Monarchs, it seems, tend to have an instinctive aversion toward genocide and catering to bigotry. That’s not true of those who run people’s republics and national and/or socialist dictatorships.

Queen Elizabeth in this respect has followed her great-great-grandmother’s good example. Her assiduous interest in African Commonwealth nations has been attested to by many of their leaders. She personally chose to award the Order of Merit to Nelson Mandela (born himself to a Xhosa royal family).

The problem with monarchy, constitutional or otherwise, is that its success depends so heavily on the character of the monarch. Elizabeth has carefully disciplined herself since childhood. As her sister Princess Margaret observed, “Lilibet has always known the right thing to do.”

For all its virtues, monarchy would never suit us — small-r republican, small-d democratic Americans. But we can partake vicariously of the achievement of our Anglosphere cousins’ sovereign. So let’s join them in saying, God save the Queen.