The Reign of Queen Elizabeth The Second

by Maj (ret'd) CORNELIU E. CHISU, CD, PMSC, FEC, CET, P. Eng. Former Member of Parliament Pickering-Scarborough East The death of Queen Elizabeth II on Sept. 8, 2022, marked the beginning of a new era. Her passing at the age of 96 ended the longest reign of a British monarch and what was widely considered to be the second-longest reign of any monarch in world history. In her place, the former heir and Prince of Wales, Charles, has ascended to the throne, taking the title of King Charles III and becoming the fifth royal Head of State of Canada since the Statute of Westminster was enacted in 1931. The Queen's passing set a longstanding plan known as Operation London Bridge into motion, which reportedly saw Buckingham Palace use the cryptic phrase "London Bridge is down" to signal to media and other groups that the inevitable had occurred. Most Canadians have never known a world in which Queen Elizabeth II wasn't their official head of state. News of the longest-serving British monarch's death sent shockwaves of grief across the country. The world in 2022 is unimaginably different from how it was in 1952 in terms of aspirations, standing in the world, sense of identity, and make-up. We're much more cosmopolitan, much more international. And today Canada is a vastly different country from what it was at the beginning of her Majesty's reign. She saw United Kingdom through 70 years of massive change; reduced from a great power to a second-rate power, starting with a great empire, to largely losing that empire. The Queen has seen United Kingdom through a period of stability without revolution or upset on home soil. Personally, she has been a great rallying figure. The Crown is still the point at the centre of the constitution. The death of Queen Elizabeth, the longest reigning monarch in British history, also marks the end of an era for Canada. Queen Elizabeth witnessed the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway in 1959, the expansion of Canada's social programs in the 1960s, the Quebec referenda in 1980 and 1995, free-trade agreements with the United States and father-and-son prime ministers. In 1982, she signed the proclamation that repatriated the Constitution, ending the role of the British Parliament in Canada's affairs. During her long reign, Canada became dramatically less anglophone and anglophile. Nearly half of Canadians were of British ancestry when she assumed the throne in 1952, but that number had decreased to one-third by 2016 and continues to decline. In the 1950s and early 60s students across English Canada waved the Union Jack, sang the royal anthem ("God Save the Queen"), said the Lord's Prayer and cheered cadet corps dressed in British khaki. Queen Elizabeth saw the replacement of the Union Jack by the Maple Leaf in 1965 when Canada adopted the new flag, and the royal anthem by "O Canada" in 1980. Over seven decades, Elizabeth successfully transitioned from embodying the key traditions and beliefs of many to a warmly regarded, but not particularly significant, figure in the lives of Canadians. She remained personally popular in Canada, although she spent relatively little time (about 200 days) in the country over visits that averaged once every three years. Her dedication to the job as monarch was viewed favourably, as was the absence of scandal in her personal life. She garnered goodwill from Canadians primarily as an individual, not so much as the hereditary head of an institution, while acting as a living link to Canada's days as a colony in the British Empire. Currently, Canada is still a constitutional monarchy. The House of Windsor is our house. Whether people of this country are excited by or supportive of it, this will not change in the short term. The end of the second Elizabethan era will catch us out in moments of unguarded emotion. It will hit us harder than we may expect. It will feel hard to believe. Almost four generations have known no other monarch. On our currency. On the titles of almost everything government-related. In the words of our national anthems. We've watched her grow older and frailer, particularly in the last year. We felt her loss when the Duke of Edinburgh, her husband of 73 years, died last year. We saluted her stoicism in laying him to rest, virtually alone, under strict COVID rules. Many of us marvelled at a lifetime of indefatigable execution of her duties. The Queen's passing will bring about changes affecting the lives of everyday Canadians. Queen Elizabeth II will remain the face of Canada and other Commonwealth nations' currencies in the interim, as mints refrain from pre-emptively designing new coins to depict yet-to-be-crowned monarchs. Those who still use cash can expect to wait at least a couple of years before the newly-crowned monarch appears on Canadian coins. You'll also see new passports issued in the coming years, as countries scramble - and pay generously - to replace the former Queen's royal insignia on all official documents. For now, we remember her. We miss her. The smiles. The hats. The bags. The symbol. The woman. Let us sit with these memories and feel the warmth of them. Then let us think about what comes next.