Queen Elizabeth II was known around the world but still a royal mystery

Millions paid attention when she spoke and, crucially for a job that often was more significant in its silences, what she embodied

She wasn’t just Britain’s Queen — Elizabeth II belonged to the world. It’s moving how the peoples of so many nations embraced this quiet, emotionally reticent woman who reigned in a country that once bestrode the world as an empire. In her decades at the helm, she found a different role, with monarchy as the glue of continuity.

In the pantheon of postwar greats, Nelson Mandela is revered as the man who healed his divided nation’s wounds after years in captivity, Pope John Paul II is remembered for his spiritual and physical courage in the face of Nazi and