The Queen is dead, long live the King.

I don’t think anyone anticipated the untimely death of Queen Elizabeth II. She had been reigning for so long, it seemed as if she was immortal. She left a handprint everywhere she went and was a genuine person if anything. 

Queen Elizabeth brought something unique to the throne and the monarchy that is unforgettable. She put her duties first but confronted every situation with class, grace, wit, and humor. Through the eventful past seventy years, she has done nothing but the right thing and has been a shining gemstone on the crown jewels. 

Queen Elizabeth ruled with dignity and made everyone in the United Kingdom feel safe. She and the Church of England stood with the Jews against antisemitism, she respected us and our values and honored every Jewish individual. Although she never visited Israel, she gave British Jews a safe home. As we say Avinu Malkenu in the next week, the Britons are saying Imenu Malkenu. Although the kings and queens in our respective lives are different, the amount of respect that her people have for her shows how wonderful a person she was. She was funny, sassy, smart, classy, the definition of a good monarch, and someone whose face you’d be proud to have on your money.

Queen Elizabeth II raised a nation. She made the monarchy what it should be and left her country proud of what she accomplished.