Queen Elizabeth elevates English.

Paula Marantz Cohen

is a distinguished professor of English at Drexel University and author of the novel What Alice Knew: A Most Curious Tale of Henry James and Jack the Ripper

This is an excerpt from the speech delivered by Queen Elizabeth II welcoming Pope Benedict XVI to Scotland during his recent visit to the United Kingdom:

"Religion has always been a crucial element in national identity and historical self-consciousness. This has made the relationship between the different faiths a fundamental factor in the necessary cooperation within and between nation states. It is, therefore, vital to encourage greater mutual and respectful understanding. We know from experience that through committed dialogue, old suspicions can be transcended and a greater mutual trust established."

I heard these words during a news announcement while driving to work the other day. I have no recollection of what the pope said. What struck me was this excerpt from the queen. I was mesmerized by her words: the plummy accent, the stately syntax, the careful but resonant content. Listening, I suddenly understood the idea of monarchy.

What I understood was that Queen Elizabeth is not just a dressed-up figurehead. She is also the keeper of the English language - a linguistic legacy that extends from Chaucer to Shakespeare to Milton, and through to Austen, Dickens, Mill, and Ruskin. The language, enshrined in its highest form in the English literary tradition, is, I realized, kept under guard by the dowdy lady in the oversize hat. Keeping that language is not only about linguistic correctness; it is also about using words in the service of civilization.

To demonstrate what I mean, let me parse the lines above.

"Religion has always been a crucial element in national identity and historical self-consciousness."

Note how carefully this generalization is worded. Religion is not the crucial element; it is rather a crucial element. There is no talk of elevated virtue or spiritual illumination; the focus is on identity and history. The queen articulates a sweeping generality but the implication is specific: Religion is a crucial element in what makes Britain Britain. For that reason alone, it must be given its due.

"This has made the relationship between the different faiths a fundamental factor in the necessary cooperation within and between nation states."