I’m an American. Why Should I Care About the Queen?

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Note: This is an extended version of a Facebook post I made on Thursday, September 8 that inspired the creation of Meg Talks.
"If you don't know history, you don't know anything. You're a leaf that doesn't know it's part of a tree." -- Michael Crichton

For as long as I can remember, I have been fascinated with the Royal family. I had a massive crush on Prince William when I was a teenager. I still have my Princess Diana Beanie Baby. I have binged every season of The Crown, frequently pausing to Google people and events.

Despite Queen Elizabeth being 96 years old, I don’t think anyone was quite prepared for Thursday. Since I teach history, I immediately turned on news coverage and tried to explain it all to my students as crowds gathered outside Buckingham Palace, leaders across the globe issued statements, and anchors stumbled over the former Prince of Wales new title, King Charles III.

The Queen in 1959 (Getty Images)
And then there were the Facebook comments. People were quick to post things like, "Why should I care? I'm an American!" or "I stopped caring about the Royal Family in 1776!"

Comments like this bothered me more than they probably should. I'm usually pretty good at reading things I disagree with on social media and continuing to scroll.

But as I read those comments, the quote above kept coming to my mind and it perfectly sums up why I am so passionate about teaching history. It applies to every facet, whether that’s your own genealogy, your local/state history, your country’s history, and even global history. 

Here's the thing. It's okay to be uninterested in the Royal Family. It's okay to question if the monarchy should continue to exist in the 21st century. However, you absolutely cannot deny the Queen’s incredible role in modern history.

On a personal level, much of my family heritage can be traced back to Great Britain. When my mother got her Ancestry DNA test back a few years ago, she declared she was “more British than the Queen!”
The Queen shared Kentucky’s enthusiasm for horses and traveled to my home state on a number of occasions throughout her reign to visit horse farms and attend the Kentucky Derby.
The Duke of Edinburgh and the Queen at the 2007 Kentucky Derby
 

As for Britain’s relationship with the United States, it’s true we fought a war to gain independence from the Crown. We fought Britain again in the War of 1812.

But spoiler alert: This isn’t 1776 and Britain isn’t our enemy anymore. In fact, they are America's closest ally. This partnership was perhaps the most notable during World War II, when a teenage Princess Elizabeth volunteered as a mechanic against her parent's wishes, becoming the first female royal to to enlist in the military. #girlpower

The Queen saw 14 presidents during her 70 year reign. She met 13 of them. She spoke during our country’s bicentennial celebration in 1976. The Queen also gifted a replica of the Liberty Bell to Philadelphia on that visit with the inscription, "For the People of the United States of America from the People of Great Britain, 4 July 1976, Let Freedom Ring."
Globally, the Queen is one of the most recognizable figures in the world. At the time of her death, she was Queen of Great Britain and 14 other Commonwealth realms around the globe. She was a constant in an ever changing world. She was on the throne longer than both of my parents have been alive. Most people do not know what it is like to live in a world without her as the British monarch.
I deeply admire the Queen for putting her country before herself. The Queen gave her life to her country and was still carrying out her royal duties 48 hours before her death. She is part of a fading generation that can teach all of us a thing or two about dedication and selflessness.

The more I have studied the life of Queen Elizabeth II over the years, the harder it is to adequately put into words my appreciation for her.  

Perhaps Paddington Bear said it best: “Thank you, ma'am, for everything."
God save the King. 👑

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