Of course, generally, you are absolutely right. But there is a bit of complexity being missed here. Remember, Elizabeth was a pawn in service to the Empire when she was crowned. Women, then, had very little power (even in the royal family) to make their own decisions. One only has to remember the tragic and tortured life of Princess Diana, who also experienced it. Elizabeth lived through the end of the British Empire and the rise of a multicultural and multiracial Britain. Nice essay!