Comments expresses the opinions of the writer.
Are you one of those who think that coverage of Queen Elizabeth’s death in Britain has been a bit excessive?
Then you are not alone, and the reactions on social networks are many:
Here the war in Ukraine has entered a new and dramatic phase. Pakistan is under water and the Swedes make a decisive choice of direction. And all the media cares about is a 96-year-old dead woman in a castle in Scotland?
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Well, the image is not that sharp. Most had solid coverage of Ukraine, Pakistan and Sweden. But there was a lot of material for the queens.
In media terms, it’s the perfect storm:
- To say that his personal history is remarkable is an understatement. The same can be said of his 70 years on the throne for Great Britain and the Commonwealth.
- Queen Elizabeth II is perhaps the most important celebrity in the world. Almost in the same class is her son Charles-her and her “queen consort” Camilla. In the background, Lady Diana sings like a candle in the wind.
- Furthermore, his death may have a worldwide historical significance and to a far greater extent than we realize today. Because it is time that the last remnants of the British Empire can truly fall apart.
We are already seeing the first signs:
At the time of her death, Elizabeth was head of state 15 land.
Many of the small countries, such as Jamaica, have indicated that within a few years they will acquire their own head of state. Barbados did it last year.
When the funeral is over and the appropriate time has passed, the debate will also ignite in Canada, New Zealand and Australia. First it is to be part of a 70-year tradition, with a respected and admired, almost historical figure at the top of the pyramid. Something completely different is Charles.
The British royal house will also be greeted with open contempt to a much greater extent.
We saw it already the day after the announcement, when the photo of the model Rawdah Mohamed posted on his Instagram account that “The original settler is dead. May you burn forever in hell for what you and your ancestors did.
Most people express their words a little more elegantly, but that doesn’t mean they’re not right.
Condolences and official mourning are reported from across the former Commonwealth. But there are other signs as well, for example from India and South Africa, that Queen Elizabeth has neither acknowledged nor apologized for demonstrable historical crimes. She could have done it, like, for example, King Harald made to the Sami.
Read also: Above all, Queen Elizabeth was a unique bearer of a collective European memory
Of course, the old Indian request also comes with new strength, to get back the huge 105-carat Koh-i-noor diamond that adorns the crown itself, which should now be taken over by Camilla. Along with similar claims, about all the other treasures that the British claim to have received as a “gift” from the former colonies.
And it’s not that strange. Come on, folks: in most definitions of the word, these are stolen merchandise.
So we can start talking about Welsh and Scots:
As recently as 2014, 44.7% of Scots voted for Scotland’s independence. The date for a new referendum has already been set. It will be held in a year, precisely on October 19, 2023. And now there is no longer a unifying queen, the one who has sat on the throne for 70 years.
Sure, Charles and Camilla can work wonders, with pronounced modernization and a more “folksy” style. But I highly doubt it.
I think this is where it really starts to unravel.
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