THE NEW REIGN QUEENS OF GREATNESS

Press, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 26671, 4 March 1952, Page 6

THE NEW REIGN QUEENS OF GREATNESS

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ARTHUR BRYANT,

in the "Sunday Times”]

(Reprinted by Arrangement.)

England has known three great reigns when a wom»n sat on her Throne. The first, which lasted 45 years saw Drake’s voyage round the world, the defeat of the Armada, the publication of Spencer’s "Faerie Queene” and Bacon’s “Essays, and the performance of Shakespeare* early plays. The second, though it lasted only 12 years, witnessed Marlborough’s victories and the capture of Gibraltar, the union of England and Scotland, the highest perfection of our domestic architecture, furniture and craftsmanship, and the virtual completion of Wren’s St. Paul s The third, most glorious of all. lasted 64 years—the longest reign in our History—saw the building of our railway system and most of our heavy industries the development of new nations in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India ahd South Africa, and a vast expansion of the British Empire; a wonderful flowering of scientific knowledge and mechanical achievement; and the works of Dickens, Thackeray, Darwin, George Eliot, Tennyson, Browning, Arnold, .Meredith, Stevenson and Hardy. Challenge and Stimulus These diverse periods of greatness had two things in common. A Queen reigned over us and our fleets secured or held command of the seas across which we did our business. Was there any connexion between these two facts and between them and the glories that ensued? I think there was. The presence on the Throne of a woman whom England loved and trusted acted as a challenge and stimulus to her manhood. Under Elizabeth, Anne and Victoria, Englishmen did what they had to do with a tremendous zest ana energy and surpassed themselves in courage, enterprise, and creative capacity. They responded to the romantic challenge" of a Queen Who needed their service and sacrifice and took pride in their achievements. The thought made them glow with patriotism and Chivalry. “Blest be the hearts that wish my Sovereign well,” wrote George Peele, of Elizabeth, Curst, be the souls that think her any Wrong, Goddess, allow this aged man his right To be your beadsman now that was your knight. And the challenge to which the subjects of these great Queens responded was a very real dne. All three reigns began in times of grave national de* pression, confusion and uncertainty. When Elizabeth came to the Throne England had lost her last overseas possession and was labouring in the

trough of a religious revolution ami. great economic depression. Anne’s reign was preceded bv golitical revolution and, like Eli» eth’s, by the rise of a Continent!; Power that threatened the libertie, 7, Europe and this country’s existZnJ? Between 1832 and 1842. Britain twS came within an ace of revolution by the time that each of the relln reached its climax the nation S attained an unprecedented height m glory. Her people, inspired bv th. Crown, had responded to the challen, of Fate and triumphed over I difficulty and danger. ! Parallels? Once more, in a time of trial and Bern a woman has ascended our ancient throne. Because she bears the sam» name, many parallels have been draw! I in the last few days between her ; the first Elizabeth. Yet, save that du wears the same crown and has th. I same greatness of heart, Elizabeth") bears little personal resemblance S’ her famous predecessor, whose r» I markable qualities were attended bv asperities of temper which we should find it a good deal less comfortiw! I to endure in real life than We do £ ' the pages of a history book. Oto gracious young Queen comes from the happiest and best of homes; her bfj. i decessor was the tragic child of Henn VIII and Anne Boleyn. Nor is Eliza. j beth II like Queen Anne or evan like her own great-great-grandmother I Victoria. She is unique, like no on. i but herself. An Attribute Shared Yet our Sovereign shares one verv important attribute with both her six. ‘ teenth-century namesake and her nine- ' teenth-century ancestress. She neii herself, with all the intensity and Mee of her woman’s heart, to be dedicated to her people’s service. “Be ye wen assured.” said the great Elizabeth in the first speech of her reign, *1 win stand your good Queen.” Once, when informed that a purse of £lO9 n«. sented to her by the city of Coventry was worth a great deal more, she MiSrf in what way. “It is the faithful hetftt" she was told, “of all your true lotdhg subjects.” “We thank you, Mr she replied, “that is a great deal indeed.” ’ Out young Queen speaks to tu with the same glow of language and with the same deep feeling. It is becatiNbt this, and because she is a womaL 04 because she embodies, with ko sub grace, tenderness and dignity, the thdition and heritage of a thousand yuan that her peoples are ready to rMMM to the challenge that confront* th® and show the world that they etn equal and surpass the highest achiefi. ments of their ancestors.