Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain died on Thursday, ending the reign of the last British monarch to rule an empire over which the sun truly never set. The 96-year-old had been having increasing health problems for several months, stretching back to last year, and had reduced her public role in favour of her oldest son, who has now taken the crown as King Charles III. Rumours about her poor health had been swirling since May, when she missed the opening of Parliament for just the third time in her 70-year reign and for the first time in 59 years. She previously missed the 1959 and 1963 openings due to pregnancy-related reasons. The Queen’s long reign made her a rare constant in an ever-changing world. An illustration of the length of her reign is that she met with 13 of the last 14 US presidents as Queen, and five of the seven popes.
By the time of Elizabeth’s coronation, the role of the British monarch had become largely ceremonial. Still, she was a source of inspiration to millions of British citizens and an important figure in global diplomacy. Domestically, she earned admiration and respect from monarchists and republicans alike, dating back to her inspirational radio addresses during World War II. She was also emblematic of the British ‘stiff upper lip’ and refused to become embroiled in politics, at least publicly. Even during the 2014 Scottish referendum and the later Brexit vote, she refused to explicitly take sides, only encouraging people to “think very carefully” before voting. One of the rare examples of her views on a political matter came in the 1980s when Prime Minister Margret Thatcher was unwilling to impose sanctions on Apartheid-era South Africa. Elizabeth had come to the throne promising to strive for the rights of all Commonwealth peoples and reportedly encouraged officials to leak her disapproval of Thatcher’s South Africa policy, lest Britain be accused of condoning Apartheid.
On that note, she was also the most-travelled British monarch ever, visiting 117 countries, including two visits to Pakistan in 1961 and 1997. She reigned over 32 countries at different times during her rule, which came down to 15 at her death — most notably Canada, Australia, New Zealand and over half a dozen Caribbean nations. After her death, questions are also being asked about how many of those countries may decide to become republics — Elizabeth was a revered figure to whom millions had a material attachment. It remains to be seen if King Charles III will be able to hold the remnants of the empire together.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 10th, 2022.
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