Monarch of a Bloodthirsty Empire

It was declared on September 8, 2022 that Queen Elizabeth II had been placed under medical supervision after concerns for her wellbeing arose.

Hours later, at 6:30 p.m. BST, Buckingham Palace announced that the world’s most well-known queen had passed away. After the statement, the grief was instantaneous and widespread. Yet while her passing should be respected, it is also important to recognize the British Empire’s wrongdoings and the Queen’s complicity.

Public figures jumped to deliver speeches to the masses and post heartfelt messages on social media regarding their sorrow for the Queen. Liz Truss, the newly elected prime minister of the United Kingdom, described Britain’s history as “great” and praised the Queen’s legacy, a questionable statement given Britain’s history of slavery and theft. Furthermore, President Joe Biden called her a “steadying presence” and “source of comfort” for the citizens of Britain. Powerful politicians gave high praise to both the Queen and her performance as the longest serving ruler of the British Empire in their orations, and the remarks they made can have consequences on the people whom the empire’s legacy has affected. These countries’ leaders showering Britain’s history with praise without addressing its immoral side is a disgrace to the millions of lives lost at the hands of Britain’s ongoing colonialism.

Britain’s horrific past of colonization and white supremacy still affects nations worldwide today. According to historian Stuart Laycock’s novel, “All the Countries We’ve Ever Invaded: And the Few We Never Got Round To,” Britain has invaded 90 percent of the world’s countries. Though the Queen was not directly responsible for many of the empire’s negative actions, she never ​​apologized for the actions of her ancestors. Some may argue that the United Kingdom’s monarchy holds little power nowadays, so an apology would have been meaningless. Nevertheless, issuing a formal apology is the morally right thing to do and could have inspired other leaders to do the same. Furthermore, Her Majesty was nicknamed the “Empress of India,” despite having never visited the country. After she became queen, she turned a blind eye to the immense suffering of India’s citizens that occurred due to Britain’s occupation of India. Britain once profited off of India, accumulating $45 trillion through the trading system and the intense taxing of goods. In addition, the monarch kept the famous Koh-i-Noor diamond, even though Indian citizens have demanded for centuries that the precious, stolen diamond be returned to its homeland and honored for its cultural significance. Similarly, many of Ireland’s citizens also resent the Queen and the British Empire. Queen Elizabeth II ruled during a period of conflict between Northern Ireland and Britain called “The Troubles,” during which thousands of Irish citizens passed away. Her Majesty’s ignorance of these atrocities only contributes to the argument of people unsympathetic toward her death.

Many citizens of Britain’s formerly ruled countries rejoiced when hearing of the Queen’s death. A TikTok video featuring dozens of soccer fans in a stadium in Ireland chanting happily just mere hours after the monarch’s passing received almost 10 million views on Twitter for its shocking nature, which enraged many people due to its clear disrespect and mockery of an important figure’s death. The soccer fans chanted “Lizzie’s in a Box” to the tune of the song “Give It Up” by KC and the Sunshine Band. More tweets angrily point out the exploitation and slavery that the Queen previously profited off of, with people from various cultures chiming in, such as the Aboriginals of Australia and citizens of once colonized African countries. Uju Anya, a renowned Nigerian Carnegie Mellon professor, received backlash for her Tweet saying, “I heard the chief monarch of a thieving, raping genocidal empire is finally dying. May her pain be excruciating.” While international communities came together to grieve Queen Elizabeth II’s death, individuals also came together to demonstrate their prejudice against the ruler who benefited from the colonization of their ancestors. While it is disrespectful to publicly celebrate any human’s death and then share it on social media, the individuals participating in these actions have a genuine reason to be upset, giving some room to understand their acts.

Though many of Britain’s atrocities were committed long ago, people around the globe still hold resentment against the late queen. Many resent the symbolism of a monarchy, and this resentment translates onto Queen Elizabeth II, since she was the ruler of a monarchy. Though the monarch should not be held responsible for the entire empire’s actions, ignoring consequences is not helpful either. Queen Elizabeth II should have addressed these actions in a formal apology during a visit to the affected countries.

To this day, the destructive legacy of the monarchy still haunts generations. Stolen cultural artifacts, the loss of millions of lives due to war and slavery, and the devastation of economies by Britain have left scars on countries around the globe. Queen Elizabeth II and the United Kingdom were not innocent, and therefore, the media should not portray their legacy as legendary. Discussing Queen Elizabeth II’s actions, both positive and negative, is a better approach to the news regarding her passing so that the full history is described for people to make their own opinions. The new monarch of the United Kingdom, King Charles III, must address these wrongdoings and strive to repair the damage caused by his kingdom. With the news of his crowning, expectations are heavy on the king, so it is important for him to set a standard by compensating for his ancestors’ legacy. Ignoring the truth of history is morally wrong, and Britain must make amends by addressing these regretful past actions.