Candid Comment - Queen Elizabeth II

Queen Elizabeth the II has died. The queen died yesterday at Balmoral Castle surrounded by her family at the age of 96. The queen was not just a monarch and head of state, she was a mother, grandmother and great grandmother. A woman who publicly held a nation together in the best and not so best of times as well as the states she was head of. In private a funny and engaging character who had a witty side and was very good a throwing a quip on the fly. She was indeed very dynamic and very skilled in the art of diplomacy, though technically she had to be neutral she could and did influence governments.

Personally I never have met any of the royals and I will be honest am not a devotee of the royal family. I do have an opinion about them, but now is not the time to share that. Now is the time to reflect on a life of service well lived and one that made this woman Elizabeth the II Queen of Canada and other nations as well as Britain one of the most beloved people in the world. I along with millions of others across the globe want to extend condolences to the royal family at he enormous loss they have to face and to the British people who have lost their beloved queen. I hope in the coming days that her death will unite the country and indeed the world, and show the world that there are truly decent people who are willing to give their life and time in service to others.

I know some will read this and go gah that family etc. Yes they had and do still have faults but, I have come to understand this one thing. That the royal family in many ways is like any family. They have days when they just get it wrong but overall they are still a family and I do think they do love one another. And just like any other family, and there are lots of them out there today who are facing the loss of a loved one, like those of the James Smith Cree Nation. They are in mourning and the best we can do is to be kind and reach out with a caring word to let them know they are not alone. So with that I close and thank the royals for their service and wish them peace love and healing.

Rest in peace Queen Elizabeth,  Long the King, Charles the III.