Those reports have been around for a while and they are evidence enough to show she wasn't entirely selfless. As an unelected person you are either in place ceremonially or not at all in my opinion. One example of her seeking to influence for her own gain is enough of a slight. Had she been elected she would be well within her rights to influence policy.
She was respected because she was old, had celebrity status and people saw a mother/grandmother in her. But you cannot dismiss reports like these and just claim she was selfless. She had her own interests and wanted to protect them. When you are born to a role and outside of the system then that warrants criticism.
I’m not suggesting that the Queen was perfect, as nobody is.
My argument is that with each and every approach to having a head of state - who as a requirement of the job should remain impartial - there will be pros and cons, and most pertinently some potential for that individual to pursue self-interest.
If we have an elected head of state, which a lot of people seem to advocate for some reason, then I can’t see how the various candidates could remain apolitical. For me, the very moment they present themselves for election, the process automatically becomes political, as they would have a prospectus, an agenda, and a different appeal to different sections of society. Further, when you consider that the pool of candidates would very likely emerge almost entirely from former politicians, then any prospect of remaining apolitical and avoiding self-interest would reduce even further.
How would an elected head of state behave when public opinion shifts, when they or the party they used to represent approach re-election, or when their own popularity is under pressure? Would the scope for self-interest really be reduced? I would also argue that having someone in the job for life would naturally leave them better placed to adopt a longer view.
No system is perfect, but if the Queen’s various alleged discretions really are the sum damage inflicted over the course of 70 years, then I think we’ve done remarkably well.
