The resonant echoes of our island story in public rituals, though a little pantomime-ish, reconnect us to our past. They help us feel the burden of our role as custodians of a national inheritance, so that Britain’s most precious features, while subject to repair and improvement where possible, are carried to future generations. In this sense, a country’s rituals are a sign of respect for the past, not blind deference to its every jot and tittle.