End of the Year Issue
By Leo Gerza
September 26, 2022
“The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon.”
On Thursday, the 8 of Sept. 2022, this message rippled throughout the world as we learned of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s death, marking not only the culmination of the longest reigning monarch in British history but also reminding us of the unique role she served for 70 years.
In many ways, the Queen came to represent a constant in a rapidly changing world. She brought duty and service to her role and provided resolve throughout decades of domestic political and economic turmoil, which signified Britain’s ever-declining global importance.
Beyond the island’s coastline, the Queen also observed an exodus of former colonial states as they claimed independence and oversaw the continuation of the Commonwealth, a moderated alternative to British subjugation. The endurance of the Queen’s reign also meant the persistence of the monarchical institution and, with that, the memory of colonial times for many of the citizens living in former colonies.
The Queen’s death will resonate differently with everyone in the diverse Menton community: there will be those who could not care less; some will no doubt have been struck by sadness; others may have been in awe at the significance of her reign; and, of course, many will be reminded of the pain and suffering upon which the British monarchy’s power and global prominence were built.
Thus, this article will strive to reflect on the Queen’s reign by celebrating Her Majesty’s role in becoming a fundamental aspect of British identity and exploring the facets of her reign within the Commonwealth and on the international stage.
Domestically, it is difficult to imagine a more definitive and iconic figure than the Queen. She modernized the relationship between monarch and subject, and her apolitical existence raised a reassuring curtain around a nation increasingly fraught with polarizing politics. Her connection with and affection toward the public began before her ascension to the throne. Her 1940 Wartime Broadcast instilled comfort in the nation’s young children who were forced to leave their families for the countryside.
“We know, everyone of us, that in the end all will be well; for God will care for us and give us victory and peace. And when peace comes, remember it will be for us, the children of today, to make the world of tomorrow a better and happier place.”
The Queen, Wartime Broadcast 1940
She hinted toward her future decades of duty by staying in England during WWII and serving as a mechanic in the Auxiliary Territorial Services (ATS), endearing her to the nation and demonstrating that, even though her life could not be more different from that of the ordinary citizen, she was prepared to bridge the connection between monarch and subject.
This rapprochement between monarch and subject manifested itself in the first-ever televised coronation – during the Queen’s accession to the crown – but also in times when it seemed that controversy had taken the monarchy to the brink of redundancy. During the calamity following Princess Diana’s death in 1997, the Queen broke protocol by making an exceedingly rare address to the nation. Her message underscored how deeply she understood the grief of the people mourning the loss of perhaps the only royal figure more popular than herself.
“We have all been trying in our different ways to cope. It is not easy to express a sense of loss since the initial shock is often succeeded by a mixture of other feelings: disbelief, incomprehension, anger - and concern for those who remain. We have all felt those emotions in these last few days. So what I say to you now, as your Queen and as a grandmother, I say from my heart.”
The Queen’s message to the nation following Princess Diana’s death in 1997.
Even though many will point out that such examples are normal human instincts for empathy, it is crucial to recognize how such actions departed from the Victorian custom of existing as far removed from the public as possible. Despite all her faults, the Queen provided Britain with continuity during a period when it experienced immense social, economic and political change. Her absolute sense of duty supplied motherly refuge in moments of critical uncertainty for Britain. Her address to the nation amidst the COVID-19 pandemic exemplified how, to some, she became a source of hope and connection in times when reality demanded distance.
“We should take comfort that while we may have more still to endure, better days will return: we will be with our friends again; we will be with our families again; we will meet again.
The Queen, address to the nation during the COVID-19 pandemic 2020.
Internationally, the Queen aided Britain in maintaining an outsized relevance in international relations. Though Britain’s share of global trade and economic power has waned, its clout on the international stage remains fairly high. According to the Washington Post, soft power and the power of attraction have been vital boosts for British foreign policy. After all, many American presidents have claimed that their most treasured memory in office was the opportunity to meet the Queen of England. Former Prime Minister David Cameron even attributed his warm relationship with President Obama to the successes of the Queen during their state visit in 2011.
“The Queen and the Royal Family have been pivotal in maintaining the nation’s relevance.”
Brand Finance, 2020 Global Soft Power Index.
Departing from the Queen’s impact within Britain, examining the bloodstains of colonialism that trail her death is vital. In many countries whose history intertwines with Britain’s, reluctance to mourn the Queen demonstrates the complexity and pain that her legacy – colonialism – leaves behind.
After all, the capacity of the Queen’s death to engulf so much attention is partially owed to the vast areas of the world that colonialism and the British Empire impacted. It is also true that the tragedies of colonialism were not events overseen exclusively by the Queen’s predecessors. The Queen herself supervised a government that acted brutally and immorally at the tail end of its lifespan as an empire.
Several months after her ascension to the throne, British authorities in Kenya responded to the Mau Mau rebellion by means of torture and assault. It is estimated that by 1956 up to 150,000 Kenyans were held in detainment camps aiming to forcefully reform its internees to the views of the government and “abandon their nationalist aspirations.” According to the New York Times, this event “led to the establishment of a vast system of detention camps and the torture, rape, castration and killing of tens of thousands of people.”
“It’s her dual status as the face of colonialism, but also a symbol of decolonization that defines how she is perceived in many former British African colonies.”
Moses Ochonu, professor of African studies at Vanderbilt University to NPR.
For many people, the Queen was also the face of the British Empire’s pilferage: many of the monarchy’s jewels were not returned to their homelands, such as the Koh-i-Nor or Cullinan diamonds, belonging originally to India and South Africa, respectively. To this end, separating the individual from the institution and its history seems impossible.
Yet, as leader of the Commonwealth, the Queen oversaw 17 former colonies become independent. Today, the Commonwealth includes a third of the world’s population, a fifth of its territorial mass and a third of its waters. The Queen worked tirelessly to maintain the Commonwealth and modernize its values. Her success has materialized in the membership of new states such as Mozambique in 2005 and Gabon and Togo in 2022, former Portuguese and French colonies, respectively. In the same way that it is possible to consider the Queen’s legacy tied to British colonialism, it is also possible to acknowledge the vast decolonization that her reign oversaw.
Ultimately, the Queen’s refusal to apologize explicitly for the traumas of colonialism, even as the world turns the lamp toward the darkness of colonialism, means that her death should not absolve her of her failures. It is deservedly so that her legacy of service to Britain will forever be wrapped together with the pain of colonialism and the British Empire. However, it is still worth taking a moment to awe at the endurance of her reign and the sense of duty that she brought to her role.