After the longest known reign of any monarch Queen Elizabeth passed away on September 8th, 2022. After ten days of national mourning, the United Kingdom laid to rest Elizabeth on Monday, September 19th, with a reported number of four billion viewers worldwide according to the BBC. In London, UK., the transportation services reported over one million travelers into the city, leading to queues over 24 hours long. After days and days of procession and events, the Queen’s body was finally laid to rest after being viewed by millions across the world. But what is the reaction at SLU to this event?
You probably heard the news rapidly through your phone, an announcement in a group chat, or a meme sent out by friends. There’s rarely been a figure so central to the identity of a country compared to the Queen’s centrality in United Kingdom affairs, and it’s easy to understand this idea through the outpouring of messages. Of course, some of these messages are remarkably more in taste than others. The heavy distance between St. Lawrence and the UK allows a severe degree of separation with many of the Students at SLU I talked with simply shrugging their shoulders. Jack Whamond ’24 when asked about the Queen’s death stated: “I don’t really care, she was just a figurehead and not someone who personally affected me”. A critical figurehead, but a figurehead nonetheless. While the US public’s reaction follows this same thread, the official government position has been one of considerable mourning, with Joe Biden delaying his speech to the first UN meeting in three years to attend the service.
Across the world, the reaction to Queen Elizabeth’s death was mixed both politically and socially. Many worldwide embrace the tide of change the Queen’s death brings with the Us figurehead dead and an unsteady future monarchy. Last year Barbados began cutting ties with the UK by transitioning from a constitutional monarchy into a representative republic, a step many of the UK’s remaining overseas territories are now eyeing. Only one day after the Queen’s death on September 9th, the Prime Minister of the Bahamas Philip E Davis followed this idea when he was asked about following in the steps of Barbados, stating that: “As much as I would wish to do it, I can’t do it without your consent, I would have to have a referendum and the Bahamian people would have to say to me, ‘‘Yes’”. A heavy legacy of colonialism is remembered by many in Caribbean islands with the Queen’s death offering a new chance for increased independence.
While the world’s reaction to the Queen’s death has been mixed, it can’t be said that the Queen did not have an astounding legacy she left behind: with the Queen’s reign including dozens of British prime ministers as well as several generations. While the Queen may have been but a figurehead, the UK may never have another figure as unifying for generations.