What Queen Elizabeth’s Death Can Teach Us About Ourselves
Written by: Dr. Lauren Mason
Queen Elizabeth II served as the royal monarch for the United Kingdom for 70 years before her recent death on September 8th, 2022. In keeping with the traditions of Great Britain, there were immediate formalities that followed her loss and, as the royal family expected, there were thousands of citizens who attended events to honor her memory and legacy. Many people expressed emotions that we would expect after a death has occurred- sadness, grief, and loss. However, there were also reactions from the public that shocked Queen Elizabeth’s admirers and fans- happiness, relief, and anger.
When I observe all of these events unfolding before my eyes, I see an opportunity for connection, healing, and understanding the perspectives & needs of those who have been historically oppressed and marginalized. When we look at the variety of emotional reactions to the Queen’s death, we are looking through a telescope that helps us to “zoom out” and see the larger, sociocultural issues that we face at this point in our human history.
The Queen herself is a symbol, however, depending on who you are, where you grew up, and your cultural identity, she represents very different things to different people. Symbols are powerful and can shape societies in foundational ways. When we look at the Queen of England as a symbol, we can notice striking differences between how different groups view her. In general, we can see clear differences in the reactions of White folks who hold traditional Western values compared to those who are more likely to identify as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, or Persons of Color) and do not hold traditional Western values. Generally, this is what I have observed over the last couple of weeks following her death;
To those who think fondly of the crown and the royal family- she represents a long-standing history of tradition, power, influence, stability, patriotism, and legacy.
To those who have been impacted by colonization- she represents oppression, marginalization, unearned power and privilege, death and destruction, elitism, white supremacy, and patriarchal values.
“Why does this matter to me as an American?” you might ask- and to that I will say this;
It matters because England is the ancestor of the United States and we have inherited a family legacy that is problematic and needs to be addressed directly. The United States in many ways can be viewed as a daughter of England, and just as we see values being passed down through family lines, we can also see England’s sociocultural values shining through in our own American culture. For example, with the rise of social media we have seen more examples than ever of how white supremacy and patriarchy are laced within our own American culture here in the States. More than ever, awareness has been brought to the legacy of police brutality, white supremacist movements, extremism, hate, and oppression that exists in our own country. It is no surprise then that we would also see these same themes emerging in the stark contrast between people’s reactions to the Queen of England’s death. She is a powerful symbol which communicates strong messages- messages that differ greatly depending on your familial legacy of privilege or marginalization.
Ok, so now what? This is an important moment to look ourselves in the mirror and ask some uncomfortable questions. These questions are not easy to ask ourselves, but they are necessary and crucial.
If you are offended by those who have responded with positive emotion or levity to the Queen’s death, I kindly invite you to ask yourself;
“What specifically offends me or frustrates me about this reaction?”
“What symbolism or meaning do I associate with Queen Elizabeth or the British crown?”
“Do I think that Western values are ‘better than’ other cultural values? If so, why?”
“What has this person or community experienced in terms of collective trauma, pain, and suffering that might contribute to them responding this way?”
“How might I respond if I knew that I had an ancestral lineage that was devastatingly impacted by the decisions that one family with great wealth, power, and influence made about my community?”
Again, these questions are not easy to answer but they are crucial. It is not enough to say that we are an ally to those who are oppressed- our actions must also match our words.
