Local couple from England share thoughts about Queen Elizabeth II's monarchy

Amy and Tim Denton currently live in Theriot and work for St. Eloi Church parish in Theriot. Amy is the administrative assistant and Tim is the coordinator of activities and custodian for the church parish. They have two boys, Isaac, 10; and Todd, 6.

Amy Denton was born in August 1985 and lived in England from December 1985 until November 2019, when she moved to the United States at the age of 33.  

Her husband Tim Denton was born in England in September 1984, and lived there until November 2019, when he moved to the United States at the age of 34.

Bayou Catholic recently asked the two of them a few questions regarding their feelings about Queen Elizabeth II’s life, death and legendary monarchy.
Following are Amy’s reflections when asked what her feelings were regarding the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
“The death of Queen Elizabeth II was not unexpected as she was 96 years old. She gave her life to the service of the people of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth Countries, and up until two days before she died, she was still working, serving and representing the people she so loved. She met with the new Prime Minister of the English Government in the drawing room at Balmoral Castle where she so loved to spend their family summer holidays. At this point, she looked to be frail, with bruising on her hand … but she was still smiling.
“It has been a privilege to follow her journey through life, alongside mine, like a grandmother. She was like everyone’s grandmother. So you can imagine how people are feeling right now, across the world with this loss, and this void.

“Her majesty said in her 2002 Christmas message – ‘I know just how much I rely on my own faith to guide me through the good times and the bad. Each day is a new beginning, I know that the only way to live my life is to try to do what is right, to take the long view, to give of my best in all that the day brings, and to put my trust in God. Like others of you who draw inspiration from your own faith, I draw strength from the message of hope in the Christian Gospel.’

“She was very open with her faith and her trust in God. In her lifetime she met five popes: Pope Francis (2014), Pope Benedict XVI (2010), Pope John Paul II (1980, 1982, 2000), Pope John XXIII (1961), and Pope Pius XII (1951).

“The BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) covered, very respectfully, the events surrounding Her Majesty’s death, proclamations, the ascension to the throne for King Charles and the public’s mourning and outpouring of love for the late Queen. They had a live feed on their website, so that people from all around the world could join in with this very public demonstration of respect and loyalty that she was shown on her journey from Balmoral to London, and then finally to her funeral and burial.

“We have felt her passing, across the miles in Louisiana the same as we would have, being in England. However, we are unable to personally sign condolence books or leave a flower tribute – we have asked people to sign in our stead … as a mark of respect.
“We would not have made the journey down to London for the proceedings if we were living in England, but we would have attended a memorial service in our local church, signed our local condolence book, attended vigils and watched her funeral, along with members of our family on TV and shared in this time together.”

Has her passing affected you personally, being that you lived in England for most of your life?
“I want to focus on a quote from her Majesty to answer this question: ‘I want to ask you all, whatever your religion may be, to pray for me on that day — to pray that God may give me wisdom and strength to carry out the solemn promises I shall be making, and that I may faithfully serve him and you, all the days of my life’ (Christmas broadcast 1952). Looking at this quote – you can see what an example she was for us, for me. She served God and asked him for guidance to be able to serve as a Queen of many peoples. We can all learn from her example. To put God first in our lives, always.”

Additionally, Amy added that she would like to publically offer her condolences to the family of Queen Elizabeth II for the loss of their beloved family member and offer her support to King Charles III for the future. “We will be praying for him and his family as he begins his reign at 73 years old.”

Following are Tim’s reflections when asked what his feelings were regarding the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
“Simply put, this is an end of an era.

“Her reign will be of historic importance within the United Kingdom, not just due to its length but due to the steadfastness she presented as monarch, although she represented an older time, or past generation, she was also progressive in her view of the world and how the United Kingdom and Commonwealth should be seen. Along with her husband the Duke of Edinburgh, she argued against the Prime Minister and the Archbishop of Canterbury for the televised broadcast of her Coronation. She knew that the monarchy had to be progressive and of her subjects in the present, not of the people of the past. Within a few years of her reign beginning, she removed the debutant season, something she saw as outdated even though most saw it as a tradition to uphold. She was the only ruling monarch to visit every Commonwealth country. She made sure the ties of the United Kingdom were felt with each country.

“Queen Elizabeth was seen by many as brave in her understanding of duty and in her life, once while riding at the head of ‘The Trooping of the Colours,’ a man fired a pistol at her six times. She maintained composure and kept her horse under control. It was reported later that she stayed to be the target, to keep others out of harm’s way. That bravery came again when she visited Northern Ireland and gave a speech addressing the difficult past between Northern Ireland and England, which was such a success that Sinn Fein agreed to meet with her the following year to talk about the past and moving forward. Sinn Fein is the political party that seeks to remove themselves from the United Kingdom and states negative intent against the monarchy. She has faced slights and abuse from the media and weathered these storms, the most obvious of these is the handling of the death of Princess Diana. Immediately after her death, Queen Elizabeth II closed Balmoral where they were staying, with the single aim of protecting Princes William and Harry in their grief from the media and paparazzi who hounded their parents and were the cause of Princess Diana’s death. At Princess Diana’s funeral, the Queen showed people the level of respect she had for her as she bowed her head at the coffin, a gesture she had only been seen doing at the Cenotaph on Remembrance Day.

“She also joined in the levity of situations as her reign continued showing her humorous side that her grandchildren spoke of to the public, in events such as the 2012 London Olympics when she filmed a piece with Daniel Craig acting as James Bond to make out that she joined him in parachuting into the Olympic opening ceremony.

“Queen Elizabeth II was not just the head of State for the United Kingdom and the 15 other countries of the Commonwealth, but also the head of the Church of England. Her faith was a driving force for her. This gave her the sense of morality required to lead a public life in which her actions were judged by all so that she could be the foundation for others to look upon for how to remain calm in adversity and to strive forward rather than stagnate.”

Has her passing affected you personally, being that you lived in England for most of your life?
“Being born and raised in England, the monarchy and its long history is taught from a young age, with specific focus on particular monarchs of the past who were either famous or infamous. We understand how the monarchy works and how its powers in day to day running of the country were stripped away over time and given to Parliament, starting well before the Magna Carter in the 13th century. But as much as they are a figure head, Queen Elizabeth II was always there, an almost grandmotherly figure showing the dignity of what it meant to be British, how to lead a life based on Christian morals, and to see the world as a place of welcome differences.

“It feels strange that she is no longer there, and as I mourn her passing, I also bring myself to terms with now stating during the national anthem ‘God Save the King,’ and I wonder how he will manage the task of following her legacy.”

Additionally, Tim said that as much as this is a great loss for the United Kingdom, it is being felt around the world. “I feel that the countries of the Commonwealth will change. Queen Elizabeth II was an icon of stability and it will be questioned how stable the Commonwealth will be with King Charles III. The aim of the Commonwealth is 56 countries that all strive to protect the environment, sea and land, boost trade and economy, support democracy and government rule of law, develop society and young people with education and health, and finally support small states in tackling the challenges they face. This is not just the member countries helping each other, but is aimed at helping the world. Her majesty’s guidance led to other countries joining, and I feel its future and its goals will be strained with this change in British monarchy.”