The Queen today celebrates 50 years on the throne of the United Kingdom and its colonies.

The world today is a completely different one from the one that she entered as a world figure on her ascension to the throne.

The already shrinking empire that she began to reign over in 1952 is now reduced to a few overseas territories scattered around the oceans and seas of the world. They include of course Bermuda.

Britain could still make some claims to being a "first division" world power in 1952. Today, of course, there is only one, the United States.

The television broadcast of the Queen's coronation was one of the early triumphs for the medium; today we live in a hi-tech world in which communication from one end of the planet to the other is instantaneous. Through all of these changes — and a number of personal tragedies and family embarrassments — the Queen has remained constant.

If she has not been a "People's Queen" in the way that Princess Diana was seen as the "People's Princess", she has none of the somewhat erratic tendencies of the late Princess of Wales either. Former British Prime Minister John Major wrote this weekend that the monarchy "reminds us of more positive elements of the British nature: service, duty, self-restraint".

"Around the world, no international figure has remained at the centre of her nation's affairs as long as the Queen. The Golden Jubilee is an opportunity to celebrate a remarkable life of service."

All of that is true.

More than many institutions, the Royal Family's survival depends on image and perception. It wields little real power and must take great care in how it uses what political powers and temporal powers it does retain. As such, the Queen has been an examplar who through her own exemplary personal behaviour remains a symbol of what Britain, and the Commonwealth, should stand for.

She herself made it clear that she wished these celebrations to be relatively low key and her wishes have largely been carried out.

In Bermuda, there is clearly less overt enthusiasm for the monarchy than there was 25 or 50 years ago. The crowds that greeted the Queen during her last major visit in 1993 were notably smaller than they were in 1975 and the run-up to the Jubilee celebrations this year have been next to nonexistent.

Indeed, it is with some regret that we note that the Government could not take the trouble to schedule the Queen's Birthday holiday for today, when Britain and most of the Commonwealth are celebrating the Jubilee. Instead, Bermuda will celebrate the Jubilee next weekend. Nonetheless, it is likely that the majority of Bermudians maintain a deep sense of affection for the Royal Family and for the Queen as the head of state.

Indeed, even if Bermuda did become an independent country, there has been no question that Bermuda would join the Commonwealth not that the Queen would retain that title. Instead, the British monarchy and the Queen remain a symbol of what has been good about Bermuda's British connection.

Fairness, respect for self and others, tolerance, service to the community and duty to country remain ideals that Bermuda subscribes to and believes in. As the Queen marks 50 years on the throne, there will be few in this community or around the world who do not wish her many more happy years on the throne and at the head of the family of nations of which Bermuda is a part.