Should Former Colonies Of The United Kingdom Mourn Queen Elizabeth's Death? Complicated Feelings Remain

As Queen Elizabeth II’s death continues to be mourned across the world, many individuals from former colonies of the United Kingdom express their mixed feelings regarding her passing, as they continue to deal with the consequences of Britain’s colonialist past.

Governments from the former colonies of the United Kingdom like Kenya, many of which are part of the Commonwealth of Nations that replaced the British Empire, have offered reconciliatory condolences to the death of Queen Elizabeth II, but citizens in the country have expressed discontent at the rule of the Queen and the lack of accountability for their past actions, according to PBS News Hour.

“This commonwealth of nations, that wealth belongs to England. That wealth is something never shared in,” Bert Samuels from the National Council on Reparations in Jamaica said.

“Most of our grandparents were oppressed,” lawyer Alice Mugo from Kenya said. “I cannot mourn.”

“The only thing I noted about the queen’s passing is that she died and never apologized for slavery,” activist Nadeen Spence said. “She should’ve apologized.”

Meanwhile, other individuals who have worked in potentially decolonizing their countries and pushing them away from their British colonial pasts have offered more conciliatory statements over the Queen’s death, the New York Times reported.

“I love Her Majesty,” Millicent Barty, an activist attempting to record oral histories from the Solomon Islands and Melanesian culture, said. She was reminiscent of the time she met the Queen during a leadership conference in 2018. “It’s really sad.”

The complicated emotions regarding the death of the Queen attempt to reconcile the largely-benevolent and grandmotherly image of the monarch with her family’s brutal legacy of colonization across the world, with many suggesting that the British monarchy may not continue to exist in its current state for long after.

“Does the monarchy die with the queen?” Michele Lemonius, who grew up in Jamaica and is now an expert on youth violence in former colonies, said. “It’s time for dialogue. It’s time for a conversation.”

“The queen, in a way, allowed the whole jigsaw puzzle to hang together so long as she was there,” historian Mark McKenna said. “But I’m not sure it’ll continue to hang on.”