What Does Queen Elizabeth’s Death Mean to the World?
Image Courtesy of the British Broadcasting Corporation
By Zachary Lichter
On Thursday, September 8, 2022, Queen Elizabeth II passed away at Balmoral Castle, Scotland. The Queen was ninety-six years old.
Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor became queen on February 6, 1952, when she was twenty-five years old. She would become the longest-reigning monarch of Great Britain, ruling the Commonwealth for seventy years. During her time as queen, she had four children: King Charles III (formerly known as Prince Charles III), Princess Anne, the Royal, Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and Prince Edward, the Earl of Wessex. She would then have four grandchildren, most notably Prince William, the Prince of Wales, and Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex. With Queen Elizabeth now gone, her oldest son Charles is now the King of the United Kingdom, and his wife Camilla is now the Queen Consort.
During the seventy years of Queen Elizabeth’s monarchy, she served during fifteen ministries, starting from Winston Churchill up until the new prime minister, Liz Truss, who she swore in two days before her death. Queen Elizabeth would also meet fourteen U.S. Presidents, starting with Harry Truman up until Joe Biden. She would even meet with other political figures and become the head of state of thirty-one other countries besides the United Kingdom.
With Queen Elizabeth now gone and King Charles coming in, will some of the countries ruled under the monarchy secede? Could Queen Elizabeth’s death change the United States’s foreign relations with Great Britain?
A third year American Theater Arts student from Rose Bruford College, Gigi Downey, who is currently studying abroad at Catholic University, gave her comments.
“Personally, I think the Commonwealth has been bridging the gap between the empire and present day decolonialism,” said Downey. “What will be the making or breaking of the new monarch is whether accountability is accepted and whether the British public wish to pay for them anymore. I think The UK is going through and has been for the last 5-10 years a period of instability and this will definitely be prominent in this moment in time.”
When the news came about Queen Elizabeth’s death, many political figures, including President Biden, Pope Francis, and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, poured in tributes to pay their respects. After President Biden heard the news about Queen Elizabeth’s death, he announced to the press that he and the First Lady, Dr. Jill Biden, will attend the funeral.
Currently, in England, the country is now in a ten-day period of mourning called “Operation London Bridge,” which started last Friday and will end on Monday with her funeral. The Queen’s coffin will be taken all over Great Britain and Northern Ireland, where people will have the opportunity to pay their respects. On Monday, September 19, 2022, there will be a ceremony at Westminster Abbey to honor Queen Elizabeth and she will then be buried in Windsor.
Queen Elizabeth will always be remembered as a cultural icon and will be forever in our hearts.
