For Queen & Country: End of an Era | My Soho Times

Gillian Smith muses on the monarchy and our relationship with the crown now that the second Elizabethan age has been consigned to history. Will we be comfortable as Caroleans (even auto-correct doesn’t recognise this word!), or look back fondly on the few females who’ve worn the hollow crown?

The final trumpet has sounded,  the echo of sombrely  marching feet receded into the distance, the fabled Queue dispersed, the crowds returned home. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is finally getting the peace and quiet she deserves in the vault of St. George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle, alongside her late husband and family. 96 years on earth with 70 of them spent as the crowned head of state and church must surely count as a particularly triumphant innings.

“The monarchy, constitutional or not, is all about continuity. This leads us to our new King, Charles III and the Carolean age in which we now find ourselves.”

Even her exit gives new meaning to the phrase ‘leaving on a high’. No sooner had the military dress uniforms been dry cleaned and the horses fed, watered and stabled after the razzmatazz of the Platinum Jubilee in June, mere weeks later the slightly unexpected news dropped that the Queen had died. Cue jump starting the protocols of Operation London Bridge and ten days of national mourning for a genuinely beloved monarch, followed by a ceremonial funeral the likes of which few of us will witness again.

Much has been made of the fact that a large proportion of the citizenry of these isles have known no other sovereign. I reckon it’s less that the Queen has always been there. More that if you’re 70 or under you were essentially just joining her for the ride. You can date your own era primarily from the style of hat she was wearing the year you were born.… the hair of course, remained reassuringly the same for pretty much seven whole decades.

LET’S HEAR IT FOR THE GIRLS!

Progeniture geared entirely towards male succession has meant the most monarchs have been Kings, but the few Queens we’ve had for sure have made their mark on history. From the usurped Empress Matilda, who in the 1100s spent 20-odd years trying to regain her filched throne from her cousin Stephen, to the short-lived reign of Henry Vlll’s sadly wronged eldest daughter Mary, via the much savvier first Queen Bess, a Victoria and our own late Elizabeth, it’s been a bumpy ride! But one which the regal ladies have stuck with, showing themselves more than equal to the task.

In all six women have been crowned (two further candidates didn’t quite make it – the aforementioned Matilda and the much more unfortunate Lady Jane Grey, beheaded after a nine day reign in 1554) and they count amongst their number some of the most successful sovereigns these isles have ever seen.

Put your hands together for both Queen Elizabeths and Her Maj the late, great and legendarily unamused Queen Victoria. Today though, with the next few crowned heads set to be kings, it looks like the coronation of Elizabeth III might be a fair way off. A shame in my view – my favourite meme over the last few weeks has been the one declaring: ‘They’re making a man Queen? Political correctness gone mad!’. And with life and art being so intricately bound – after all, the most powerful piece on a chessboard is the Queen, so it should come as no surprise that our last female sovereign has left enormous shoes to fill.

ELIZABETHANS NO MORE WE ARE ALL CAROLEANS NOW.

Ever onwards though is the name of the Kings and Queens game – the monarchy, constitutional or not, is all about continuity. This leads us to our new King, Charles lll and the Carolean age in which we now find ourselves. The name originates from the Latin version of Charles, Carolus.

As the longest-serving heir to the throne, Charles will be pretty familiar with the trappings of kingship but will doubtless find his own reality very different from that of his mother.

Times have changed a great deal and it isn’t so easy to maintain an air of monarchical mystique with so much of the Royal family’s life – private and public – accessible to the public. He may well find himself with somewhat of a tightrope to walk, with decisions pending about the role of a king not just at home but in Commonwealth countries re-thinking their Head of State requirements.

For now though we wish him well at the start of his reign and our own brand new era, so let’s raise a glass or two to the dawning of the Carolean age – and see where it takes us. Cheers!

Gillian Smith is the Senior Contributing editor for My Soho Times, a freelance Writer and Producer who has worked extensively across all media from print to broadcast and digital. Areas of special interest are film (including red carpet events, navigated with a sharp pair of elbows) and arts and culture.

Check out the latest issue of My Soho Times magazine!

This article was originally published in the Autumn ’22 issue of My Soho Times magazine. CLICK HERE to read it online, or CLICK HERE to buy your print copy!

Share your thoughts in the comment box below!

Get social – follow and tag us! @mysohotimes #MySohoTimes