Politician, Servant, Mother, Queen. Queen Elizabeth II was one of the most influential women in history and for many young girls, a role model.
 At 18 years old, she served in the military as a mechanic and driver in WW2. Not only did she serve her country, but she was also the first female royal to serve in the military, breaking gender norms. Her support for women did not just stop there; she was also the first female royal to serve in the Women’s Institute and passed the Crown Act of 2013, which allowed succession to the crown to be genderless and stopped younger brothers from being chosen over their older sisters because of their gender. In a time where women were not seen as equal and not as respected, Queen Elizabeth paved the way for other female leaders to be given a chance.
Queen Elizabeth did not just do good for the female community, but also for many communities. She famously declared on her 21st birthday in a speech “ I declare before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service.” She then went on to support over 600 charities during her reign. Such as NSPCC. The Red Cross, Cancer Research UK, Scouts, and Girl Guiding. Most of these she has supported since the 1930’s. One charity that does stand out from others is the Piobaireachd Society, which fosters classical bagpipe music. She showed the world what a true heart of a leader looks like and that the true mission of every leader should be to serve their people.
Queen Elizabeth brought her country through many wars. The Suez Crisis, Falklands War, Gulf War, and The War on Terror. Showing strength and resilience. But she also had to fight a war in an unexpected place, her own home. We all know that the tabloids can be vicious. From her grandson Harry’s bad boy era, to her son Charles III’s affair, the death of Princess Diana, and political criticism was a common sight throughout her reign. But not only did she help raise a great country, but she also helped raise a beautiful family. As a woman, she was not only expected to be a great Queen but also a great mother, and while no family is perfect, we can say she did pretty well. Her children and grandchildren have carried on her legacy of service, such as Prince Harry’s ongoing work in Africa to preserve wildlife and Princess Diana’s work with hospitalized children. Queen Elizabeth showed her family what it meant to be good leaders and helped bring them through tough times.Â
While we look sadly at her death in 2022, we were all honoured to live in a time where she reigned. While many of us weren’t involved in British politics or British at all (I’m American), we all can say that she was an icon in our lives. As a child, I saw her referenced in movies such as The Minions and Megamind, and you couldn’t talk about London without hearing “Long Live the Queen.” All of us little girls wanted to be her and admired her royalty and elegance. But how lucky we were to live in a time where “long live the QUEEN.” was a normal phrase and a phrase that a country was known for. So, in celebration of Women’s History Month, Long live the Queen, and hopefully, Elizabeth will inspire all of us to be queens in our own lives.