The Monarch as Mediator

Like most, I have been thinking about the monarchy. Whatever your opinion of the institution, there has been an unerring outpouring of respect and admiration for the way Queen Elizabeth II carried herself throughout her extraordinary life and reign.

The Archbishop of Canterbury spoke on Friday about how the Queen was a “place of confidences”. And how much did she know that she would never tell? How many people got strength from her steady presence? The wider public, as many have been saying, but also those in her inner circle. Everybody needs a safe space to share all the thoughts and knowledge in their head freely with another person. Who else can a prime minister share their vulnerabilities with, knowing that these will never be used against them?

Whatever the future of the monarchy, this function, of confidential independent counsel for the most powerful, is a vital part of our constitution.

During his long time as Prince of Wales, there has been periodic speculation about how the new King will finally stand up to the demands of impartiality that his mother met so well. It just shows the high standard we held her to, that she was once criticised even for saying, about the Scottish Independence Referendum, something as ambiguous as that she hoped people would think very carefully about the future. The very reminder that she might hold her own private opinion was an affront to many.

When she first adopted the mantle, Princess Elizabeth was around the age of the PAs who I employ each year. One of the things that I love about having these young women around me is the strength and animation of their opinions! How hard must it have been for the young Queen to deny herself that luxury that the rest of us enjoy: freedom of speech. Ironically, she did it specifically to play her part in upholding the very freedoms that we are fortunate to have.

I was a little blown away last week to learn that the Commonwealth contains 2.5 billion people. That’s more than China (I had to check). The monarch’s position is not as a private person, but as a single embodiment of all the people in all those nations, with their diverse beliefs and cultures, and the inevitable tensions that will arise. Her Majesty (and now His Majesty) unifies the myriad view of the billions of individuals as one. That eliminates a lot of polarised opinions. But it isn’t a vacuum.

When you take judgement, partiality and opinion out of a situation you are left with wisdom, perspective and equity.

Holding a position puts you against others, and it keeps you from seeing the whole picture. Sharing our differing views allows us to understand more of the whole by hearing other perspectives. However, in every group of people, from Commonwealth via boardroom to family dining table, there is also a place for that quiet person who listens, who absorbs, and who reflects. Rather than taking no sides, they take every side. There is fidelity not compromise.

The age that the Queen came to the throne is also around the age that I was when I first considered becoming a mediator, and at that time I didn’t feel that I had the maturity to be an impartial mirror for parties in conflict. Did she feel the same, I wonder? She had no choice, and we will never know if objectivity was her nature or if it was hard-worked-for.

Her son, our King, has had the unenviable semi-freedom of heir for seven decades. In his youth (and more recently) he has made his personal views very much known. He knows his duty now is to set all those passions aside to do the job. I wonder, is that easier in your twenties, or your seventies?