We Brits know just what our Sovereign means to us as a country. Prime Ministers come and go but Elizabeth II is our anchor. Her Christmas Speech to her Loyal Subjects is one of the most watched programmes of the year. She is quietly very sensible, meeting with her Prime Ministers and sometimes being rather forthright in the expressions of her feelings about certain legislation. Margaret Thatcher was one of her favourites, and that tells a lot about where Her Majesty's sentiments lay.
Her Majesty served in WW2, she did shift-work, got her Royal hands dirty and on one very memorable occasion, suffered the attentions of a Senior NCO who was not best pleased with something or other done by the future Queen! Her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh served as an active service naval officer and was mentioned in Despatches for his bravery and performance under enemy fire.
Not many Heads of State with that sort of pedigree today.
Her Majesty is 90 years old and still undertakes a full calendar of engagements. Everywhere she goes she is greeted by rapturous crowds.
She is loved.
That is a very, very important statement. She IS loved. When she departs this life there will be national grief and mourning. I know for a fact from my previous career as a Police Officer that plans exist to shut down rail and road access to London in the event of a Royal Funeral to prevent millions, yes millions of people wanting to attend.
Thank you Herd of Turtles, for bringing our Elizabeth, our longest reigning Sovereign to the attention of your readers.

 

I had the honour of being about 25 feet from the Land Rover transporting the Queen from her church services in a small chapel at Balmoral back in 1988. What a dignified, lovely woman. The British are indeed blessed to have her as Queen.

I believe she and Donald will get along famously!

 

After retirement from the Police I took up a job with a private security firm. One of the jobs I was sent to do was at Royal Ascot, it's a famous horse racing weekend and the Queen's horses run there.
On the first day I was on boundary patrol when I was grabbed by my boss, given a few whispered instructions and despatched to a place called The Sovereign's Gate" It was where Her Majesty's car was going to enter the event. My duty was to walk alongside the car, level to the place where the rear window met the horizontal surface of the boot (trunk to those in the US)and to keep a watch on the crowd. My presence was not needed, anyone even swearing at Her Majesty would have been ripped limb from limb! During the walking-pace trip to the entrance to the stands where the Royal disembarkation was to occur I glanced down at the rear passenger window of the car I was escorting. As I did so Her Majesty glanced up at me and smiled, a real twinkling-eyed smile. I grinned back and received not a wave of the hand, more of a raised hand with wiggled fingers. Her smile broadened, the eyes twinkled even more and then she looked to the front. Her duty called.
I treasure those few seconds. They were never recorded on any medium other than my memory. I am so privileged to be the only one able to play back those few seconds.

 

Thank you for your comments. As Americans we take pride that we bow to no one.
but.... One day I hope to bow to Jesus Christ, I bowed to my late wife for decades.
If I was so honored as to meet your Queen I would gladly bow to her. Not because
she is Royalty but because she is what a real Woman is supposed to be .... and I
Love strong Women !