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I have been wallowing in nostalgia this week. The death of the Queen Mother and the news coverage of her life made me feel very sentimental about my childhood days when the royal family was loved and respected universally. The attention they received then was akin to that given to pop stars and footballers now. Criticism was unthinkable. The national anthem was played at the end of cinema and theatre performances and we all stood in silence. Every child knew the words of the national anthem at least two verses. How things have changed. There are many children now who would not recognise the national anthem if they heard it, let alone know any of the words beyond the first line. I fear that may also apply to the Lord's Prayer and all the old favourite hymns that are no longer taught in schools for fear of offending someone. Many of our schoolchildren are spiritually deprived in the name of political correctness.
I had the same feeling when I was in America last year at the time of the terrorist attacks. I remember attending a High School football game in Texas. When we arrived, the crowd was singing The Star Spangled Banner, really singing with feeling without a hint of self consciousness. Every pupil, parent, groundsman and teacher knew the words and sang them with confidence. It was a unifying moment for them and it brought home to me what we have lost over the last few decades.
These days, it has become fashionable amongst the media and the chattering classes to decry traditional values. The royal family is targeted routinely for criticism. What an easy target when they can't answer back. I have been dismayed by the open display of republicanism and, on occasions, contempt for the monarchy coming from some of the Labour benches. The huge numbers of people who came from all over the country and further afield, content to queue patiently and in good humour for many hours in order to pay their personal respects to the Queen Mother must have shocked all those who predicted that few would be interested. Their affection was shown in a dignified and respectful way. There was none of the exhibitionist wailing which we have seen in recent times the old values and standards of behaviour returned.
The Queen Mother had demonstrated during her long, full life that she understood the relationship between rights and responsibilities, or as in her case, privilege and duty. She was a warm, charming and remarkable lady, sustained throughout the many chapters of her life by that most precious gift, her unwavering Christian faith. I wonder how long the effect of the last two weeks and the example of her life will last. I pray that her legacy will be an increased appreciation of those two unifying elements, the monarchy and the Christian faith.
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