Queen Elizabeth's death sparks discussions surrounding colonialism online

Sep 9 2022, 4:44 pm

Reactions have poured in from all over the world in the aftermath of Queen Elizabeth’s death.

Her son, King Charles III, has shared his message of grief, while politicians like Prime Minister Justin Trudeau gave condolences to the Royal Family.

While most reaction from the public has been mournful, the Queen’s death has also sparked discussions surrounding colonialism.

Many stress that her participation in colonialism should not be overlooked.

“Reminder that Queen Elizabeth is not a remnant of colonial times,” said one Twitter user, sharing a DW News video about a woman who was tortured during Kenya’s struggle for independence from Britain’s rule. “She was an active participant in colonialism.”

A brief history lesson on British colonialism

The British Empire was built by European colonizers, including members of the Royal Family who enslaved African and Indigenous people, and exploited the colonies’ resources.

While Queen Elizabeth reigned during Britain’s post-colonial era, her goal was to preserve it as much as she could through the Commonwealth.

According to Smithsonian Magazine, the political association was formed as a response to India gaining independence in 1947. The British Empire was crumbling and this was meant to maintain its relevancy outside of the UK.

In a guest essay for The New York Times, Harvard history professor Maya Jasanoff details the atrocities that continued to occur under the Queen’s rule.

“What you would never know from the pictures — which is partly their point — is the violence that lies behind them,” she wrote, referring to a photo of Queen Elizabeth at a Commonwealth leaders conference.

Jasanoff lists Britain’s acts of violence against anti-colonial movements in Kenya, Cyprus, and Yemen. Civilians in these countries were sent to detention camps and subjected to brutal torture, all during the Queen’s reign.

The professor acknowledges that we may never truly know whether the Queen knew about these crimes. However, a Guardian article from 2012 revealed that Britain actually destroyed records of colonial crimes that “might embarrass Her Majesty’s government.”

“Don’t speak ill of the dead”

Many were sympathetic and condemned others for choosing to criticize the Queen in the aftermath of her death.

While others pointed out that “don’t speak ill of the dead” glazes over the Queen’s flawed history.

One Twitter user even reflected on how she is the first of her family not to be born in a British colony.

Twitter user @tha_rami put it succinctly:

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