Photo Credit: MUN Gazette
On Thursday, Sept 8th, it was announced that Queen Elizabeth II had passed away at 96 years of age.
After reigning for 70 years, the longest-serving monarch in UK history died peacefully at her Scottish estate.
Newfoundland has a very long and complicated past with the Crown – as do many other former colonies of the British empire.
When looking back on Memorial University’s history, it is very clear that Queen Elizabeth II is relevant in both our past and our present. Both our campus library, the Queen Elizabeth II Library (sometimes just referred to as “the QE2”), and a scholarship for graduate students offered at Memorial and across Canada, The Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee scholarship, are all named in her honour.
The Queen herself had visited campus in the past and her daughter, Princess Anne, received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree at Memorial.
We also have a legitimate physical tie to the UK, as our Harlow campus was first opened in 1969.
Our final active connection to Queen Elizabeth II took place on Monday, Sept 19th, as our university closed its doors to faculty and students on the final day of the period of national mourning.
But this 10-day period of mourning has left many wondering,
Can We Mourn the Queen Without Overshadowing the Brutality Committed by the British Empire?
The Queen’s passing has cast a shadow over the UK, a shadow that has crossed over globally.
The publicized mourning of her passing has brought up many important discussions extending to the Monarchy and its global impact; with many feeling that the mass publicity has put forth a romantic view of the British Monarchy, an establishment that does not deserve to be glorified, nor romanticized.
Queen Elizabeth II had been a living symbol of the British Monarchy since her coronation in 1953, thereby taking on a legacy of imperialism and brutal decolonization.
Canada, having been a colony of the British Empire, is still connected to its monarchical roots. Our country is still a member of the Commonwealth, and until her death, Queen Elizabeth II was still considered “Queen of Canada.”
Today, our country is divided. Some are quick to push past the controversies of the Monarchy’s role in the Canadian government, insinuating that there are much more pressing issues at hand; others are adamant that Canada should not only cut all ties with the Monarchy but that the archaic notion of a Monarchy and all that it represents should have been abolished years ago.
For many, Queen Elizabeth II represents an institution that needs to be held accountable for its past actions. For the last 70 years, she has been the face of the Monarchy, giving many in the Commonwealth reason to feel that some recent publicity has platformed romanticism and a glamorization of the British empire.
While this representation is entirely truthful, and there is still a lack of reconciliation being given by the institution that has caused so much pain, it remains important to note that we may still mourn the loss of a human being. We may give our condolences to the family that has lost a sister, mother, and grandmother. We must not, however, condone the acts of the establishment to which her crown represents.
