Beau Roddis
The death of Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday 8 September sent shockwaves not just throughout the nation, but around the world. There was an outpouring of love from people wanting to be united by their identification with British citizens.
Given her age, it was something we all knew was coming. Yet it still came as a shock to most. Even for those amongst us like myself who are not staunch royalists, she was a figurehead and a constant, and it feels strange that she will no longer grace our lives or our screens. There will be no more Queen’s Christmas Day speech, no more canary yellow co-ords or corgis by her side.
Reception of King Charles III
The Queen was easily accessible, dignified, and respected and the question we are now posed with is: will King Charles III step up to that mantle? Whether he can or not, there is no denying that given his past antics (divorcing Diana, dirty money, and dodgy telephone talk aside) he is not held in as high regard as his mother was.
As I am based in London, I experienced first-hand much of the atmosphere surrounding the funeral. There were staunch and loyal royalists around for sure, but a common phrase I heard was: “I am not a royalist but…”. And I wonder whether the same sentiment will ring true when Charles III passes. My gut feeling is probably not.
That said, not everyone felt this way about the passing of Her Majesty and the divide in reactions appeared to form along generational, as well as racial, fault lines.
The National Divide
There were those, typically of the older generation, who flocked to the capital to queue to see the coffin lying in state at Westminster Hall. At its peak, the queue was roughly ten miles, over 20 hours long, and had to be temporarily suspended.
Indeed, I even spoke to many individuals who had bunkered down in train stations across the city after they missed their trains home queueing to see the coffin.
Network Rail issued a statement on 16 September that all of their London-managed stations would remain open 24 hours a day to provide shelter to people waiting for their trains home over the weekend. The transport organisation also said that some stations would provide “welfare trains” to offer passengers shelter and a seat as a last resort.
“It was an eclectic group of people and we formed friendships which made the day easier.”
Our Veterans
Amongst those stranded overnight at Waterloo Station was decorated RAF veteran Peter Berry. “It was an eclectic group of people and we formed friendships which made the day easier,” said, the 74-year-old who travelled from Dorchester to London on the 6.37am train and joined the queue at 10am. “As you got close to the front of the queue, you remembered why you are there. I was there because I swore allegiance to the Queen and that will never die.”
Berry waited in Waterloo Station for the 3.35am train home. He added: “It was a tiring but poignant 26 hours away from home.” Peter received his MBE from the Queen in 2000.
Those who serve and have served in the British armed forces form a unique attachment to the monarch, who, as sovereign, is the Head of the Armed Forces. Whilst Princess, Elizabeth II was also a navy wife and served as an ambulance driver during WWII.
A Grandmother Figure
“Thursday was an emotional day because I was thinking of my own mother as well as Her Majesty.”
Of the same ilk was Caroline Weal, who slept on the streets ahead of the funeral on 19 September. “I was at the VE Day celebrations with my elderly mother,” said Caroline who travelled from Herne Bay, Kent, with her grandson Tyler, 14, to sleep on the streets for three nights ahead of the Queen’s funeral. “I lost my mum at the same age as the Queen.They were both granny figures with permed grey hair. So Thursday was an emotional day because I was thinking of my own mother as well as Her Majesty.”
I sense that this is a sentiment shared by many and it links back to the Queen’s accessibility and omnipresence as a monarch. Although she won’t thank me for saying so, I have often joked that my own grandmother reminds me of the Queen in much the same way as Weal described: the permed grey hair and the matriarchal, granny-type figure in the family whom you look up to and respect.
People who have never even met the Queen describe feeling this personal connection to her for these reasons. And I can’t say that I could ever see myself feeling remotely similar about the new King Charles. However, I did manage to find some who did not share these sentiments.
Opposition To The Monarchy
I opted for the big screen viewing of the funeral in Hyde Park, for both the journalistic and the atmospheric experience. I have to say, when spectators at the park observed the two-minute silence at the end of the service, I was blown away by the peace and tranquillity that descended – there was not even an ounce of traffic noise. That is certainly a rarity in London and it almost transported me back to my rural home in North Yorkshire. Almost.
Whilst in the park I met Jasmine Alakari, 30, and Mariusz Kreft, 41, from Berlin, who dropped by at around 1.30pm to watch the funeral procession and practice yoga. The yogis explained that they wanted to experience a mindful moment whilst the rest of London was also experiencing a moment of calm.
“A strange and historical moment which symbolised the colonial world being buried.”
The pair were not originally planning on watching the funeral but Alakari explained that: “It was a strange and historical moment which symbolised the colonial world being buried and [she] wanted to be a part of that.” Myself and Mr Keft shared the sentiment that it was funny that, in the modern world, we could assemble to celebrate the royal family which, through Andrew, has recently become synonymous with the Epstein sex trafficking scandal.
Alakari and Kreft told me that it was funny to see how attached people were to this symbol and story of kingdom and oppression, and did not question any immoralities as they flocked to watch. They hoped that as we move forward we can enter into a new kind of world.
Alakari works for digital media and climate crisis platform, Earthrise Studio, based in London and Kreft is a transformation coach. Theirs could not have been further removed from the sentiments of Berry and Weal who I met earlier in the week. This led me to ask why?
Why This Apparent Generational Divide?
I think the answer is more complex and nuanced than any one person can even start to unpick. But I sense that it has something to do with varied generational views of the monarchy and its complicated and often troubling past.
Corrupt Colonisation
There was certainly a lot of fondness for the Queen emanating from the older generation. However, campaigns, primarily led by the younger generation, to decolonise the curriculum or to bring down certain statues and change street names show a real and growing awareness and sense of injustice towards the historical past – a past in which the royal family played a central role.
Royal Racism
Afua Hirsch’s … reminded us of the … painful truths of the British Empire over which the monarchy presided.
Alleged conversations exposed by Meghan Markle in that now infamous Oprah interview forced questions and debate about the royal family’s attitudes towards race into the public domain. And Afua Hirsch’s recent article for The Guardian reminded us of the plunder of land and diamonds in South Africa, the genocide in Nigeria, and the violence in Kenya – painful truths of the British Empire over which the monarchy presided.
There is of course Charles’ work for The Voice newspaper, a British national, African-Caribbean newspaper, and his work with the Prince’s Trust, which has helped many black entrepreneurs. But, given his often somewhat contradictory actions in this space, one could be forgiven for asking if this is some form of tokenism or a real commitment to narrowing the gap on racial inequality.
The royal family, and indeed the government, have never collectively, formally apologised for slavery and colonialism. This could partially explain why scenes outside Buckingham palace and across London during the period of state mourning did not reflect the multiculturalism woven into the fabric of the vibrant city. There was a distinct lack of representatives from ethnic minority backgrounds in the crowds.
My Stance
As a citizen from the younger generation, I can safely say that the connection we feel to the monarch is nowhere near as strong or as widespread as that held by the older generation. After careful consideration, I feel very torn about the passing of the Queen. It is one of those great irreconcilables for me – a case of having to unpick some very complex, nuanced, and often conflicting thoughts and emotions.
My parents are not royalists and I have grown up without a television, so I understand that I have probably been a lot less exposed to the late Queen. But there is still something inherently learned deep down, a respect and admiration for her and the sacrifices she made to be the woman and monarch that she was.
How can I admire and respect someone who was the foundation upon which an intuition that I believe to be outdated rested?
However, I struggle to reconcile the unexpected and unexplainable sadness I feel at her passing (especially for her family for whom I can only assume she was the glue which held them together) with the fact that the institution of monarchy is something fundamentally flawed and something I cannot believe in. How can I admire and respect someone who was the foundation upon which an intuition that I believe to be outdated rested? However, were we to abolish the monarchy, how many people would lose their jobs and livelihoods? And in the midst of a cost of living crisis that is a question that really hits home for me. It is a vicious cycle in that respect and in some ways, a competition between my head and heart.
That being said, I absolutely cannot wait to see Prince George as King, provided he maintains his cheeky-chappy nature and continues to pull such priceless expressions. Although, part of me secretly wishes it was wildcard Louis instead, whose undeniable character and refusal to stick in his lane at just 4-years-old could mark him out as the Margaret or Diana of his generation.
Featured image courtesy of Jhoan Cordoba on Pixabay. Image license can be found here. No changes were made to this image.
