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| Is there a hint of sadness to Queen Elizabeth's face on the day of her coronation? |
The Bucket Project would like to offer our congratulations to William and Kate on the birth of their baby boy!
You can't go anywhere online without seeing mention of the Royal Baby, because it's not every day an heir to the throne is born... but here at The Bucket Project (as we usually do) we've been thinking about it in a slightly different way to most.
The Royal Family is an institution like no other. Whether you're a monarchist or a republican, there's no denying that the history behind the monarchy, the royal family tree and the baffling layers of pomp, circumstance and tradition are fascinating to look into. There's the complicated many-barrelled surnames, the way the slightest bit of royal news will dominate every single channel all day, and the hoardes of people who line the streets for days before events like weddings, births and deaths of people they have never met.
The birth of a new heir to the throne got us thinking, though - what does it actually mean to be an heir? When a new King or Queen is crowned, it can only happen when the previous monarch has died; the new monarch's parent.
It must be very strange for a royal to know that they are born into a role that is ready and waiting for them with no real choice either way, and to know that they can only fulfil this role when they lose one of their parents. Is there any time for grieving for a young prince or princess? Our current Queen Elizabeth II was only 25 years old when she lost her father, King George VI, and became queen herself. It is impossible to imagine how it must feel to take on the responsibility of an entire commonwealth so shortly after losing a parents. She herself was still a young girl who lost her father; if this had happened to a commoner it would be a tragedy and her family would rally round to support her.
Royals are such public figures expected to have such a high level of composure, so there is little chance of being able to show any grief publicly or perhaps even in private. It is difficult for anybody to endure the loss of a parent, especially somebody as young as 25 - but what mixture of emotions could this stir up in somebody who is not only not given time to grieve for their father and instead has to take on the biggest responsibility there is? Is there a sadness to the coronation of a monarch that is never focused on in the media? What effect does this have on the bereavement process? Equally even when ascension to the throne is not involved, their mourning is played out for billions to see on televisions at state funerals. Many people will remember how brave William and Harry were for their mother Diana's funeral, with hardly a tear shed between them. How could this have affected two little boys who lost their mother so young, having to make such huge public appearances in front of the world's media?
We wonder how it feels for the royals to know that their destinies can only be fulfilled when a family member dies. There is such beauty and excitement in the birth of any baby, especially one we know will someday be the face on our ten pound notes. However, there is a dark side to the celebration of a new royal life knowing that his great grandmother, grandfather and father will all have to die before Prince George of Cambridge becomes king. It seems that the royal family's newer generations are becoming ever more open and down to earth, as William and Kate seem to live far more of a "normal" life than our Queen or Prince Charles ever did; hopefully it will mean they can support each other through difficult times out of the very public eye under which they live.
The birth of a new heir to the throne got us thinking, though - what does it actually mean to be an heir? When a new King or Queen is crowned, it can only happen when the previous monarch has died; the new monarch's parent.
It must be very strange for a royal to know that they are born into a role that is ready and waiting for them with no real choice either way, and to know that they can only fulfil this role when they lose one of their parents. Is there any time for grieving for a young prince or princess? Our current Queen Elizabeth II was only 25 years old when she lost her father, King George VI, and became queen herself. It is impossible to imagine how it must feel to take on the responsibility of an entire commonwealth so shortly after losing a parents. She herself was still a young girl who lost her father; if this had happened to a commoner it would be a tragedy and her family would rally round to support her.
Royals are such public figures expected to have such a high level of composure, so there is little chance of being able to show any grief publicly or perhaps even in private. It is difficult for anybody to endure the loss of a parent, especially somebody as young as 25 - but what mixture of emotions could this stir up in somebody who is not only not given time to grieve for their father and instead has to take on the biggest responsibility there is? Is there a sadness to the coronation of a monarch that is never focused on in the media? What effect does this have on the bereavement process? Equally even when ascension to the throne is not involved, their mourning is played out for billions to see on televisions at state funerals. Many people will remember how brave William and Harry were for their mother Diana's funeral, with hardly a tear shed between them. How could this have affected two little boys who lost their mother so young, having to make such huge public appearances in front of the world's media?
We wonder how it feels for the royals to know that their destinies can only be fulfilled when a family member dies. There is such beauty and excitement in the birth of any baby, especially one we know will someday be the face on our ten pound notes. However, there is a dark side to the celebration of a new royal life knowing that his great grandmother, grandfather and father will all have to die before Prince George of Cambridge becomes king. It seems that the royal family's newer generations are becoming ever more open and down to earth, as William and Kate seem to live far more of a "normal" life than our Queen or Prince Charles ever did; hopefully it will mean they can support each other through difficult times out of the very public eye under which they live.
