Let’s clap for the Queen to show our gratitude - Jayne Dowle

WHAT do we have that the French don’t? A nice cup of strong Yorkshire tea?
An image of Queen Elizabeth II and quotes from her broadcast  to the UK and the Commonwealth in relation to the coronavirus epidemic are displayed on lights in London's Piccadilly Circus.An image of Queen Elizabeth II and quotes from her broadcast  to the UK and the Commonwealth in relation to the coronavirus epidemic are displayed on lights in London's Piccadilly Circus.
An image of Queen Elizabeth II and quotes from her broadcast to the UK and the Commonwealth in relation to the coronavirus epidemic are displayed on lights in London's Piccadilly Circus.

Roast beef and Yorkshire pudding? Relatively clean and functional public lavatories? Should I mention Brexit?

Let’s not get into an argument, but it’s an interesting topic of conversation to fill a few lockdown hours – perhaps you’ll share some thoughts on The Yorkshire Post’s letters’ page.

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Meanwhile, I’ll give you an answer you might not expect. Here in the United Kingdom, we have a reigning monarch who can unite all ages, sexes and social backgrounds with grace, dignity and meaningful experience of almost a century of public life. The French are not so regally blessed, having done away with their monarchy about 200 years ago.

The Queen during her historic address to the nation earlier this month.The Queen during her historic address to the nation earlier this month.
The Queen during her historic address to the nation earlier this month.

Most British subjects and Commonwealth citizens, whatever their political affiliation or personal beliefs, can find a degree of respect for the Queen in their hearts.

And now it seems, so can the French. Her Majesty has extended her graceful reach across the Channel. In these troubled and troubling times, our 93-year-old monarch has become a perhaps unlikely figurehead for our closest continental cousins.

The Queen’s televised address a week ago was watched by 2.35 million people in France – nearly nine per cent of the population – and broadcast live across three news networks with simultaneous translation.

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Here in the UK, almost 24 million of us tuned in across all channels, around three times the number who watched Her Majesty’s 2019 Christmas Day message.

A jogger runs near the Louvre in Paris where support for the Queen continues to grow.A jogger runs near the Louvre in Paris where support for the Queen continues to grow.
A jogger runs near the Louvre in Paris where support for the Queen continues to grow.

French interest in la famille royale britannique has been piqued by the success of The Crown, the popular Netflix series which chronicles the life of Her Majesty from her earliest years. However, it is the Queen herself, in person, who people want to see.

Louise Angelergues, a popular young French cartoonist, posting a sketch of our monarch’s televised broadcast on Instagram, praised Her Majesty as “the immovable matriarch who stands for unsinkable values in an age where everything is uncertain”.

I couldn’t have put it any better myself. When politicians are doing their best, but can’t succeed (to paraphrase that Coldplay song, Fix Me), Her Majesty is a leader without party bias, with decades of state experience to guide her hand.

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When inevitably public spats erupt, she is there, implacable and wise. And not without her own concerns. Her own son and successor, the 71-year-old Prince of Wales, contracted coronavirus himself and was forced into self-isolation at Birkhall on the Balmoral estate in Aberdeenshire.

Whilst there is no arguing that the Royal Family enjoy privileges very few of us share, there are threads of commonality which bind it together with each of our own. And like all families, there are branches characterised by pain and separation and others which bring joy and pride.

In this respect, it’s probably best to draw a veil over the Sussex branch for now. Far more relevant was the virtual ‘visit’ the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge made to a primary school in Burnley, Lancashire, where children of key workers are being taught and cared for.

Clearly, William and his wife take their duties – and their desire to serve – seriously. Like so many other people of late, they have learned to embrace video technology. And like William’s grandmother, they understand the vital importance of the human touch and the power of communication.

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We don’t have be reminded every day, but it is inspiring to know that the most famous family in the land is dealing with this crisis by playing to their strengths. Not for them the tawdry trappings of celebrity; just clear and honest connections.

In this, they take their lead from the monarch, who has listened to advice and modernised and softened her approach to public affairs considerably the older she has become.

A week tomorrow, on April 21, Her Majesty will celebrate her actual 94th birthday – with her ‘official’ birthday usually marked in June by Trooping the Colour.

This year, as we all know, things are rather different for us all. I have an idea to mark this momentous occasion. The nation has been brought together – and often to tears –  by clapping for the NHS every Thursday evening at 8pm.

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Why don’t we all get together and clap for our Queen next Tuesday night? If we do it loud enough, perhaps our friends across the Channel will hear us and join in too. 

Editor’s note: first and foremost - and rarely have I written down these words with more sincerity - I hope this finds you well.

Almost certainly you are here because you value the quality and the integrity of the journalism produced by The Yorkshire Post’s journalists - almost all of which live alongside you in Yorkshire, spending the wages they earn with Yorkshire businesses - who last year took this title to the industry watchdog’s Most Trusted Newspaper in Britain accolade.

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Sincerely. Thank you.

James Mitchinson

Editor