Queen Elizabeth Should Retire Now With Nothing Left to Prove
There’s a good chance we’ll never see Queen Elizabeth shaking hands with her loyal followers ever again.
It’s not that the 94-year-old monarch has announced her retirement — as far as anyone knows, she still plans to serve her people until she no longer can. However, in a post-coronavirus (COVID-19) world, retiring on a high note could be the smartest option.
No one knows exactly what social distancing guidelines will remain in place six months, one year, or even longer from this moment. But most countries are at least planning to protect vulnerable populations going forward, which includes anyone in Her Majesty’s age bracket.
In other words — it would make perfect sense for the queen to step down now amid the pandemic. But will she?
Queen Elizabeth canceled everything and went to Windsor Castle
For now, the queen is holed up at Windsor Castle with no immediate plans to return home to Buckingham Palace. She’s canceled her favorite summer holiday trip to Balmoral and multiple high-profile annual events, including her birthday celebration. Her staff was instructed to clear her calendar until fall and so far, there’s not a single upcoming event she’s certain to attend.
It’s all inspiring the very logical question: Will Queen Elizabeth go back to normal life? One royal expert says no way.
Royal biographer says there’s no way Queen Elizabeth can resume her former life
The famed royal biographer Andrew Morton told The Sun that he cannot envision Her Majesty getting back to “normal” life anytime soon, or ever.
“It’s terribly sad but I can’t see how the Queen can resume her usual job. The Covid-19 virus isn’t going away soon and will be with us for months, if not years,” he explained. “It would be far too risky for the Queen to start meeting people on a regular basis.”
He continued, saying the risk of greeting people would be far too great for a person in their 90s. “She has always loved getting out and meeting people but she can’t take the risk. How can she carry out investitures, meet ambassadors, do walkabouts, and visit places without meeting people at close range? If she gets the bug, it could be fatal and would put Prince Philip at risk.”
Would people forgive Queen Elizabeth for retiring?
When she became queen, Elizabeth vowed to serve for her entire life and so far has upheld this standard perfectly. Before coronavirus, most royal fans understood that the queen wouldn’t give up the throne for any reason. However, these are unprecedented times, and Her Majesty’s safety must come first.
Plus, the Prince of Wales has been waiting more than seven decades for a chance to become king and is the longest-serving heir apparent in history. Even he will need to make adjustments to his public approach once social distancing measures relax, though he’s already had the virus and recovered himself.
At this point, Queen Elizabeth has enjoyed a long and fruitful reign. No one would blame her for stepping down and they may even respect her more for retiring now and putting her health first. Either way, safety measures will be necessary once royal engagements resume.
