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As Britain and the Commonwealth celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, the festivities overshadow the dramatic changes that have taken place during the last 60 years.
I'm writing this from South Africa, where it all began on April 21, 1947. The members of the British royal family were on a "thank you" tour of South Africa and southern Rhodesia, two nations that were part of the British Empire, both of which had contributed greatly to the war effort in World War II. Princess Elizabeth turned 21 on the tour while visiting Cape Town, from where she addressed the peoples of the empire and Commonwealth-these still all together after six years of war:
"I declare before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong" (quoted by Sally Bedell Smith, Elizabeth the Queen: The Life of a Modern Monarch, 2012, pp. 37-38). A deeply religious woman, Elizabeth would work to follow Christ's admonition, "Whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your servant" (Matthew 20:26).
Five years later, Elizabeth's father King George VI died and she became queen, ironically while on another visit to Africa. At the time, she reigned over the greatest empire in history. Now, 60 years later, the monarchy endures, and Queen Elizabeth's subjects are celebrating her Diamond Jubilee in various parts of the world.
Yet the empire is no more-one of the big changes during her reign, the true context of which is vital to understand.
The U.S. newsmagazine Time published a special commemorative issue on the royal family, which made the following observation: "Governments topple and institutions fail, but Britain's constitutional monarchy maintains its quiet popularity. As the indefatigable Queen celebrates 60 years on the throne, the House of Windsor looks secure, surprisingly so."
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Keywords: Queen Elizabeth royal family British crown
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