A Royal Reflection – the secrets of a successful Monarch

Queen Elizabeth II

Queen Elizabeth II. Coronation portrait, June 1953, London, England. By Cecil Beaton – Royal Collection Trust, Public

We all know the saying that goes something like “You don’t realise what you have until you have lost it.”

This is a phrase that is particularly apposite, in recent weeks, following the loss of our beloved monarch Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

For me, this tragic event cast into sharp relief her distinguishing characteristics and character, more than ever before.

During this period of reflection, one evening, I found myself looking at the portrait of Queen Elizabeth, still hanging in my mother lodge, during the practice of a First-Degree ceremony as part of our Lodge of Instruction.

What struck me were the sharp parallels which could be drawn between our late Queen’s character, and the kind of morality we try to instil in all Freemasons.

I have to say, my mind started to interpret our Masonic system as “very British.”

During her life, Queen Elizabeth was the face of Great Britain and the Commonwealth. She was the very representative of the “British brand,” for want of a better term.

She was the very example that all British people should aspire to. But what is this Britishness that I am speaking of?

And why, dear reader, are you perusing this article in a magazine about Freemasonry? Let me explain.

Although Queen Elizabeth, herself, was not a Freemason, her father, who would become King George VI certainly was.

Given the Queen’s conduct throughout her life, I wonder if these virtues were inspired by her father, in some measure.

George VI – King of the United Kingdom from 1936 to 1952, Emperor of India from 1936 to 1948 (1895-1952). Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C.

Our late Queen was what is termed as a “servant leader.” She did not so much rule the people but considered herself a servant of the people.

This, for me, is similar to what Freemasonry teaches its brethren; to be of service to the best of each person’s ability, and to be charitable.

Indeed, in many lodges, the first office the mason works is that of the steward, completely dedicated to the service and the comfort of others at the festive board.

This is a great and practical introduction to what Freemasonry is all about.

To support her in her service, Her Majesty looked to the gospels. In her own way, she followed that straight and undeviating line of conduct laid out for our pursuit in the Volume of the Sacred Law.

Just as Jesus was both leader, and servant of the people, so was our Queen.

Her very persona was clearly marked out with Temperance, Fortitude, Prudence, and Justice. This was exemplified by her calm dignity, in all situations throughout her life.

She also valued privacy, by never dealing with problems in the open, for all to see, but in private.

I feel this is so important in a world of social media, where everyone knows what everyone is doing, and privacy seems side lined. You will all understand that Freemasonry is a private society, which also deals with its own concerns privately.

Our late monarch reminds us that this is okay; this is how issues should be dealt with, and the demands of others to let them in on what is going on is unjustified.

An image personifying the four cardinal virtues – Temperance, Fortitude, Prudence, and Justice (Ballet Comique de la Reine, 1582)

Queen Elizabeth also showed us that she understood the world as one big family.

She inherited an ailing Empire, which became the Commonwealth, which she then went on to grow, as countries elected to join it and its privileges.

As head of this organisation, she saw much of the world. She witnessed our differences, as well as our similarities. She saw how we could all unite and move forward.

During her service she also dealt with a great many people, around the world, with very differing points of view. Some of these people were tyrants, some of them near saints.

However, she took the Christian view that even the lone sheep who has moved away from the flock is valued. She treated everyone equally, with dignity and respect.

If she held any negative thoughts about anyone, she kept these private.

Throughout her life, she walked with level steps and upright conduct.

Anyone who saw the Queen, especially abroad, saw a representative of Great Britain. How she acted was synonymous with how Britain and its people acted or should act.

Under her reign, Britishness became something more than simply being a member of a country. The word became loaded with everything The Queen herself demonstrated.

She provided an exemplar of values that we should all aspire to uphold, as well as being a shining beacon of good in the world.

It is all of the above which I felt during my reflections at the Lodge of Instruction, that evening. It is for this reason that my brain conflated Masonic teachings with “Britishness.”

Of course, Freemasonry is universal, and serves as an independent framework for morality, “veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols,” for people, wherever they are in the world.

However, given the recent tragic loss of the British Queen, my appraisal of her character revealed to me a reflection of the tenets of Freemasonry.

To conclude, then, what this all says about Freemasonry is that it deals with the good and virtue, in all its forms. It does not own these virtues, however.

The late Queen amply demonstrated a life lived resplendent in virtue, to the benefit of all, which is what Freemasonry attempts to teach us to do.

Above all, it reminds us of an exemplar, recently departed, of how we should all live every moment, as we serve others. Queen Elizabeth II showed us how it could be done, that it can be done.

All brethren, everywhere, should take notice of this example for their improvement, as well as the improvement of the world.

“Dieu et mon droit”

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
1926-2022

Pietro Annigoni, Her Majesty in Robes of the British Empire, 1969. Tempera grassa on paper on panel. 198.1 x 177.8 cm. National Portrait Gallery, London. Wikipedia linked – Fair Use.