face of incredible personal (and public) loss is a reminder of how restrictive the role can be.
Personally, I can’t think of a worse job anyone could have than to be the head of the British Royal family. To my mind, it would be one of the toughest gigs in the world, filled with mind numbing tedium and incredible constraint.
That said, I am pleased we have them.
The Crown plays an important role in our constitution and the embodiment of that role, the royal family, are dear to the hearts of millions.
We’ve actually never had anyone in history quite like Queen Elizabeth 2nd and it’s unlikely we will ever see such selfless service ever again.
Cory Bernardi is the author of seven books and has been a member of the Australian rowing team, a publican, an investment portfolio manager and spent nearly 14 years as an Australian Senator.
When the security failures surrounding Trump are incomprehensible, it leads to the conclusion that aspects of the US government must be rotten to the core.
