Tea at Trianon: Why an American Girl Mourns the Passing of the Queen

John Wilson Croker on Marie-Antoinette

"We have followed the history of Marie Antoinette with the greatest diligence and scrupulosity. We have lived in those times. We have talked with some of her friends and some of her enemies; we have read, certainly not all, but hundreds of the libels written against her; and we have, in short, examined her life with– if we may be allowed to say so of ourselves– something of the accuracy of contemporaries, the diligence of inquirers, and the impartiality of historians, all combined; and we feel it our duty to declare, in as a solemn a manner as literature admits of, our well-matured opinion that every reproach against the morals of the queen was a gross calumny– that she was, as we have said, one of the purest of human beings."

~from History of the Guillotine by John Wilson Croker, 1844

Edmund Burke on Marie-Antoinette

"It is now sixteen or seventeen years since I saw the queen of France, then dauphiness, at Versailles; and surely there never lighted on this orb, which she hardly seemed to touch, a more delightful vision. I saw her just above the horizon, decorating and cheering the elevated sphere she had just begun to move in, glittering like a morning star full of life and splendor and joy. Oh, what a revolution....Little did I dream that I should have lived to see such disasters fall upon her, in a nation of gallant men, in a nation of men of honor and of cavaliers! I thought ten thousand swords must have leaped from their scabbards, to avenge even a look which threatened her with insult. But the age of chivalry is gone; that of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded...."

~Edmund Burke, October 1790

Monday, September 19, 2022

Why an American Girl Mourns the Passing of the Queen

From American Greatness:

From American Greatness:
Queen Elizabeth II did not demand respect by staging large publicity stunts or seeking to be a celebrity or making herself the center of attention. Rather, she spoke of duty, acted on it and maintained through many national and personal crises an aspect of dignity and grace. She always reminded me what it meant to be a good leader and a lady.

The queen stood out in a culture full of people obsessed with drawing attention to themselves. While her family was constantly in the spotlight (by choice or not) the queen always kept herself composed. While some took issue with the way the queen, throughout her life, has declined to comment on personal issues I can’t help thinking it is the epitome of noble. Oftentimes politicians and people in the media degrade themselves by making everything that ought to be personal public or, in various ways, destroying their dignity.

Despite being one of the most powerful women in the world, Queen Elizabeth II did not consider using her power to excuse bad behavior. She held herself to a higher standard, even when those she loved fell short. She did not flinch when the inevitable criticism came. She just carried on and kept her dignity intact. She understood her duty as a head of a state. She never pushed for a glamorous life.

As a young adult today, many women look past the queen and romanticize the life of Diana, instead. I don’t understand it. While I have no strong negative opinion of Diana, her tragic life is not a model of the kind of dignity to which women should aspire. Queen Elizabeth II offers a better alternative, though perhaps she was never as flashy or glamorous. She showed, by her example, what heads of state and people who have the burden of being thrust into the limelight should do. Her job was to look after what was best for the commonwealth. Not to turn her life into a perpetual season of “Keeping up with the Kardashians.” She understood her duties first, and led with reason, not emotion. That is something I have incredible respect for because, let’s face it, growing up that is not something I saw much of stateside. (Read more.)