I think I’ll just go with the flow today and wish the queen a happy ninetieth birthday. My feelings towards the queen are somewhat contradictory. On the one hand is the question of whether monarchy has any place in the twenty-first century. While I know the queen has no real power – theoretically at least – and the monarchy is just a tourist attraction, it is nonetheless a tourist attraction we spend millions on to maintain. That money could be much better used. Why spend so much tax payers money on keeping a single family, whose wealth and privilege was inherited and not earned, living like…well…royalty? All my leftist instincts say we should do away with the lot.

On the other hand, I must admit I have a soft spot for the queen. She has been a constant throughout most of our lives; she has been there since before I was born, and indeed since before my parents were born. I have to respect someone who is prepared to fill a role she never asked for for over sixty years. However luxurious it may be, just think how many events, openings that is. To be expected to go places, say nice things, and probably have the same conversation over and over again, year after year, must get wearisome. Most of us would have jacked it in years ago. That deserves my respect.

Mind you, I might have thought differently before 2012. Sorry to keep going back to this, but the queens appearance with James Bond at the olympic opening ceremony demonstrated that she didn’t see herself as ‘above’ popular culture. One might have expected her to say ”definitely not”, as if she was too noble or high born.

Instead, she was game. As I wrote here, I feel that that is worthy of my respect. It changed our relationship with the monarch; it made her seem less distant or remote. It showed she knows about the stuff we like. More personally, it also echoes the parachute jump from the Spy Who Loved Me, which I wrote about in my masters thesis – I love that the two are linked.

Thus while I know what I’m supposed to say about hereditary monarchy being an utter anachronism which we need to do away with, I can’t help liking old Liz. She has always been there – a comforting constant throughout our lives. She is like David Attenborough on the TV, ashes cricket, or the towel which you brought from your parents and remember being dried with as a child. Whether my attitude about this will change when the queen finally goes remains to be seen, but for now I’ll just wish her majesty a very happy ninetieth birthday.