I recently binge-watched the original Netflix series, The Crown, during my holiday break. The Crown is a series based on Queen Elizabeth II’s story on becoming queen and facing the many challenges of being the head of the United Kingdom through the decades. As the longest reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II has been reigning for more than 65 years since 1952. I started watching the series based on the recommendation of friends and colleagues. Since it won the Golden Globe award for Best Television series, I decided to check it out. To be honest, I didn’t really know too much about the royal family or how the constitutional monarchy worked in the United Kingdom. As I watched the show, I often had to look up facts on Google about the royal family and how the British government works.
The Crown is a fascinating show, as the show depicts the private lives of the royal family, with all the intrigue, drama and scandal. Going behind the closed doors of Buckingham Palace, The Crown depicts the pressures and challenges that Queen Elizabeth faces. I admire her strong sense of duty and reverence for wearing the crown, as she often has conflicts between her personal desires and the responsibility of being the queen. As a young woman, in 1952, she rises up to take her place among older, intelligent, and powerful men of the government. The strain that this responsibility of wearing the crown has on her marriage with Prince Phillip, as well as on her relationships with her sister, Princess Margaret, and the Queen Mother, creates the drama and intrigue of the show. While some of the stories have been dramatized for television, there has to still be some truth in the challenges that Queen Elizabeth II faces as the queen. To be put on a pedestal and in such a great position of power must be a great burden, as people constantly watch and critique her. Often times, she desires to make decisions for the benefit of her country. Yet, people critique her well-intentioned decisions as doing what is right is not always the popular decision.
Being in leadership is difficult. I was discussing The Crown with some of my friends who are pastors’ wives, and how as a pastor’s wife, or church leader, one can relate to the struggle of being put on a pedestal, watched, and critiqued. The expectations and burdens can be heavy, and there are struggles with personal desire versus what is expected in that role. While it is a joy to be in ministry, it can also be quite challenging. A friend also mentioned about how The Crown illustrates how one has to show deference and submission to God as King. If we truly believe that God is King, then sometimes we have to submit to Him, even if it differs from our own personal desires.
Surrender is something that’s not natural to us as humans. We often want to be in control, and do what we want, so having to think about submitting to another is often difficult. Yet, I’m grateful that God is not a distant, harsh, or cold ruler, but that He is so close, present, and cares for us. He is the King who knows what is best for us and gives us what we need, more than what we want. Despite the fact that God knows what is best for us, we still question His plans and the paths that He has taken us on, and wonder about what the future holds. Being in a season of transition, I can sometimes feel the anxiety of wondering what lies ahead. Yet, I remember how God has provided for me thus far, and it helps me remember that He will continue to provide in the future. He is the benevolent King who truly watches out for me. While the British monarchy is way different than how God operates, The Crown still gave me an illustration to ponder, thinking about God as King, and surrendering my will to Him.
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