Queen’s soft power preserved the unity of the UK

• The role of the Queen was questioned.
• The polls decided whether or not to secede from the United Kingdom.
• Alex Salmond vowed that Elizabeth II would continue to rule as “Queen of Scots.”

The role of the Queen was questioned when Scots went to the polls to decide whether or not to secede from the United Kingdom in September 2014.

At the time, Alex Salmond, the leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP), vowed that Elizabeth II would continue to rule as “Queen of Scots” if voters approved leaving the union after more than 300 years.

52% of respondents to a poll taken at the time said they wanted to keep the Queen, proving Salmond had a good sense of public opinion. However, Salmond’s infamous miscalculation of Scotland’s attitude toward independence, which was rejected by a vote of 55% to 45%, rendered the subject moot.

One important lesson from the 2014 Independence Referendum in Scotland was that the Queen was not directly responsible for the issue.
But during the majority of her rule, the opposite was true in Northern Ireland.

The British Crown served as an emblem for much of the division that tore the province apart during the 30 deadly years of conflict known as “The Troubles,” which pitted UK unionists against Irish nationalists.

Unionists have a strong sense of allegiance to the Crown and the traditional British ideals they see it as upholding. It represents the British forces that ruled over their forefathers and annexed their territory in the eyes of Irish nationalists.

Lord Louis Mountbatten, Charles’ favorite great-uncle and the final British viceroy in India, as well as a number of his descendants, were all killed by the Irish Republicans.

When she shook the hand of Martin McGuinness, one of the republicans most closely associated with the organizations responsible for the violence of the past, during a visit to Northern Ireland in 2012 that followed the relative peace brought about by the Good Friday Agreement, she gave her public response.

It speaks to her influence over all things Union that government representatives advised her to shake McGuinness’ hand. She represents the Union, not the Union itself. Irish nationalist republicans led by McGuinness had grudgingly put an end to their “armed struggle” and are still currently members of the Union.

Thus, it would be a misreading of Queen Elizabeth’s reign to believe that she is not very important to the modern Union.

She was a bringing force, using her soft power subtly and covertly for the sole purpose of preserving the Union and the Commonwealth’s remnants of the Empire.

Also Read

Prince William, Harry reunites at Queen Elizabeth II funeral

Prince William and Prince Harry walked side by side while holding hands...