In an era when old age and hereditary privilege are largely out of vogue, Queen Elizabeth is still held in lofty regard, as her consistently high popularity ratings testify. The latest news, however - that the queen had entered a hospital “ for some preliminary investigations” - raised a different level of emotion and anxiety, not fully relieved by the reassuring addendum that she “remains in good spirits.” Even at 95, with 69 years on the throne, Queen Elizabeth is not someone who takes a sick day lightly. “Her Majesty’s a pretty nice girl / But she doesn’t have a lot to say,” sang the Beatle Paul McCartney in a playful ditty tucked into the 1969 album “Abbey Road.” The lyrics come to mind whenever Queen Elizabeth is back in the news, which has been happening often in recent years, what with the Netflix series “The Crown,” the death of her husband, Prince Philip, and the headline-hugging misadventures of her royal progeny.
