The Death of a monarch
On September 8, 2022, Queen Elizabeth II passed away and it came as a massive shock to seemingly the whole world. She reigned for over 70 years and was the longest reigning British Monarch in over 1,200 years of British history. Many world leaders all across the globe have spoken of the Queen in high regard after her passing. The Queen has held a great presence in the World for many generations and millions of people are disheartened by the news. However, it seems as though Gen Z is doing what they do best, posting “hot takes” and making memes. Personally, I think a lot of these posts are hilarious, but it also reflects the true generational gap between our generation and previous ones.
For the people of Great Britain, the Queen was a symbol of safety and consistency. Although she did not have any governmental authority, she was responsible for making the monarchy relevant in society. Queen Elizabeth II also helped pass the Crown Act of 2013, which states that succession will be dissociated from gender of those in line to the throne. There is no doubt that she was a strong leader and served her country with passion until the end.
Now that majesty the Queen has passed, I wonder if the royal family will be held in the same regard. There have been countless scandals in the past 50 years circling around the family and King Charles III has a tainted reputation. In this day and age, a monarchy seems a bit outdated. The royal family still collects a hefty amount of cash from taxpayers called the Sovereign Grant. According to the Wall Street Journal, the Grant totaled $107.1 million American dollars. The Grant funds everything from property upkeep to the family’s travel. On top of this, the family owns multiple estates and other valuable assets that have been passed down from earlier monarchs. This family has been able to sustain an enormous amount of wealth for simply existing and continuing the bloodline.
In today’s age, we are able to freely share almost every thought that comes to mind on social media. Twitter and Tiktok are especially brutal when major global events occur and Gen Z had a field day when Queen Elizabeth II died. Our generation definitely uses humor to process events like these, but I think it shows a huge generational shift. The world is different now and it is disheartening to see a family hold so much wealth, when the majority of people in the world cannot make enough money to provide for their families. A lot of the wealth obtained by the royal family was earned through violence, theft, and colonization. Even though Queen Elizabeth II did a fantastic job serving the British people, it should not erase the history and actions of their ancestors.
Maybe it’s the American in me that seems to have an issue with the monarchy. I would be furious if I had to pay taxes to a family that’s mainly symbolic. However, my opinion is the product of my generational ideals. I was not raised in the UK and I do not fully understand the impact the royal family has on its people. They are the source of mass entertainment and the people of Great Britain are passionate about the monarchy. I wonder if the people in the UK will start to question the importance of the monarchy in the generations to come. Great Britain is going through a difficult time after the Queen’s passing and everything in their country will change for the first time in 70 years. The royal family has been a symbol of pride for their people, but will this change now that her majesty is gone? It has been a long time since a new King or Queen has been crowned in England. Now it is time to observe how Great Britain navigates the death of a monarch.
Sources:
Strike Out,
Written by: Zay Naeem
Edited by: Sarah Singleton
Graphic by: Maddie Nunnery
