The Queen: Are There Multiple Sides?

Revisiting my reflections on the British monarchy

Hello friends,

I wrote this piece after Queen Elizabeth II died last year but for some reason it never seemed like the right time to post it. Having just returned from England, and then watched Season 5 of The Crown, it came to mind again.

I present this as originally written - I’ll share some additional thoughts at the end.

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I've been hesitant to post much about the queen's death. In part, because my feelings about the monarchy are complex.

As a person born in England and raised in the Caribbean with parents who were born British but became citizens of their respective countries as soon as it was possible to do so, it's always been a bit messy.

My grandparents were raised with the idea of the “mother country”, as were my parents. Though they rejected that and raised us differently, it was never entirely gone. There was a lingering idea that England represented “good things”.

At the same time, in learning more about my own history and then later about the wider history of colonialism and enslavement, it became clear that England also represented “bad things”.

In the 21st century, with information at our fingertips, it is hard to ignore the fact that as well as being someone who dedicated her life to her country and realm she was also the representative of a monarchy and country with a long tradition of genocide.