The Queen is Dead
Exploring the British Monarch and Why the World is Struggling to Mourn her Death
Queen Elizabeth II died September 8, 2022 at the age of 96. She was on the throne for 70 years: Britain’s longest serving monarch. However, people are having a hard time mourning her death.
Recently, the media is currently flooded with kind words and condolences towards the loss of the Queen, but also many mixed feelings. Videos about the Queen’s death have blown up on TikTok, either talking about why we should not mourn her, or just downright making fun.
“I can’t take any British person seriously, no matter who they are. They’re just so funny, it’s hard to take seriously,” John Norland, 12, said, furthering the point.
Another reason people may be finding it difficult to mourn the Queen’s death is due to some of her past decisions, such as the fact that many people grew up in British colonization around the world. According to Mr. Cole, an AP Comparative Government and US History teacher at SJHS, the UK, similar to many other countries, has participated in colonization.
“We had to protect, take care, that was our justification for ruling over them, and if they did not do what was right you had to ‘punish a child that is misbehaving’,” explained Mr. Cole. In British colonization, they wanted people to behave and believe what they were instructed – if they did not want to follow, they would be punished.
Mr. Cole also expressed that the people who most likely won’t mourn her death are also the ones who are wanting to remove Britain’s Monarchy.
Melissa Murray, a professor at the New York University School of Law, who was raised in the United States and spent summers in Jamaica, expressed in an interview with The Washington Post that she grew up in admiration of the queen.
“I wasn’t saying ‘Let’s dance on her grave’ or anything,” Prof. Murray said, “I feel like you should be able to do two things at once, respect her life and her legacy of service, while also grappling with the legacy of the institution she represents,” Prof. Murray explained.
The Queen is also being judged on her handling of Meghan Markle. On March 7, 2021, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry sat down in an interview with Oprah Winfrey, and they spoke about what drove them away from the royal family. According to TIME News, a breaking point for Prince Harry and Mrs. Markle was when they were approached by representatives of the Royal Family with concerns about how dark Archie’s skin color would be.
“They didn’t want him to be a prince or a princess. He wasn’t going to receive security,” Mrs. Markle said. “We’re not saying don’t make him a prince, but if you’re saying the title is what’s going to affect the protection, our son needs to be safe.” Mrs. Markle added in the interview with Oprah.
Whether you side with Meghan Markle and Harry, enjoying the memed Queen, or believe that the monarchy should be thrown out, it is agreeable that her death marks the end of an era.