WHEN historians look back on the first decade or so of the 21st century, one institution will be seen as exceptional – our monarchy.

In this, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee year, we are again reminded of the hugely important role that the monarch plays in modern day Britain.

From Churchill to Cameron, Truman to Obama, Stalin to Putin, Queen Elizabeth has overseen times of change and times of challenge for this nation and the world at large. Her staying power and experience are surely unparalleled across the globe and as a woman she embodies many of Britain’s greatest values – stoicism, quiet resolve, tradition and adaptability.

Today’s Britain is unsure of its place in the world. Many fear for the difficult economic times that still lie ahead. A great number are no longer sure what Britishness means.

We worry how we might best build a nation our children want to live in and when we look abroad we see a world in flux – Europe in financial turmoil, China making great leaps forward, America’s time as an unrivalled power coming to an end.

Amid this uncertainty is the constancy of monarchy, a core around which we as a nation can coalesce. At its centre is a remarkable woman whose resilience reminds us that, no matter the vagaries of life, brighter times are on the horizon.

It is for this reason that I suspect the great triumph of 2012 will be the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations rather than the Olympics.