I only ask because in many photos she strikes me as being quite “cold” and very unimpressed. Maybe even mean… I dunno…
Sure, she’s smiling, but her eyes speak volumes. Maybe she’s just sick of her job, having performed it for over 50 years…
What’s the scoop?
If you had to stand on your feet for hours at a time, forcing a smile, you might get a little cranky too…
I think Queen Elizabeth II is someone who takes her responsibilities as Head of State very seriously. She grew up during World War II and, I think, saw the monarchy as being responsible for putting on a strong face for the public.
Let’s also keep in mind, she’s over 80 years old, has lived a life in which she has, since a very young age been groomed for responsibility in putting a public image on the British state.
She could be very nice in her personal life, or she could be somewhat cold. Either way, I think given the way she interprets her responsibilities as Head of State she would consider it inappropriate to act in her public life like she would/does in her personal life.
Apparently she finds it very difficult to maintain her silky-soft skin given that the British people are increasingly reluctant to offer up their first-born children towards her dead-eyed lizard voodoo rituals.
Her Majesty’s a pretty nice girl,
but she doesn’t have a lot to say
Her Majesty’s a pretty nice girl
but she changes from day to day
I want to tell her that I love her a lot
But I gotta get a bellyful of wine
Her Majesty’s a pretty nice girl
Someday I’m going to make her mine, oh yeh,
someday I’m going to make her mine.
I am told that the Queen actually is a nice person. She’s also highly intelligent, and very witty.
It’s just the rest of the family that is batshit crazy.
ahem
Broadly true but bearing in mind the whole uncle debacle…
She seems pretty nice. Takes her job seriously and works hard - and is way beyond typical retirement age.
Re the smiling - ever been to a wedding where you were one of the prinicpal guests? Bridesmaid or best man or whatever? God, didn’t that smile get frozen on after the first ten minutes of photos. My cheeks still ache thinking about it.
I understand she does an devastating impression of Nancy Reagan. I would pay big bucks to see it.
I think she’s a caring person, as much as she possibly can given her upbringing. Remember, it was traditional for children of upper class families to be sent off to boarding school at an early age. (Will & Harry are the exception because Diana reportedly wouldn’t allow it.) That is where they earn their “stiff upper lip” that Brits are famous for. However, being absent from loving parents during these critical years also gives them an aloofness that seems cold to us.
Her stoicism and dignity at all costs attitude doesn’t win her any points with Americans because we’re so used to seeing bald emotions. However, I think the Brits are fond of her and appreciate that her sense of duty is so profound.
This is my take on her, as well. I think her entire life has been devoted to duty, and that “niceness” as we perceive it is not appropriate in that context. Whatever feelings she has are simply not going to be shown in public, but I think there is no reason to believe those feelings don’t exist, or that she doesn’t have her own way of expressing them in private.
That is very true - occasionally one hears a dastardly republican finishing off a rant with “Well apart from the Queen obviously, she’s alright”. She says something about the collective British psyche* by not actually ever saying anything. It’s very odd, perhaps there is something in having a wilfully perverse system of government that appeals.
Nice or not nice is irrelevant. She has had to set aside her personal feelings in order to be successful in her double life as an assassin for British Intelligence. “I’m doing this for me and country,” she sighs sadly as she puts a bullet into yet another tin-crown mudhole dictator.
That’s just rumour and innuendo. She prefers to take out dictators with a slightly raised eyebrow, waspish wit, a nice cup of tea and the Special Air Service.
My mother says she’s a good person but not a nice person. I think that’s an interesting disticntion. But she’s the one with the PhD.
Oh, do tell. I seem to mention with dreary regularity that I know an Earl who was some sort of page to QEII when he was younger. He’s one of the nicest people anyone could ever meet, but talking about the Royal family is an obvious no-no. So spill!
Neither the Queen or Princess Margaret ever attended any school at all. They were both eductated at home by governesses and tutors (and Margaret’s education was quite limited compared to her sister). The first (& only) time the Queen actually was taught alongside other pupils was when she was in the ATS.
ATS = Assassination Training School, of course.
She’s a little stuffy when she first gets here, but after she has a few beers and we’re into the second or third episode of My Name is Earl she’s laughing with the rest of us and judging the burping contests. She does insist on the best chair, though, but I can excuse that because she’s old.
Gotta agree with Opal…
When Liz shows up for the annual possum festival, she is a little distant at first, but after she has done a few beer bong hits, and sampled the possum stew, she really kicks back!
Last year, she got pretty tore up on Uncle Joe’s corn squeezins, and stole Bubba’s ATV bike and won the hill climb/ mud bog contest. Lotta guts to do that as she refused to take off her crown, and we couldn’t fit the safety helmet on over it.
I don’t know about before she started attending the Ugly Skunk Flats annual Possum festival, but since then what she carries in that hand bag is a hip flask of Uncle Joe’s finest…
One last thing, she’s a great gal, and all that, but she does have prissy table manners. She uses both a fork, and a knife…
Regards
FML
How much of a “personal life” does she really have? She certainly can’t go out in public. How often does she have to go out and make appearances? Is her whole day “scheduled” everyday? Friends can’t just stop by and see her ( if having “friends” is even possible as a Queen.)