The Jubilee weekend is not just an opportunity to reflect on the 70th anniversary of Her Majesty’s accession to the throne, although of course it will be.
And it is not just an opportunity for a country tired of the extraordinary circumstances of recent years to give up, although of course it is your patriotic duty to do so.
No, the first platinum jubilee in the history of our nation is an opportunity to celebrate a truly extraordinary queen, to reflect on the difference she has made in her country, and to consider what our Elizabethan era has meant and what it will mean for her. our future. .
Over the next few days, there will be time for rich explorations of history. How His Majesty has guided us through turbulent times and stood by us during the good and the bad.
But I want to reflect on the values that the queen represents and how they have made her such a popular, unifying and enduring figure.
We live in a time when our attitudes toward authority have changed. The deferential culture of the first part of Her Majesty’s reign has disappeared.
But the queen has been able to rise above much of the archery and cynicism: the hope and security she represents sometimes feels like a throwback to that old age. The admiration that people have for her goes far beyond the typical relationship between monarch and people.
There are no big secrets about how to achieve this. Her Majesty’s commitment to duty and her passion for pushing our country on the world stage have not only benefited each of us, but also given her the respect and love of the people here and from all over the world. He has shown us that integrity, hard work, and self-sacrifice are the antidote to pessimism.
It is a truth that with great power carries a great responsibility, but the reign of the queen has been a continual reminder of how to deal with it: blocking the noise and continuing with the work.
The Western world has changed without recognition since the 1950s. This has given rise to fundamental questions about what it means to be a citizen and what it means to be patriotic. Britain has been no exception. The constant presence of His Majesty, a bridge between different eras, has been an important part in helping us to fight these questions.
That Britain has rejected extremism at all times is largely due to our idea of who we are as a people: an idea born of a sense of stability that cannot exist without solid institutions.
Watching last year’s Euro 2020 tournament, it was amazing not only how many players from the home nations were first-, second- or third-generation immigrants, but also how many of them wore replica T-shirts to the bleachers or the pubs.
This weekend’s celebrations will be the same. I encourage everyone to get involved, and I support this newspaper’s call for local authorities to try to ensure that so many events can be held and that as many people as possible can celebrate.
As in the coronation of the queen in 1953, our country is at a crossroads. As then, we have experienced a great change. And as then, there are mermaid voices claiming that our best days are long gone.
But they will once again prove themselves wrong. The Britain that emerges in this platinum jubilee is another that is ready to go through the tribulations of recent years, stronger in its experiences and more than able to seize the opportunities that lie ahead. A new patriotism is born around us, easy, confident and inclusive.
Just as the queen has guided us for the past 70 years, everything she has taught us about duty, tolerance, humility, and responsibility will continue to guide us into the next age. We are a better and brighter country thanks to her. Our history is richer, our future built on stronger foundations and our great country even bigger by its government.
Now it’s worth celebrating.
Sir Keir Starmer is the leader of the Labor Party