Alas, poor Lady Allen.

In one brief moment she became an international celebrity as she was caught recently by paparazzi in sweet slumber during the Platinum Jubilee celebrations of Queen Elizabeth II in London. This controversial moment has come against the background of Jamaicans wrestling with the ongoing issue of this country, on the eve of marking its 60th year of political independence, still being umbilically tied to the British monarchy.

The goodly lady was in London along with her husband Sir Patrick Allen, who is The Queen’s representative in Jamaica. From all indications, it may well have been a case of jet lag. Unless one is a seasoned traveller, a trip to Great Britain can take a toll on one’s physical stamina. I recall the first time I flew to England on an Air Jamaica aircraft in the early 1980s and was so embarrassed after I went to my hotel room and fell asleep while the rest of my team took off on a planned tour of historic sites. It took me a while to find my bearings while dealing with the time difference, so I am in total sympathy with our Lady Allen and hope she will have sufficiently recovered from that embarrassing moment.

But here we are (loyal subjects?) getting caught up with “Missis Queen” in all her glory — albeit reluctantly so — when we can’t even come up with a national Festival Song to enhance our Independence celebrations. Not that The Queen does not deserve our attention. After all, she, from all indications, has been the most popular and beloved British monarch in living memory. And many Jamaicans as well as thousands of citizens in the British Commonwealth of Nations adore her, and perhaps rightly so, because she has served well with dignity, a human face, and has remained gracious in all her activities.

Indeed, as the longest-ever serving monarch of her country, she is almost the complete opposite of her predecessor Elizabeth I who was known for her ferocity and iron rule, so much so that rumours persisted for a while that she may have been a man in disguise. However, she was not to be messed with and was feared for her ruthlessness, notwithstanding the golden age that she engendered during her reign. One recalls an incident when there was a plot to replace her on the throne by any means necessary and her response was: even if she were thrown out of England in her petticoat, she would still be queen.

Another good thing that can be said about Queen Elizabeth II is that she has been scandal-free for the most part and has displayed all the qualities of a loving wife and doting mother and grandmother. And, to her credit, she has not displayed the prudish or affectatious behaviour that have been a feature of some women who have worn the crown.

This reminds one of a story surrounding Queen Victoria, who was the epitome of prudishness. It is said that on the night of her honeymoon, after the marriage between her and Prince Albert had been consummated, she blissfully turned to him and said, “So tell me dear Albert, do the common folk do this too?” His reply was, “Why, yes, Your Majesty.” Then she begrudgingly mumbled, “Much too good for them.”

But let us get back to reality, even as our Foreign Minister Senator Kamina Johnson Smith is busy campaigning to become the next Secretary General of the Commonwealth and polls continue to reveal that many Jamaicans are convinced that they and Jamaica would have been better off remaining a colony of Great Britain.

In the meantime, Minister of Legal and Constitutional Affairs Marlene Malahoo Forte has told Parliament that plans are now being put in place to wrest Jamaica away from the British monarchy in time for the next general election in 2025. This appears to be a politically deft move by the ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) as no doubt it anticipates that more than likely it should be in a position to win at the polls. Is it that the required referendum will be held in tandem with the general election? And is this really a wise move, bearing in mind how partisan this exercise is likely to become in the same way that leaving the Privy Council in favour of the Caribbean Court of Appeal has become?

This nation, which is now in the throes of crime, corruption, COVID-19, road crashes, crass indiscipline, low productivity as well as the frightening spectre of thousands of Jamaican children being outside of the formal education system, must take serious stock of itself and seek to chart a course that will make us worthy of becoming a truly sovereign State outside of the clutches of a colonial past that continues to haunt us in more ways than one.

Meanwhile, this writer is very disappointed that, even as we partake in one way or another in The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, there has been no indication from the British monarchy that it is truly penitent with respect to the hundreds of years of slavery and exploitation that were meted out to our African ancestors.

And what of reparation? Wouldn’t it have been wonderful if The Queen indicated that some of the vast wealth that her family has, most of which was gained through slavery, is to be donated in some way or another to the descendants of that horrible period of British history when “Britons ruled the waves and never would be slaves”?

Many of the jewels, crowns, and tiaras that the royal family boasts represent in real terms the blood, sweat, and tears of our ancestors. It should not be business as usual in this most pivotal year in Jamaica’s history. Our leaders owe it to our national heroes and all those who sacrificed their lives and liberty so that we can be free today and even attend The Queen’s celebrations, albeit falling asleep.

We must awake from our slumber and claim our patrimony. God save The Queen, yes, but what about the rest of us?

Lloyd B Smith has been involved full-time in Jamaican media for the past 45 years. He has also served as a Member of Parliament and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives. He hails from western Jamaica where he is popularly known as the Governor. Send comments to the Jamaica Observer or lbsmith4@gmail.com.