The Death of Queen Elizabeth and Worldwide Feelings

By Liu Von

The world was shocked and devastated when Queen Elizabeth II died on September 8, 2022. Everyone’s attention now turns to who will be next in line. Her son, Charles III, acceded the throne and was sworn in on September 10. But what does this mean for the UK and how does the rest of the world feel about this?

THE UNITED KINGDOM

In this year, the UK has been dealing with many challenges such as inflation, strikes, the resignation of Boris Johnson, rising energy bills, and foreign policy (Brexit, Ukraine). With the queen passing this weekend, it furthers their feelings of instability and unrest. On a happier note, many social changes will also occur. The UK’s currency will change from a picture of Queen Elizabeth to King Charles. This change won’t happen immediately, and the Bank of England has assured that the Queen’s face on the currency will still be accepted. Additionally, the UK’s national anthem will now be changed from “God save the Queen” to “God save the King.”

WORLDWIDE

It is expected that many world leaders will travel to the UK to attend the queen’s wedding, including Joe Biden who has already confirmed. However, not everyone is grieving and mourning for the queen. Kenya had been under British colonialism until 1963 (11 years after Queen Elizabeth had been sworn in). During that time, Kenya faced cruelty and atrocities during the Mau Mau Uprising. Hundreds of thousands were detained and tortured, and many Kenyans can not seperate the queen from the UK’s history. Other countries in Africa also voice their anger such as South Africa. The diamond, Koh - I - Noor, is worth about 400 million dollars and was originally made in South Africa. However, it is currently within the queen’s crown in the UK claiming it was a gift. Many people in South Africa are demanding that it be returned and see it as a constant reminder of British subjugation and rule.

Sources:

https://time.com/6212113/queen-elizabeth-india-kohinoor-diamond/ 

https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/10/africa/colonialism-africa-queen-elizabeth-intl/index.html 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2022/09/09/changes-uk-queen-elizabeth-iis-death-money/8025370001/ 

The Catalyst