Happy Birthday Queen Elizabeth II

I cannot intellectually defend my interest in the British monarchy or the health of House Windsor, apart from the general affection of the hobbyist for anachronistic political institutions. Even as an American of overwhelmingly Anglo ancestry, I can’t defend the British monarchy as an institution even in comparison with the smaller and less ostentatious constitutional monarchies of Western Europe. The British Royals often behave abominably, and you’ll find here little appetite for the argument that their occasional heroics overwhelm that abomination. But… I cannot help but to feel an enormous affection for this woman who has carried on her shoulders so symbolic weight in what we might term Anglo-American civilization for such a terribly long time. When we lose her we will lose not only something that binds Americans to Britain, but also something that binds the entire Anglosphere to the struggles of the 20th century. In that spirit, I want to wish Queen Elizabeth II a very happy 96th birthday, and to hope that we can look forward to more such birthdays in the future.