By: GILDA PINEDA DIONELA
Buckingham Palace has been the London Home of the sovereign since the accession of Queen Victoria in 1837. The very place where I saw the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, William and Kate, on their royal wedding day. I was one of those in the crowd who waited to see them in person. The pageantry of the Queen’s Speech, the State Banquet, and the changing of guards are among many ancient traditions that the United Kingdom still practice to this day, and are the reasons the world admires the monarchy. Growing up, the fairy tales that I read always pictured the King and Queen as the most powerful in the kingdom. But not in the United Kingdom; its political system is unique compared to other nations. The monarchy is the head of the British political system, but essentially its powers as head of state are ceremonial, traditional and historical. Regarding legislations that might affect the private interests of the monarch, the senior royals, the Queen, and Prince of Wales are consulted. Through the Parliament, the Prime Minister and Cabinet make all of the decisions. All of them come and go, but the bloodline of the monarchy remains the same. Buckingham Palace is the administrative centre and venue for state functions, but not necessarily where the “rules” are coming from. And the ones who put the rule makers in their positions, are the common people who elect them. Such is the triad of power in the United Kingdom.
Buckingham Palace was bought by King George III in 1761 for his wife Queen Charlotte. King George III strongly believed that God intervenes in the affairs of the world, and upheld the written Word of God during His reign. The King had four libraries for vast collections of rare books, including an original Gutenberg Bible. The Gutenberg Bible was the first major book printed using mass-produced movable metal type in Europe. This collection was gifted to the nation and is now in the British Library. Today, Queen Elizabeth remains a strong believer of the Bible and follower of Jesus Christ, like her forefathers. However, for an observer like me, many of the members of the Parliament seem to walk so far away from that legacy. The United Kingdom is facing a great challenge in many aspects nowadays, just like many other nations because of the COVID-19 pandemic. But I know they will come out victorious.
There is no perfect government in the world right now. But for those of us who believe and obey the written word of God, like King George III, we have hope. The God of the Bible directed the nations to focus their attention onto the begotten Son of God, Jesus. Colossians 1:16ESV, “For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities— all things were created through him and for him.” There is no challenge that Jesus cannot handle for a nation or for us. One thing is for sure: Queen Elizabeth discovered that without Him, regardless of whether you sit on the throne in a palace or are in a powerful position in the parliament, without Him it is like being in a fortress built on sand. The rain fell, the floods came, the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell; and great was the fall of it.
My prayer is for God to save Her Majesty the Queen, Elizabeth II of Buckingham Palace, who celebrated her 94th birthday this year. The defender of the Faith!
