Exmouth author Emma Richardson writes for the Journal.

Exmouth Journal: Exmouth author Emma Richardson.Exmouth author Emma Richardson. (Image: Emma Richardson)

It’s Jubilee week and as we dust off all things red white and blue, hang the festive bunting and look forward to an extra Bank Holiday, I’ve been thinking about what the Monarchy means to me.

I’ve never been a flag-waver or a staunch royalist.

When it comes to ‘being British’ there has been a lot to be embarrassed about on the world stage of recent years but at the same time I do love this little island we call home.

I love our rolling hills, our pretty villages, our eccentricity…and most of all,

I love our history. You can’t look with fondness at the rich heritage of the last couple of thousand years, without an appreciation of the role that royalty has played.

Some would argue that in recent times, the monarchy has become redundant, but despite her political influence diminishing, the Queen as head of state still provides stability and neutrality which perhaps we need more than ever.

I say this with thoughts of the recent 'party-gate' debacle in mind; perhaps the most unifying image of the unfairness of what went on in Downing Street while the rest of us isolated- even the Queen, was the photograph of the Her Majesty at Prince Philip’s funeral. Sitting on her own.

Whichever side of the royalty debate you sit on, to have reigned for 70 years- the longest reign in history, is without doubt something to be celebrated; the developments the world has seen in that time have been phenomenal.

There have been 14 Prime Ministers throughout Elizabeth’s time on the throne beginning with Winston Churchill; 14 people whose ideologies came and went- some with longer lasting consequences than others.

Throughout it all, Elizabeth reigned with impartiality, building bridges diplomatically with other countries, generating a steady flow of tourist traffic and never really letting us know what she thinks- save for the annual carefully-worded Christmas speech.

What I wouldn’t give to be a fly on the wall of Buckingham Palace! And I think it’s safe to say that we would all agree the Queen’s reign will represent the end of an era for Monarchy in its current form.

So let’s get down to those Jubilee parties and celebrate 70 years of this imperfect, ever-changing quirky little Kingdom and our ever-dignified Sovereign.

Bring your own ‘Lemon Swiss Roll and Amaretti trifle’.