A tragic event and its ensuing sorrow are not the same as a historically significant event. Historically significant events affect the course of a country, while sorrowful events affect individuals. Unfortunately, mainstream media confused Queen Elizabeth’s death at 96 years of age with a historically significant event. Queen Elizabeth did not exercise any political power or influence. Her absence will not affect the course of the United Kingdom. Those who wield power, like the Prime Minister, Liz Truss, will continue to make decisions. Some decision-makers in the commonwealth may use the Queen’s death as a signal to leave the commonwealth or take other actions, but the monarchy will not be a part of that decision.
As some commentators struggled to imbue a broadcast of a sorrowful event with historical importance, they dredged up the notion of the symbolic importance of the monarchy. These commentators raised many harmless banalities. The Queen met 13 U.S. Presidents and had a close relationship with Sir Winston Churchill, the Prime Minister who served when she ascended the throne, despite the difference in their age. But the symbolic game raised an uncomfortable issue. Although Queen Elizabeth had no hand in the United Kingdom’s colonial past, she symbolically supported it and apartheid South Africa because she did not speak out against it. Neither the Queen nor the Royal Family has ever apologized for colonialism and its attendant racism.
Many former colonies that are now a part of the commonwealth may break away during Charles III’s reign. Charles will have little to do with the further dissolution of the kingdom.