I Am Greek and the Queen Should Mean Nothing to Me but…
I am Greek, or rather Greek-American. I have absolutely no connection with the UK other than adoring its musicals, its writers and poets, its museums and parks, its music. And though as a Greek I have many reasons to disagree or even condemn British politics and policies, I cannot say the same for the Queen.
Her passing this week left an empty spot and I found myself wondering why. And it is now clear. Elizabeth was more than the queen of England. She was a maternal symbol. A mother of all. And we all know that mothers are not always equally good with their children or equally fair. They may actually not be cut out to be mothers at all, some too narcissistic or just too lost. But they continue to be our mothers — always there, behind the scenes, present, observing, guiding (the best way they can), supporting, pacifying, encouraging, serving as a beacon that provides us with a much-needed sense of stability; always there for our safe return home.
Was Elizabeth all this? It really doesn’t matter. It’s what each one of us believed she was that does, however.
I am Greek and Queen Elizabeth’s death should mean nothing to me. And yet this is not the case despite the atrocious mistakes made by the monarchy with regard to Cyprus, to the death penalties of innocent men like Evagoras Pallikarides who was hanged at 19 because the then young queen did not find it in her heart to pardon him or Michalakis Karaolis and Andreas Dimitriou who were also executed despite the international outcry.
But having worked with leaders, I know very well that these decisions are rarely made by the leaders themselves and in many cases such requests may never even reach their ears. This is, of course, the naïve side of me wishing this were the case.
The realistic side of me sees Queen Elizabeth II for what she was… for me. And I say this because for each one touched by her passing, she means something else. That is exactly what makes her an icon. Each one of us finds something in her that is missing in us. And that is soothing in a way.
First and foremost, Elizabeth was a female leader and ruled with a female sense of service, duty and dedication as should a mother irrelevant of her desires or needs. One can only imagine what a young female royal was faced with among power-hungry males in a male-dominated world not to mention the scheming and backstabbing that has led to the predicament we find ourselves in today.
She was a female role model giving young girls a chance to see in reality what they too can aspire to become when they grow up. If not a queen, definitely a leader. Dreams are what make the world a better place, after all.
She knew much and spoke little. A rare skill especially in our days of meaningless blathering for the sake of self-promotion and -gratification.
She had charisma. That’s why people young and old across the globe are mourning despite not being British, pro-monarchy or nationalists. To the contrary, many may even be against everything the UK represents — most of all its imperialist hunger.
She was always there on a different plane, in a parallel universe doing significant work in other areas rarely seen by the public eye but affecting us all and this includes everything from upholding art and science to peacekeeping and behind-the-scenes diplomacy not to mention creating hospitals, supporting orphanages and much more that would not be possible without patronage.
It is mistaken to nullify the importance of this ruler’s death because of politics, policies and tactics the same as it would be to reject a painting or a musical composition created by someone who did not share your principles or loyalties. The work of art is in itself the medium.
As mothers go, Queen Elizabeth II served as that special link between past and present with all the wisdom, failures and errors that entails. As this era comes to a close, the world must now face its karma. The queen is dead. Welcome to adulthood. Connection with your creator is gone. No more comforting phone calls from your mother. The responsibility, the success and failure is now all yours. No one to blame any more, no one to run to. And this applies to all of us as the last lighthouse on our long voyage has just disappeared into the darkness leaving us now to our own devices, for better or worse.
