Queen Elizabeth has been on the throne for 70 years, and most of the time, she received countless praises from other leaders, royal experts, and even royal fans. Her Majesty is also the longest-serving monarch, which makes her upcoming Platinum Jubilee celebration fitting.
However, royal historian Ed Owens said that there are at least two instances wherein the queen committed major blunders throughout her 70-year reign. And on both occasions, she was branded as out of touch.
Queen Elizabeth Didn’t Immediately Visit The Victims Of The Welsh Mining Disaster
While speaking with Express, Owens said that the first instance took place following the 1966 Welsh mining disaster that killed 116 children and 28 adults in Aberfan.
Following the tragedy, Prince Philip flew to the site after being sent there by the queen. He paid his respects to the family of those who lost their loved ones and was praised for it.
Princess Margaret’s husband, Lord Snowdon, also traveled to Aberfan to pay his respects, but the queen was nowhere in sight. She only visited the site eight days later, and while there, she reportedly shed a tear.
“We saw it with Abefan in 1966, the Welsh mining village disaster where the leftover waste product from the mine in Aberfan avalanched down the hill onto the village, killing more than 100 people, the majority of whom were schoolchildren. She did not visit Aberfan. Prince Philip and Lord Snowdon, Margaret’s husband, did, but she didn't. She was deemed to be out of touch then, just as she was deemed to be out of touch with the public following Diana's death,” Owens said.
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Queen Elizabeth Refused To Address The Nation Following Princess Diana’s Death
In 1997, the queen didn’t also make a public appearance shortly after Princess Diana’s death. At the time, the monarch was reportedly on a holiday when Prince Charles told her the devastating news about the Princess of Wales. Royal fans expected to hear from the queen shortly after, but they didn’t.
To make things worse, the queen also refused to fly the Union flag at half-mast at Buckingham Palace following Princess Diana’s demise. And she also refused to return to London from Scotland.
Five days after Princess Diana’s death, the queen finally addressed the nation via a telecast. And according to Owens, this showed that the queen didn’t grieve alongside Princess Diana’s supporters and loved ones.
“She didn't seem to be grieving with her people and the tabloids made much of this. The headlines were essentially along the lines of, ‘Where are you, Ma’am? Why haven't you made a public message? Why haven't you told us how you're feeling?’ Her judgment of character, clearly at times, has been misguided and clearly she always seems to present herself as very in tune with the people but that's not always the case either,” Owens said.
Queen Elizabeth Has More Positives Than Negatives During Her 70-Year Reign
However, Owens also pointed out that the queen was always aligned with the public for the most part of her 70-year reign. So, there’s no discounting the fact that her positives outweigh her negatives.
“I have to emphasize at this point that these are exceptions. Generally speaking, she is well-advised and her views, as best as we know, are in keeping with the public mood. And I think in that respect, the positives outweigh the negatives in terms of her public record,” he said.
The queen will be celebrating her Platinum Jubilee next month with a series of events and activities. She is expected to make an appearance on the balcony of Buckingham Palace for the Trooping the Colour. She will be joined by the members of the royal family for the event sans Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, and Prince Andrew.
Check back for more stories and updates about Queen Elizabeth here at EpicStream!
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