Not that we need a royal family...

From The London Sunday Times

Our country wouldn't tolerate a king or a queen, though I suspect a lot of right-leaning Americans felt that Hilary Clinton filled the role of queen and a number of left-leaning folks felt the Bush family were well on their way to becoming a royal family. 

Thing is, I like the pomp and circumstance in England. The Royal Guards and the Horse Guards and the Yeoman Warders and those Army fellows who lug around the canons... all of them reflect a long history and a level of civility that is lacking in America right now. OK–OK, I understand that Charles and Diana and Carmilla and Prince Andrew and "the boys" supposed spat open up the door to criticism, but that's life.   

I admire the Queen's long life of service and her steadiness throughout her lifetime.She may well be remembered for carrying on her work until two days before her death. Looking frail, she met with the new Prime Minister and asked her to set up a new government.  

This morning on the radio I heard a Scottish broadcaster say that when the Queen arrived at Balmoral Castle, her summer place (like camps in Maine but bigger), she hung her crown on the gate and kicked back. She drove her own car and chummed (as chummy as a queen could be) with the staff and enjoyed hillside walks. 

This morning, I heard the story of the Queen walking with an aide through the countryside and running into an American couple. The Queen wore high rubber boots and typical Scottish cold weather outerwear. The Americans' question? "Have you ever met the Queen?" She answered no, but the aide said, "Yes, several times." The Americans wanted their picture taken with him and then, as an aside, took pictures with Her Royal Highness. She chuckled with the aide about them returning home with those pictures and wondering if their friends would clue them in.  

Of course, the real plus from my side? QEII loved her corgis. That makes her just fine in my book.