Appearance with a cane, brief hospitalization, cancellation of an official trip… The worrying signals are multiplying about the health of the Queen of England.
A fragility scrutinized by the whole United Kingdom, worried at the idea of losing its sovereign.
How do the British experience the deterioration of Elizabeth II's state of health?
It is well known, in England, we bet on everything: the results of the matches of course, but also the sex of the future babies, the weather - what will be the hottest or coldest month of the year for example - , the winner of the Oscars… There is however a theme on which it is strictly forbidden to bet anything: the death of the queen, additional proof if necessary of the sanctification of her majesty across the Channel.
Ban or not, the mood in London is not up to par.
In recent days, the 95 years - including 69 years of reign - of Elizabeth II seem to catch up with her and the signs of vulnerability have multiplied: on October 12, the sovereign was seen for the first time with a cane, on the night of the 20 October, she was hospitalized, and this Tuesday, she gave up participating in the COP26 on medical advice.
Add to this that the monarch was deprived of her traditional glass of martini in the evening, again for medical reasons, and it is the whole of the United Kingdom that sinks into a hangover in front of a long rejected evidence: no, Elisabeth II is not eternal.
Stability and sense of immortality
A fate for a long time imperceptible for the British. "The Queen has been in power for 70 years, it must be understood that the vast majority of us have only known her since birth," notes Peter, a 53-year-old doctor living in Manchester. Eight in ten Britons were born after the coronation of Elizabeth II, appearing as unchanging as Big Ben, London's red cabins or the rain in winter. The current stupor that is gripping the kingdom would therefore be perfectly logical: “When something has been there since you were born, it is hard to imagine it disappearing,” continues Peter. For many English people, including me, the queen even outlived our parents, that is to say the immortal status that she has. Peter refuses to talk about the possible death of the sovereign and brings up a taboo subject in the hospital where he works.
This scenario of an imminent death worries all the more since the times are troubled for the United Kingdom, between the economic and health crisis linked to the coronavirus and the political crisis linked to Brexit.
“In a world that is going faster and faster, the queen embodies stability and temperance,” says David Feutry, historian specializing in monarchies.
Especially since her potential death would lead to other major upheavals, continues the specialist: “The queen does not only have a symbolic function.
She is also the Chief of the Armies, the Leader of the Commonwealth, the Head of the Anglican Church and she speaks daily with the Prime Minister.
It has a very important political influence.
"
Popular popularity
In this time of crisis and division, the queen even retains popularity. According to an Ipsos poll carried out in April 2016, 70% of Britons hoped that the sovereign "reigns as long as possible" and 76% remained in favor of the monarchy. While a YouGov survey conducted last March revealed that 80% of Britons had a positive opinion of her. A feeling confirmed by Julia, a 27-year-old Londoner and business student: “Boris Johnson is unpopular and has done anything with the coronavirus, the opposition parties are pathetic, the Queen is the only worthy representative of British politics . "
It is therefore the whole of the United Kingdom that sits at the bedside of the leader of the Commonwealth.
“In London, this is the big topic of discussion, much more than the covid or the Premier league matches.
The whole population is worried and inquires about their state of health, reports Julia.
The country has suffered so much lately, it would be a huge blow to lose the Queen.
"
Fear of the future
An obsession that owes as much to the love of the British for their queen as to the worry of a world without her. "It's the classic:" We know what we would lose, not what we would gain, "breathes Charlie, 34 years old and a waiter in London. Scotland has dreams of independence, the country is isolated from Europe, we have lost our influence… What will remain of the United Kingdom if the Queen were to disappear? He said he feared a referendum on the monarchy in the event of the sovereign's disappearance. “However, the monarchy is the United Kingdom,” he chants.
It is undoubtedly for this reason that he refuses to believe in the imminent death of the sovereign.
“She has known others, she will get over it.
The day after her hospitalization, she was back to business, ”he says to himself.
Same faith in Peter: “It took 95 years to walk with a cane, which shows how resistant it is to time.
She will live for many more years!
At least as much as his mother, ”who passed away at the age of 102.
What monarchy for tomorrow?
Julia, she is more pessimistic: "I think the recent family affairs with Meghan Markle have exhausted her physically and mentally ... The queen is traditional: her family was her reason for living. What does he have left now? Like any good subject of her majesty, she nevertheless refuses to evoke an imminent death of the sovereign: "She cannot abandon us, not now. "
David Feutry concludes: “The Queen embodies the United Kingdom, she is her image in the world.
When it disappears, the whole way of perceiving the country will change.
The British know they are lucky to have such a popular and respected queen across the world, and are worried about what will follow her brand image.
“A question to which the British people are in no hurry to know the answer.
In the meantime, the country hopes that
God save the Queen
.
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