A ROYAL CHANGE was head of state . This had touched a great number of people around the world , and as such her passing was mourned with , at times , passion . It was also marked with some strengthened voices of the questioning of monarchy as an institution , as many saw the ending of a reign beloved by some to be the best time to reflect on the excesses of a royal family .
It is seventy years since we last marked the passing and accession of monarchs ; seven decades in which Sevenoaks has seen tremendous change , from thriving minor public school to leading IB school of over 70 nationalities . So how did we respond ?
For a school like Sevenoaks , the monarchy is a challenging institution to know what to do with . We are not a school that is openly and rigidly traditional , yet we ( as many do ) can draw strength from what is entrenched in society . We do try to mark ourselves apart from others by our willingness to analyse and interrogate traditions , however , rather than be blind adherents of them . Therefore , when facing such a seismic event as the death of Queen Elizabeth II and the first coronation of a British monarch in 70 years , the school ( and to a certain degree its community ) had an interestingly fine line to walk .
The outpouring of grief and praise upon the death of the Queen was a good indication of the high stature she was held in by many , both within Britain and around the world . She had made a great deal of her dedication to public service , framing the monarchy and her status as monarch as being deeply intertwined with a love of the country of which she
As a school , however , we sought to chart a middle ground , simultaneously trying to observe the historical significance of the occasion whilst not brushing the more difficult elements under the carpet . We made a book of condolences for the community to sign , and the Headmaster gave a meaningful assembly looking at the relationship between the monarchy and the school . The CCF held a memorial parade , and debates were had around the school , unofficially but consistently , as to the role monarchy could play now that such a stalwart member was no longer with us . In the wider Sevenoaks community , as well , there was activity surrounding the death of the Queen ; for example , Ed Norman ( OS 2017 ) stood guard as part of the vigil for Her Majesty ’ s coffin as she lay in state .
After this moment of national mourning , the school then , superficially , moved on . This seemed the most appropriate thing to do given , as stated above , the difficulties in fitting the monarchy into our ethos as a school . Behind the scenes , however , there was an acknowledgement that another huge event was to play out later in the academic year , that of the coronation of King Charles III . Again , this was more than just bank holidays giving many a rest from the busy churn of school life , this was a major landmark in British history that needed to be approached with care .
It was pleasing , therefore , that King Charles decided to eschew the usual focus on street parties for major royal celebrations , and sought to encourage others to engage in acts of service for their local community . As something that is very close to our hearts at Sevenoaks , with the VSU programme running since 1960 and still being a significant part of the school community to this day , such an alignment of ideals was heart-warming for us to see .
4 SEVENOAKS SCHOOL 2022-2023