On this coming Monday, February 6, 2012 it will be 60 years since Queen Elizabeth II began reigning over Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. This diamond jubilee has only happened once before in British history: Queen Victoria has also managed to rule for over 60 years.
In fact, we know the time of Victoria’s reign because it was called the Victorian Era. I imagine more links to be drawn between the two monarchs. But at present it looks like Liz will never get the honour of an era named after her.
Firstly, there was already an Elizabethan Era. Elizabeth I ruled for 44 years and in her time William Shakespeare became a famous playwright. That is what is known as the Elizabethan Era. So we can’t use that name again.
Indeed, with a more pervasive American culture while Liz II has reigned, more royalty neutral terms have come to the forefront. Most of these monikers have to due with technology. Like the atomic age, the space age, the computer age, and even the plastic age.
Maybe just maybe we could somehow combine a more American style, neutral moniker with the Elizabeth name, that is somehow representative of today?
With wimpier and wimpier purveyors of art in our times, the sequel has gotten to be so much more popular that some wonder what remains to make a sequel of other than another sequel.
The Elizabethan Era, the Sequel could be representative of our times.
And at least we know exactly when this era started. The atomic age, the space age, the computer age and the plastic ages all have vague starting points. We can spare ourselves the debate and call this the Elizabethan Era the Sequel.
