In 1940, the 14-year-old Princess Elizabeth spoke on the BBC Children's Hour to children who had been sent away from urban areas and even to other countries to protect them from Luftwaffe bombs. It was her first public address to the nation of which she would one day become queen.
Last week, the 93-year-old monarch addressed her country again in a move designed to shore up spirits made restless and irritable by social distancing and quarantines in the face of the COVID-19 virus. She referred to that 1940 speech and spoke of her confidence in her nation and its people to survive and remain resolute in the face of the crisis.
This week she doubled down by presenting a first-ever Easter message, audio of which was sent out over the royal family's social media accounts. In it, she said. "Easter isn't canceled; indeed, we need Easter now as much as ever."
Still not sorry about 1776 and all that, but the lady knows how to communicate calm, resolve and a conviction that the crisis will end and something like the normal we knew will come back. I suppose it helps to have heard this guy speak now and again also.
There's something to be said for having a ceremonial head-of-state who is - in some ways - less mired in politics than someone who is trying to get themselves re-elected. Comparing this to the blather masquerading as OUR "daily briefings" makes me want to cry, because it's like the difference between....I don't know, the difference between a properly-prepared nutritious meal and half a fast-food sandwich.
ReplyDeletePart of it may be generational difference? I don't know. I wish the US had someone who could talk to us like that.
I will also say it will be interesting in the future to see if and how BoJo's near brush with death changes him.
I think generational and cultural issues play a part, and there's the fact that she's seen a lot of hard things go on in the world and has a perspective that reflects that.
ReplyDeletePlus our political culture doesn't much reward people who say, "Calm down, this will be very hard but we'll get through it better if we keep our wits about us."