Queenship of Mary

As an American moving to England in very early 1985, (although I had visited it before that in 1980 for a long visit), I was taken off guard one day when a Catholic man said to me, "Well, do you have a personal love for the queen?"

I had to stop a second and gather my wits. I said to him that as an American Catholic, I only had one queen and that she is the Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of Heaven and Earth. We had an interesting discussion on the nature of queenship. My loyalties to Mary, Our Mother, were and are, of course, deep and abiding. To realize, after I moved to England, that I had to adjust to some sort of loyalty to a contemporary queen was interesting.

As a conservative, traditional Catholic, I had no problem, when I had residency in England,  honouring the Queen of Great Britain, but this honour was not the same as that which I give to Mary, as the present queen does not have allegiance to the Catholic Faith, nor is she the Mother of God, or even an earthly representative of a Catholic state.

We actually have a personal relationship, through Christ, with Mother Mary, Queen. We can speak to her in prayer and ask her intercession. And, although, I actually represented the Catholic Church in London at two things which were attended by the Princess Royal and aristocrats, I most likely will never be introduced to the present Queen of Great Britain in order to beg her for favours, such as citizenship, for example.

I have met and was introduced to one prince, in Rome, a long time ago, and other aristocrats in other places, but when one says "queen" to me, I think firstly of the Queen of my heart, the Theotokos.

If I were a citizen of Great Britain, of course, the present queen would have my allegiance, as due to her state.

This comment started a process of thought on the Catholics during the reign of the Protestant kings and queens of England--how they must have understood queenship clearly, but with struggles.

To the Queen of my heart, I give loyalty, allegiance, honour, praise, and love.

Today, I am reminded that at this time, I only have one queen, and I hope she takes me as her lowliest servant, a mere kitchen maid, or lowly scribe, to serve her now and forever.

My queen is alive and lives in heaven, body and soul. Amazingly, I can shout, "Long live the Queen".