By: Maya, Ananya & Saanvi
After the Queen’s death, 250,000 people lined up to see her casket, with some waiting over 30 hours. We see people like David Beckham waiting in impossibly long lines just to have the chance to ‘say goodbye’ to a single lady. The gates of Buckingham palace were lined with teddy bears, flowers, and photographs, some even leaving jam sandwiches. Are these shows of affection a testament to her success as a ruler or a worrying display of her cult following that shows a very warped perception of the queen? The rest of the world is baffled by this reaction: why is the queen so glorified when what she stands for are such outdated ideals of colonialism?
Right after the passing of the queen, there were blasphemy laws. People who criticised the queen or the monarchy were arrested or fined, meaning that we cannot truly know if this show of ‘affection’ was genuine or if the fear of the law has silenced them". A woman who simply exercised her right to freedom of expression was charged with breach of peace for holding up a sign that said ‘F*ck Imperialism, Abolish Monarchy’. Symon Hill was arrested for shouting ‘Who elected him?’ at a proclamation ceremony for the king. His crime? Exercising his human right of freedom of speech. The UK, a ‘first world country’, is silencing their people for upholding their right of expression; human rights aren’t conditional, we can’t pick and choose when we want to uphold them.
Many believe that the monarchy is a symbol of the outdated ideals of colonialism, and isn’t representative of the modern efforts used to revert the lasting impacts of imperialism. The South African Freedom Fighters have said, “We do not mourn the death of Elizabeth, because to us her death is a reminder of a very tragic period in this country’s and Africa’s history.”
To some people monarchy is a reminder of The Crown’s ‘glory’ days; to others it is a symbol of oppression.
While Queen Elizabeth is not responsible for the atrocities committed by her ancestors, she had a duty to acknowledge the suffering people went through at the hands of the institution she represents. Even though colonisation wasn’t her fault, she sits on the throne wearing a crown made from jewels stolen from India, South Africa and other ex-colonies; we see just how much she profits from the exploitation of the oppressed.
The crown itself contains the Kohinoor Diamonds, which were stolen from India and never returned, showing a very tangible and physical reminder of the oppression that millions of people experienced. The symbol of the crown continues to glorify the British Empire, a time where thousands were placed in Boer concentration camps, 4 million people in Bengal starved to death under Churchill’s rule and brutally tortured rebels during the Mau Mau rebellion. Despite the bloody history, the demands for reparations by past colonies are met with platitudes. By upholding this image, the Queen and royal family continue to contribute to this unjust narrative, and hence, are just as much part of the issue.
We also fail to see what purpose the monarchy even has today. It is outdated and it contributes nothing to the country’s well-being. It also undermines the very basis of democracy. For instance, the queen has a royal prerogative which grants her the power to override laws without the consent of other members of parliament. Though we do not see this exercised a lot, it begs the question, what qualifications do any of the monarchs have to make decisions for the wellbeing of their countries? What gives someone the divine right to rule over others simply because they were born to a certain family?
Let’s also look at the state of the UK today, more than a month after the passing of the queen. Many cannot afford to rent or own homes, some struggle to pay for basic necessities despite maintaining full-time employment. And here we have billions of dollars being spent on the funeral of a single lady, who did not really contribute that much to the state of the UK. We see people being pushed out of their homes, having to take out loans they simply cannot afford to pay back, being silenced about their experience so the country could go into mourning. How fair is it that certain businesses needed to close down during the period of mourning to show “respect”? Respect should be earned instead of forced.
The British monarchy isn’t going away anytime soon, but it needs rectification in order to make it suitable for the modern day and age. We have got to address the horrific acts of imperialism, oppression and colonialism that happened at the hands of the UK, at the hands of the monarchy. While many can mourn the death of the queen, we have got to address the monarchy really stood for.
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