Fit For a Queen

I'd read about the tift between the BBC and queen Elizabeth today. Initially, I sided with photographer Annie Leibovitz. If a photographer is taking pictures of me, I'm assuming that she is doing her best to make the photo better. Added to, I'm not English thus the thought of royalty doesn't inspire awe in me. If the picture looks better without a crown than with it, then off with the crown.

At the same time however, I do recognize that just because I don't have a monarch doesn't mean that other's shouldn't respect theirs. As well, it's not my role to show disrespect to anyone's monarch. When I saw the clip of what actually happened, I realized that queen Elizabeth was well within standard when she refused to take off her crown.

You see, whatever one may think of royalty, one simply can't be so arrogant as to flippantly order the Queen of England around, in England, no less, which is exactly what Ms. Leibovitz tried to do. I know she may be a famous photographer but Annie Leibovitz probably needs Queen Elizabeth more than the queen needs her. And the Queen of England is not chopped liver. She was there with her citizenry when the Germans bombed London and has been there every since. This would be the modern equivalent of President Bush booking a room in the French Quarter the night before Hurricane Katrina rolled in. For the last 50 years, she's been a model of decorum, propriety, and yes, leadership for the United Kingdom and the world. No tacky sexcapades, no drunken embarassments, no tearful apologies. She's done her duty and quite frankly, has done it with style and grace.

Annie Leibovitz is famous for her craft, I suppose, but compared to the long and distinguished shadow of Queen Elizabeth is but a mere flash in the pan. So I'm with you, Queen Elizabeth. You can wear whatever you like, when you like, and shouldn't have to hear a word about it from anyone. And by the way, its a tiara, not a crown.