I agree with Nesrine Malik about Hilary Mantel’s analysis of the historical mysticism of royalty (Hilary Mantel knew how corrosive deference to monarchy can be – and why we must resist, 26 September). But during the period of mourning for the Queen, I didn’t see people being deferential to the monarchy as an institution, but rather marking the death of one very singular example of it.
I don’t agree with Malik that feeling one is part of something larger than oneself equates to feeling small. I felt part of something larger than myself during the Embrace the Base protest at Greenham Common in Berkshire, and when I marched against the Iraq war. That didn’t make me feel small; it made me feel that collectively we could be very powerful.
Katy Jennison
Witney, Oxfordshire
• There’s no better examination of the context of Nesrine Malik’s discussion of the relationship between pageantry and power, and the royal household’s attempt to control the use of footage of the late Queen’s commemorations (Report, 25 September), than David Cannadine’s contribution to The Invention of Tradition, edited by Eric Hobsbawm and Terence Ranger.
Cannadine shows that in the first three-quarters of the 19th century, royal ceremonial was characterised by ineptness and ridicule. But in the heyday of “invented tradition”, “meticulous planning, popular enthusiasm, widespread reporting and unprecedented splendour were successfully allied”. Not for Elizabeth II’s funeral, but Queen Victoria’s. Layer upon layer of “tradition” have since been added.
Of Queen Elizabeth’s silver jubilee in 1977, Cannadine wrote: “Ceremonial was an expression of national and imperial decline, an attempt to persuade, by pomp and circumstance, that no such decline had really taken place, or to argue that, even if it had, it really did not matter.” Forty-five years later, the pomp has increased, but so has the decline. Does it matter? Of course it does.
Alan Mackley
Blythburgh, Suffolk
• Nesrine Malik draws elegant comparisons between the longing for togetherness inspired by her experience of the hajj and in many ceremonies of mourning for the late Queen. Malik also highlights the effect of 12 years of austerity on smaller-scale community cohesion – the closure of so many youth projects and community centres, libraries, places of association where people can meet and experience such a sense of belonging.
National and local governments of all hues must realise the value of social connection and of community-building. If they do not, we should not be surprised if young and old are seduced by the proxy camaraderie and belonging often afforded by membership of far-right and nationalist politics, white supremacist groups and gang culture. In politics, while the left may have the right policies, the right is sadly more adept at playing the right tunes.
Rob Hunter
Leicester
• Bravo to Nesrine Malik on her pitch-perfect commentary describing how the church, monarchy, state and media conspire to engineer consent for a system that is self-evidently failing most of us. She says: “It is impossible to tell how many others feel the same as you …” I hope the answer is millions, because we need change and need it now.
Alison Solemani
St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex
• Have an opinion on anything you’ve read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication.
