It was only three months ago that the United Kingdom celebrated Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee. That reign came to an end Thursday, as Buckingham Palace announced the queen’s death after spending 70 years on the throne. Elizabeth’s death will spark a multitude of feelings, often conflicting, not just in Britain but around the world. The monarch has been the only head of state that millions of her subjects in the British Isles and the Commonwealth have ever known. Her presence on their coins and banknotes and their televisions has been a constant through generations, an ever-diminishing bit of continuity as the world has shifted away from the dark days of subjection and colonialism.
The queen’s death will highlight two things: first, her power as a symbol for the British people; second, that the wheels of the state will continue turning without her. Charles now inherits a title and lands. He will grant his leave for new governments to form after the next election. But it will be done in the shadow of his mother and with the knowledge that what acts he takes are all, in a sense, playacting. The crown and scepter will be costuming, allowing him to uphold the illusion that the monarchy still has a role to play in a modern constitutional republic.
When Elizabeth was coronated, the U.K. held more than 70 overseas territories as part of its empire. India had been independent for just five years, the beginning of a trend that would continue for the next five decades. The British Empire came apart at the seams, as country after country took control of its own destiny. After fiercely attempting to put down revolutions in Egypt, Kenya and other countries, Elizabeth’s ministers eventually were forced to follow in the footsteps of King George III and accede to their demands for independence.
Source: msnbc.com
Saturday, April 18, 2026
