I wasn’t surprised that it took me 4 months to finish reading these 700 pages of “Elizabeth the Queen, the Life of a Modern Monarch” by Sally Bedell Smith. I must praise the author for excellent reporting and insightful writing, which provide a revealing look inside the palace. Making Queen Elizabeth II the world’s most public and private woman to be understood in the reader’s eyes.

I always favour the House of Tudor when it comes to the history of the British monarchy due to the war, revolution and love stories. It was a wealthy dynasty that changed many lines in culture, arts and religion. With Edward VIII’s abdication, I was once almost convinced that the House of Windsor would not stay long and may be overturned. When I first watched the live telecast of Diana, Princess of Wales’s funeral, I started to draw myself to Elizabeth II.

I got to know more about The Queen on the YouTube channel or even online sources but have yet to get into a physical book as a reference; I have not invested in a good book about Elizabeth II. After the Queen died, I purchased the book published in conjunction with her Diamond Jubilee in 2012.

Putting before other books I have purchased, finally, it is my turn to flip the pages of the book, and I find myself drenching into it. The 120 days were like a short course of “how to be a near-perfect human”, which never failed to impress me with the many choices the Queen had made.

She is a salad when she first picks up her duty as the monarch, but slowly, her rhythm clutches perfectly, especially deliberate about the “trust” matter with the great giant man, Winston Churchill, her first Prime Minister.

The more I read about the Queen, the more I wonder about the spirit she instilled in others, including me, who know so little about her through the book. She has always managed to put hold the fort of her emotions and make solid decisions, which turns out to place everyone in the most comfortable position she could.

When the Queen says that 1992 was annus horribilis, she portrays a very calm, impassive, and, at the same time, full of empathy towards people who pray for her. The passing of Diana, Princess of Wales, put her through a great reflection on how the world has changed, and she adopted it with an open heart.

Granting many decisions which may not be favourable to her personally but for the stability of the institution and the country has become one of the favourite lessons I have gone through in the past four months by reading this book. They are a great soul that offers me more wisdom than I could imagine. I almost soak into the book’s rhyme whenever I open the pages where I left from my previous reading. It seems like a magical moment, learning from one of the most influential figures in the world.

I know that many of us, ordinary and every day, want so much to be extraordinary, yet not progress much as we tend to take resources that are easily obtained around us for granted.

On the other hand, the Queen stimulates my sense of nature, the primal desire to be present wherever I am, whenever I am. I recall my love of reading books, and I’m happy that I did 20 physical books and 15 e-books in 2023, sublimating the foundation which my parents have built for me in English literature,  country life, horsing, being with nature and many more that I could have been forgotten after submerging myself in the civic life.

I took up what I left behind and decided to tour the turf clubs which I used to have fond memories with, starting from Macau Jockey Club, which will cease operation on 1st April 2024, proceed to bid goodbye to Singapore Turf Club which will host their 100th and final Gold Cup, and saying hello to the memories of Selangor Gold Cup, Penang Gold Cup and Perak Coronation Cup.

Those who learn more about the Queen will eventually pick up some percipience where you may benefit by revisiting them.

The Queen, a marvellous and astonishing leader, yet fragile as a mother, wife, and grandmother, stood still and sailed through many trepidations that the institute, the country, and the world have gone through. She offers wisdom and, more to that, comfort.