Sunday, September 11, 2022

Days of History

 
The Obamas returned to the White House this week for the unveiling of their official portraits, an event that should have happened under the previous administration but of course, that president was too craven and pinched to have hosted such an event, and a good thing too, because how much more beautiful it was to see my forever President and First Lady celebrated by fellow stellar humans such as former Obama VP and now current President Joe Biden and his gracious First Lady Jill Biden. I thought Michelle's portrait was just stunning, capturing her elegance, grace, and class, and the colors are absolutely sumptuous, the contrasting red and blue and coral pink setting off the brown of her skin gorgeously.
 

I didn't swoon in quite the same way at Barack's portrait. I was confused at first, thinking it was a photograph, but no doubt this was the kind of hyper realism he wanted, straightforward, no frills, the man himself and nothing else. The painting does capture his likeness, especially the lively intelligence and wit always right there behind his eyes. The former President was his usual captivating self at the podium, and the usual joshing camaraderie between Joe and himself was cheerfully in evidence, reminding us all of how collegial politics can sometimes be.

 
I particularly loved the words Michelle spoke to mark the occasion. “For me, this day is not just about what has happened,” she said when it was her turn at the podium. “It’s also about what could happen because a girl like me, she was never supposed to be up there next to Jacqueline Kennedy and Dolley Madison. She was never supposed to live in this house. And she definitely wasn’t supposed to serve as first lady. But what we’re looking at today—a portrait of a biracial kid with an unusual name and the daughter of a water pump operator and a stay-at-home mom—what we are seeing is a reminder that there’s a place for everyone in this country. Because as Barack said, if the two of us can end up on the walls of the most famous address in the world, then it is so important for every young kid who is doubting themselves to believe that they can, too.”

The very next day, on June 8, these photographs of the Obamas with Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip were everywhere, because on that afternoon, the reigning British monarch breathed her last and her son Charles became King. For me, these photographs reveal the best in us, and though many people are rightly pointing out that Queen Elizabeth reigned over an institution responsible for building wealth by plundering colonies of their natural resources for centuries, as well as establishing the new world evil of slavery rooted in violent racial subjugation, even so, one can hold that damning truth and still admire this Queen's seventy years of fortitude and gloved power, and the way she proved the boys wrong in their estimation that she, a soft girl, was not up to the task of ruling. I don't agree with all her choices, not at all. In fact, I think she was woefully misguided in many respects, particularly in not allowing family members to love who they chose, with all tragedies that resulted, but I do think she did the best she knew how, and if she'd understood the dire need to address and redress the ills committed through centuries in the name of the Crown, well, I suppose she'd have done so. One can only hope that King Charles will have divined the portents, and be inclined to begin the healing. The cynic in me doubts it but would love to be proved wrong.

I was actually in the presence of Queen Elizabeth in my lifetime. She knighted my father in 1987 for his work as Chief Justice of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States Judiciary. I was right there next to my mother and brother inside the great room at Buckingham Palace as she laid the sword on my father's shoulder and said “I dub thee.” Afterward, they exchanged a few words, shared a laugh. My brother and I walked out of that room in the company of parents transformed by old world colonial convention into a Knight and a Lady, though my mother's sisters all remarked that truly, my mother had always been a lady, and it didn't take the Queen of England to tell them so. This week a monarch who is part of our family’s history took her leave of this earth. She had a remarkable run by any measure. Now at last she can rest.



14 comments:

  1. It is hard to imagine a president and first lady more beloved by so many in our nation. It is moving to know that these splendid portraits will be seen in the White House in years to come.

    I love that your father and mother were honored by Queen Elizabeth and that they carried themselves with dignity and grace whether or not they were honored in that way. I recall seeing this family photo before and feeling the love that characterizes your family.

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  2. "To address and redress the ills" Well said. Well said.

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  3. Incredible memory, your father was the man! Lovely photo- goose bumpy cool. Y'all come from excellent stock. The genes just keep on giving.
    Michelle's portrait is everything, grace, the soft yet dynamic no nonsense pose and the colors. Could it be more perfect? It could not!

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  4. Brilliant! Your Dad is handsome as can be. And those portraits! —elf

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  5. Oh my! I didn't know that your father had been knighted. How wonderful. Lovely photo of your family. What colour was your outfit?

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  6. I had to google the images of Queen Elizabeth with the Trumps and the vast difference between those pictures and the ones she was in with the Obamas is staggering.
    I've been surprised at how many people that I know have seen the queen, albeit from a distance. She got around! But you are the only one I know who can say she was in her presence- when the queen knighted their father! Oh my! Your family is royalty on its own.
    Now as to the Obama portraits- they are so stunning. I will always remember their eight years in the White House as the best of this country. I am grateful to have lived during that time.

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  7. I love seeing the Obama portraits in the White House. It all seems so long ago already, and yet here in our lifetime. Wonderful story of your family and the Queen.

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  8. Wow! That is a wonderful photo of you and your family after your Dad was knighted. How dignified he looks in that picture.
    It was wonderful to see the Obamas and their portraits. I admire them so much.

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  9. I love Michelle Obama. She is a strong, intelligent woman who owns it. The portraits are in stark contrast and I think, don't know because I've never met them, match their personalities.
    As for the Queen, I think she was also a strong, intelligent woman with a strong sense of duty which she never shirked. I can't even imagine. Pretty cool to have met her.

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  10. TFG is such a vindictive hateful little man who spent his term trying to undo everything Obama did. Of course he was never going to host a beloved former president and first lady at the White House. And how magnificent that your father was knighted. Not that I care much for that sort class distinction but so nice to be recognised for the work of your lifetime.

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  11. The Queen was a product of her time, and so were her policies. Having said that, I think we need to recognise that she was instrumental in holding the Commonwealth together and, in doing so, met on equal footing with many African and Indian sub-continent leaders. She made sure that all of her premiers and the heads of state were treated exactly the same. Not an easy thing to do for a formal little British woman, but she made it look normal.
    I love the painting of Obama - clean, plain and to the point. Perfect for him. And I love Mrs Obama's dress. She can really wear dress clothes well. More so than the Queen, I think, who always looked a little pained and stiff in her long dresses.

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  12. "To whom much is given, much will be required." People keep saying she did so much and with such grace, etc. She had an easy life because everything was done for her. Most wealthy people do. I respect her for what she did during the war. She actually did something. Being a celebrity is easy.

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  13. The photograph of the former President is in stark contrast to the lush painting of the former First Lady. Interesting artistic choice. I'm so glad these portraits were finally officially unveiled.

    You are absolutely right about balancing the memory of the Queen. Complex times and a very complex job. I think she worked her ass off and took her duties seriously. I've been hearing some great stories that highlight her sense of humor and ability to blow off steam out of public view. -- Tara

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  14. I liked the portraits too. I think Michelle's looks much more like her than the one unveiled by the National Portrait Gallery last year. (Although I liked that one too, for the artist's creative approach.)

    I think the Queen was hyper-vigilant about her family because she was so marked by the scandal of her uncle's abdication. She felt that the monarchy might not survive another such incident. Ironically, her conservative approach unwittingly created even more scandal in later years.

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