‘I’ve always admired her, never complain, never explain the mantra’ – How the Queen won over an unlikely legion of Irish admirers
Ursula Curtin remembers the moment she fell heart and soul in love for the royal family. Born in London to Irish parents and now based in West Limerick, the author spent some time in Sydney during her teenage years.
In the UK it was still ‘no blacks, no dogs, no Irish’, but when we went to Australia I felt very Irish there,’ she says. “I went to an all-girls Catholic school in Sydney and the day Diana and Charles got married the nuns cleared out the gym and we all watched the wedding. I remember thinking, ‘Wow, that’s funny, all these good Irish Catholic nuns are sitting here and looking at this’, but we were just blown away.”
Over 25 years later, when Princess Diana died in 1997, Curtin considered going to London to attend the funeral as a spectator. “The only thing that stopped us was that my girlfriend had a very young baby. And I remember we said to each other, “Well, anybody can take care of this baby — we have to come to this royal funeral,” says Curtin. “Not going is definitely something I regret.”
Since then, Curtin has endeavored to visit some of the royal venues open to the public. “I go back from time to time and if I go there I definitely make it to Kensington Palace for exhibitions and stuff,” she says. “I even bought it [commemorative] tea towel. You get drawn into it.” She jokingly adds: “If I lived in the UK I would no doubt be sent to a psychiatric ward because I would visit all of this [royal events].”
Curtin attributes her British origins to her longstanding admiration for the royal family, although there’s something else at play here. And as the world celebrates the Queen’s jubilee, which marks 70 years of service in the UK, the moment has paused for many Irish fans to appreciate her once again.
“The Queen is a backdrop to so many people’s lives,” says Curtin. “She was a celebrity before we had celebrities. She is classy and reserved, yet has an amazing presence. I didn’t envy her life – heavy is the head that wears the crown and the burden of responsibility must have been enormous, but she carried it all so well.
“I’ve always admired their motto ‘never complain, never explain.’ It wasn’t smooth sailing, but she keeps the water calm no matter how rough the sea gets. When she swore her allegiance to the country, she took it seriously. She’s not the one using a Jail Break card.”
Aged 30, digital content author Grace McGettigan was six when Princess Diana died. Up until this point, the Dublin native was completely unfamiliar with the royals, but the moment affected her. As well as following the younger royals, McGettigan has devoured documentaries dating back to the reign of Henry VIII.
“I didn’t raise them until I was in my early 20s, when Prince William and Kate Middleton got married,” she says. “I was like, ‘Oh my god, the glamour.’ It was the Disney fairy tale that drew me in.”
Noel Cunningham, Royal Correspondent for Virgin Media, notes that the Queen’s unfailing sense of duty was central to her calling.
“Even those who hate royalty and say, ‘Throw her off!’ would have grudging respect for a woman who has served her country as devotedly as she has,” he says. “When she became queen, she was very young. I think people had a lot of admiration for a young woman whose father died while she was on holiday in Kenya and she immediately committed her life to duty and did nothing wrong.”
Qualities to admire in a person, certainly, but the question must be asked. Why do the Irish enjoy the British royal family so much, not least after a troubled history together? Ireland had only been a Free State for 34 years when Queen Elizabeth ascended the throne in 1953. Before that we had been part of the English, then British empire for about 700 years and are obviously still grappling with its imperial past.
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Grace McGettigan with the Queen’s wax model at Madame Tussauds in New York
“While people thought of England [was connected with the idea of] Part of our population still lived and worked there under oppression, and England was our largest trading partner,” says Cunningham. “The royal family is different. They are not part of the political agenda or any political struggle.
“What’s interesting is that every time the Irish thought the royals were spoiled puppies who never had proper jobs, the Queen’s visit to Ireland comes along and sparks a whole new love affair with the Queen. And of course, Prince Charles fell in love with Ireland and made it his personal goal to visit every county in Ireland. In a way, we’re impressed by that. We can welcome them as a proud nation.”
McGettigan agrees, “I see it more as an interesting historical and cultural institution than as a political one. It’s not like the Queen did anything personally to Ireland.”
The Queen’s unwavering commitment to her family seems to have struck a chord with some Irish people too.
“It’s definitely something the Irish are involved with. In a way [the idea of royalty] is so sacred to us as Irish Catholic women,” says Curtin. “It was pretty unlikely that we would marry into the royal family, let’s be honest. It’s like a living, breathing drama series.”
Given his area of interest, and a staple of all royal visits to Ireland, Cunningham has observed the Irish people’s continued fascination with the royals at particularly close quarters.
“Going back to my mother’s generation, royals were the only bit of glamor you saw in the pretty drab and drab Ireland of the ’50s and ’60s,” he says.
“The big exciting moments like Swinging 60s London never visited rural Donegal or Kerry and for people like my mum the only escape was the odd magazine or two that they could get their hands on in the local shops and were at the time it’s undoubtedly the cover girls Princess Margaret, Princess Elizabeth and occasionally the Wallis Simpson scandal.”
As interest waned in the 70’s and 80’s, the arrival of Princess Diana at the company breathed new life into our interest.
“While the royal family allowed that bright spot in, it ultimately helped shatter the mystery and secrecy surrounding the royal family,” says Cunningham. “When that happened, they became public property in a very different way. It was open season and no one was safe.”
McGettigan grew up in the midst of a very different celebrity culture. There was no shortage of celebrities to aspire to, and yet there was something about the royal family, and the Queen in particular, that resonated.
“When I look at the Queen I see a woman who should enjoy retirement and put her feet up and she still does her job every day, does Zoom calls with charities and they get as careless as some people say, do nothing. I just think this is a really difficult job,” she says.
At the age of 96 and with reports of declining physical health, there is a growing sense that the Queen is facing her final act, at least in service to the Crown.
“I know that when the Queen dies, I’m going to stop everything and watch the TV coverage days,” says Curtin. “It’s living history. This will be the last hooray and I think we’re emotional. If I have grandchildren, they will read about this moment in the history books. When it comes to the anniversary, I take the day off to enjoy it.”
As a brand new mom, McGettigan will also be making time during her maternity leave to enjoy the sheer spectacle of the anniversary. “How often does it happen, in fairness?” she says. “It will be nice to celebrate this occasion.”
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Grace McGettigan became hooked on the royal family after William and Kate’s wedding in 2011. Photo Credit: Chris Ison/PA Wire
Of course, thoughts revolve around the future of the monarchy in the event of the Queen’s death.
“I think some of that is definitely going to die off,” says McGettigan. “I can envision William taking the throne but I’m not sure I see it down to his little son, which is very sad.”
Adds Cunningham, “She’s one of those people who is timeless in terms of history. When it is over, people will remember it fondly. As for the future of the royals, it’s very difficult to say. My personal opinion is that the country will rally around Prince Charles, but there is no doubt that the Queen’s move will change things significantly.”
The once impenetrable power of the Commonwealth has been called into question in recent times. Kate and William’s recent royal trip to Jamaica, which reeked of ’50s colonialism, has been dubbed a PR disaster. In November, Barbados left the Commonwealth and became a republic. Cunningham believes several other territories could follow if the queen dies.
“The blue card era is over and I’m sure Charles knows that,” he says. “I think the anniversary will be the last major royal celebration in Britain, alongside the Queen’s funeral. Whatever follows after that – coronations and investitures – I doubt they will have the pomp and ceremony of years ago.”
https://www.independent.ie/life/ive-always-admired-her-never-complain-never-explain-mantra-how-the-queen-won-over-an-unlikely-legion-of-irish-admirers-41664383.html ‘I’ve always admired her, never complain, never explain the mantra’ – How the Queen won over an unlikely legion of Irish admirers