Analysis of "An annus horribilis"

          “An Annus Horribilis”, a chapter in Robert Lacey’s book Monarch: The Life and Reign of Elizabeth II, describes one of the hardest years for the Queen of Britain- 1992. During this year, the Queen encountered two major hardships. One was the fire in Windsor Castle, which caused much damage to significant apartments and many other rooms in the castle, and the other being the separation of Charles and Diana. However, the manner in which the Queen conducted herself through these hard times truly brings out her character and concern for her country overall.

            When Windsor Castle caught on fire the Queen was devastated by the damage. However, when it was announced that “the government would pick up the repair bill, estimated at between £20 million and £40 million….The immediate response was of outrage” (327). The people did not appreciate how they would ultimately be paying through taxes, even if they were great supporters of the Queen. Elizabeth II understood why people held resentment and a few days later she came to support one of the major changes going into place that would affect the royal family. Starting the following year, “the queen and Prince of Wales would pay tax on their private income” (328-329). The Queen herself greatly supported this change since she realized that in order for Crown to remain legitimate, changes such as these would have to go into place.

            With this major event already taking a toll on Elizabeth II, the separation of Charles and Diana became an additional blow. The royal family was seen as the ideal happy family and this event seemed to break all of that. During this time, Charles wished that Diana would no longer remain part of the royal family but the Queen stood by Diana and defended her. “…the Queen wasn’t having it. She insisted that Diana should have her dignity and rights” (333). Elizabeth II took into account the new world she was living in, where a woman should not be bound down by a failed marriage and completely ostracized. Diana remained the Princess of Wales, yet she continued to live her own independent life as well, which was encouraged by the Queen.

            1992 certainly was not a pleasant year for Elizabeth II, having to face the tragedies concerning her family and home. Given the circumstances though, she took the opportunity to prove to the world the British monarchy will keep on modernizing to fit into the world today.

                                                                                                                                                           

Annotated Bibliography 8

             Bradley, John R. "Saudi Arabia's Invisible Hand in the Arab Spring." Foreign
     Affairs. Council on Foreign Relations, 13 Oct. 2011. Web. 22 Feb. 2012.
     <http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/136473/john-r-bradley/
     saudi-arabias-invisible-hand-in-the-arab-spring>.

Bradley’s article explains how the country of Saudi Arabia plays a big role in the many uprisings that have occurred in the Middle East. The Saudis use tanks and their own military to put down the protests and chaos that occurs on the streets of countries such as Bahrain and Tunisia. Organizations such as the Muslim Brotherhood have sided with Saudi Arabia, since it is against the government of Syria. The author stresses in the end that if the countries of the Middle East desire democracy, then they should be evaluating the influence of Saudi Arabia. The source does have some bias against Saudi Arabia and how it manipulating the countries in the Middle East. However, it does do a good job of how Saudi Arabia has had a massive influence over the Arab Spring. The article is one a different topic than what I’ve read so far, but it has given me a new view of the big influence Saudi Arabia has over other countries in the Middle East.

Annotated Bibliography 7

        Jones, Toby Craig. "Saudi Arabia Versus the Arab Spring." Raritan 31.2 (2011): 43,59,164. ProQuest Research Library. Web.

In this article, Jones describes the position Saudi Arabia has taken against the Arab Spring. According to Jones, Saudi Arabia is desperate to crush the rebellions and protest that are taking place in the other countries of the Middle East. Saudi Arabia wants to preserve the system that is already in place in all of these countries, since uprisings in neighboring countries is a threat to its own system of government. This article describes Saudi Arabia’s methods “perilous” and definitely puts its government in a negative light. Although the primary focus of this source is the efforts of the Arab Spring, it also sheds light on how power hungry Saudi Arabia really is and helps in my assessment of the royal family. The article helped me learn more about Saudi Arabia and how it interacts with other countries to make itself always come out first.

Annotated Bibliography 6

         Roberts, Andrew. "How the Queen Saved and Soothed Britain." Wall Street Journal: A.13. National Newspapers Core. Feb 09 2012.

Andrew Roberts explains how Queen Elizabeth II has actually made a difference with her reign even though many of her critics claim she does not have a vital role in the country. He says that the Queen’s personification of stability throughout Britain’s tumultuous history has prevented “social and political unrest”. The manner in which the Queen has presented her views on situations occurring in her country as well as others has helped appease the emotions of the common people. The article is definitely biased in favor of the British monarchy, but it gives a viewpoint of how the Queen is directly affecting world situations. This is an effective source because it has a strong point of view rather than laying out the queen’s life in general.

Annotated Bibliography 5

        Lacey, Robert. “Great White Queen.” Monarch: the life and reign of Elizabeth II. New York: Free Press, 2002. Print.

           In this chapter of Monarch Robert Lacey gives examples of how Queen Elizabeth II has become the queen of the people. Papa New Guinea is a country that in fact approached the British Empire itself and asked Elizabeth II to be their Queen. Because of the influence she has as head of the Commonwealth, Elizabeth II has aided Margaret Thatcher, a previous prime minister, in affairs with foreign countries when she has not been comfortable. Although many times Elizabeth works “on the sidelines”, her diplomatic and social skills have helped many times to get the job done. This source is helpful because it gives specific examples of how Elizabeth II is truly loved by many people, even those in other countries.

Annotated Bibliography 4

        Lacey, Robert. “September Again.” Monarch: the life and reign of Elizabeth II. New York: Free Press, 2002. Print.

         Lacey explains in this chapter that although Queen Elizabeth II may not have that much political power, she is still gaining respect and love by many people. Even though she and her family are seen as the biggest celebrities, Elizabeth II holds true to the idea of setting a positive example for the world. She stays connected with the people through in many ways including “Investitures”, ceremonies in which she personally awards citizens for their heroic actions. She also is a very busy lady politically, meeting with government officials and going over official documents on a day to day basis. This chapter is a useful source since it expresses how devoted Elizabeth II is to her people and her country.