THE ADVOCATE 767
VOL. 80 PART 5 SEPTEMBER 2022
many bumps I have not foreseen,
but in my view it would have been
worth exploring. We shall never
know, and our constitution will forever
be Schedule B to the Canada
Act 1982 (U.K.), 1982, c. 11.
John Edmond
Ottawa
Dear Editor,
Re: Bench and Bar
(2022) 80 Advocate 627
I much enjoyed your review of
the attempt by Spain, through its
Armada, to conquer Britain in
1588. It was not unlike the threat
Britain faced in 1941. On each occasion,
Britain, inspired by legendary
leaders, proved to the world it
could not and would not be
defeated.
Had Spain succeeded in 1588,
history would have been profoundly
affected. Parliament would
have ceased to exist, the common
law would no longer have effect
and the monstrous oppression of
the Inquisition would have been
imposed on the island kingdom.
The horrors that would have followed
a successful Nazi invasion in
1941 are beyond the imagination.
Elizabeth’s speech to the English
fleet before the ultimate battle is
comparable to Churchill’s speech
on the eve of the expected invasion,
where he pronounced the words
that will resonate as long as the
English language is spoken: “We
will fight on the beaches, we will
fight on the landing grounds, we
will fight on the streets and in the
hills … We will never surrender.”
Both speeches from these great
wartime leaders will forever
inspire free people in their resistance
to tyranny. And isn’t Zelensky
doing a magnificent job of
furthering the cause of resistance
to aggression? He is pleading to the
West, as Churchill appealed to
America: “Give us the tools and we
will finish the job.”
I have a small quibble with your
quote from Elizabeth in that you
omitted a vital phrase. To repeat
your quote with the omitted words
emphasized: “I know I have the
body of a weak and feeble woman,
but I have the heart and stomach of
a king, and of a king of England too …
Should any prince of Europe dare to
invade the borders of my realm … I
myself will take up arms … ”.
When a PBS series on Elizabeth
portrayed this speech some years
ago, the troops rallied to the
words—“and of a king of England
too”—more than any other part of
the speech, which I can imagine
was the way the actual event
occurred. It is certainly the phrase
that continues to ring in my ears.
Yours truly,
Barry Kirkham, Q.C.
West Vancouver