Stuff asked the following question
In a time when we have seen too many world leaders who have seemingly been motivated by ego, greed, hate and hubris, Queen Elizabeth II stood for public duty and commitment to service over self.
Do you believe her values remain relevant in New Zealand or are we becoming a culture of people who put themselves first?
Stuart Smith
National MP
Kaikoura
Below is Stuart Smith’s response.
Her majesty Queen Elizabeth II spent virtually her entire life in the service of others. I cannot think of any other leader or head of state who was as devoted, pragmatic and fair in their reign as the Queen was.
During her lifetime, she was the first to achieve many things as a royal and a monarch. In 1945 during World War II, when she was still Princess Elizabeth, she joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service and become the first female member of the Royal Family to serve full-time in the military.
She was also the first British monarch to reign for 70 years, a momentous achievement that we were all able to witness and acknowledge earlier this year.
The world changed considerably during her reign of seven decades. During this time, she faced many challenges but dealt with them with the greatest sense of humility and grace – despite the tabloids and paparazzi going to great lengths to create any salacious story.
Every family has its issues, and the tabloids and media exploited any misstep that members of the Royal family made. When Princess Diana joined the family, her popularity exploded and suddenly she dominated all forms of media during her relatively brief life as a Royal.
But even with Diana, and the scandals and unfortunate conclusion that followed, the Queen continued to respond with grace, even though it would have been an incredibly difficult time for her and her family.
There would be few who would be able to ‘keep calm and carry on’ as she did in such trying circumstances.
Since the news of the Queen’s passing at Balmoral Castle, millions worldwide have mourned and remembered one of the most extraordinary and dedicated figures in our history. The Queen touched us all – even those who never met her and that alone is a testament to the role she played in all our lives and how her values are embedded in us all one way or another.
Despite her long devotion to public service, there are some who use the Queen’s passing as an opportunity to promote republicanism; however, I will not be joining them.
While our constitutional monarchy is not perfect, it has stood the test of time. The alternative would bring far more problems than it would solve. And the reality is, we have far greater challenges that deserve our attention, such as the economic mire that this Labour government has driven us into.
No matter where you look, health, education, crime, the economy – it has all gotten worse and there are still more tough times ahead.
Queen Elizabeth II began her reign during the recovery from World War II and it ended as dark clouds of war descended on Europe once again. Like his mother, King Charles III’s reign has begun in another time of recovery and I look forward to seeing how our new King deals with these challenges. I am sure he will be as dedicated to serving his people as his mother was.