An American remembrance of the Queen – The Spectator World
Elizabeth was far and away the most admired head of state in the world. Her good sense, her generosity of spirit, her thoughtful but active reticence have made her one of the most successful monarchs in history. Her long tenure she was on the throne beginning in the administration of Harry Truman made her a symbol and a cynosure of stability.
Americans grow up (or used to grow up) reading about the long train of abuses and usurpations that Thomas Jefferson set forth against George III in the Declaration of Independence. Andrew Roberts, in his magisterial new book on Jefferson s bête noir, shows that Jefferson exaggerated greatly for effect. That takes nothing away from the nobility of the American Revolution. But it does remind us that monarchy is not synonymous with tyranny, just as democracy is not synonymous with liberty or good government.