Queen Bee

Today is the Queen's 80th birthday, 80 is of course the new 60 so she's now just entering her senior years. I haven't really ever given much thought to the Monarchy, they were always just there, in the news, doing what they do. I did experience some annoyance however when the Queen Mother died and the school where I was working simply ignored this, whilst they had stopped lessons for the World Cup. What message did that send to the pupils?

Now that I am living in Canada, I think of the Queen more, because she is also Canada's Queen and I find it especially nice to see pictures of her sometimes in people's houses. We share a Queen, we have something in common. Something from back home that'll keep me going until Sainsburys comes to Canada.

I also read a couple of days ago that a Canadian octogenarian, who I think shares her birthday with the Queen, was over having lunch with her, and this too made me feel a connection, not that I personally know either. I do know Barb of course who will be 89 this year and gunning it.

If the Queen's mother is any indicator, we can expect Elizabeth the second to be around for at least another 21 years, and if she should decide to come and live in Vancouver, she might fare even better, Vannies have the greatest longevity amongst Canadians (real statistic) and Canadians live longer than Brits. I am basing this outrageous statement on my usual scientific sample of one. My Aunt who lived in Toronto developed the exact same medical complaints as my mum, but when she was ten years older.

So where does this leave Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, up the creek without a paddle? Not at all, she's a spring chicken at 50-something, and as we know, 50 is the new 37¾. She's a woman who can bide her time and as gracious as her current Majesty.

It has also now occurred to me what a good feeling it is to have a woman as our ultimate Head of State. I adore Tony Blair and loathe Stephen Harper, I am a woman with two Prime Ministers, the Queen has even more of them to cope with, since she has to oversee New Zealand and Australia too and a bunch of other places that don't make such good TV programmes, and they of course all have to defer to her. I'm not sure she really gets to tell any of them what they can and can't do.

Austen tipped me off about a documentary celebrating the Queen's life, which he said was quite thought provoking. It is called, provocatively, the Queen at 80,it can be seen here on Channel 27, KCTS tonight at 22.00.

So let's hear no more of this not getting along with the Queen nonsense, since I imagine she reads my blog religiously, 'Happy Birthday your Majesty'. May she reign for as long as she feels able until it's time for the wonderful Camilla and her husband Charles to take over.