by Beppe Severgnini
Unity and global attention: Britain now takes center stage in an overbearing way
The British were known to be the stars of the ceremonies. No nation in the world knows how to blend past and present so elegantly. Less obvious – but perhaps more important – is understanding what Elizabeth’s spectacular, moving funeral left behind for her subjects. And finally we too. Four gifts, all important.
The first gift concerns the global focus on Great Britain. It doesn’t matter whether three or four billion people saw the pictures from London yesterday: the numbers are astounding. How amazing how the crowd of royal families, heads of state and government arrived in the British capital: it had been a long time since anything like this had been seen on the planet. Britain returned to center stage in an arrogant manner. Sure, an episode; but in the meantime it happened.
This return is important because the risk of marginalization was – and remains – evident. After the sudden decision to leave the European Union in 2016, Britain struggled. Negotiations with Brussels were long and tedious, the economy and society suffered, and two prime ministers fell. One of them, Boris Johnson, hurt British self-esteem with his behavior. Now the country is back in focus. New king, new prime minister, new government: a Palingenesis in the spirit of Elizabeth.
The late sovereign’s second gift to the United Kingdom which contributed to its unity. The sound of the bagpipes and the choice of Balmoral as the last earthly residence moved England and Scotland, which had shown signs of unrest for some time. It’s impossible to say what the future holds, but independence seems further away today.
The third gift for the whole civilized world. The rites, choreographies, uniforms, medals and colors seen at Westminster Abbey and on the streets of London ooze history. An Imperial Story. In a year when statues are being torn down and many see colonialism as downright evil, yesterday’s funeral brought back a sense of time and proportion. Demonstrators are well on social media, little heard.
Elisabetta’s fourth gift of great importance. Excluding Vladimir Putin from the funeral is not an affront: a signal that the civilized world cannot tolerate a dictator and his appalling war in the heart of Europe. The mass graves of Izyum – 445 bodies found – are inconsistent with the final salute to a sovereign trying to unite the peoples. The absence of the Russian president sends a stronger signal than many presences.
Four gifts in death after an intense life. Elizabeth was undoubtedly a special woman.
September 19, 2022 (Change September 19, 2022 | 23:17)
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