The death of Queen Elizabeth II ignited a discussion about her legacy, and her defenders have been demanding respect for the dead. But when they say respect, they mean immunity from all criticism.
This is a fitting defense, as it’s the only one that can singularly shield her from the British Empire’s laundry list of offenses. The tactic of sugarcoating the lives of the dead is often harmful, especially when that person has presided over a colonial juggernaut.
Her death shouldn’t be used to cover up the violence in Yemen. Her death shouldn’t be used to gloss over the Empire’s land theft in Kenya. Her defenders say we should respect her in death, but what respect did the British show to the 14 unarmed civilians killed on Bloody Sunday?
There are many more atrocities that the British Empire have committed, and that’s why they began Operation Legacy, an effort to obscure their various misdeeds by destroying related documents.
Defenders of the late queen also like to mention that she drove and fixed trucks in World War II. Of course, this was a nice symbolic gesture, but this doesn’t make up for her country’s transgressions.
Defenders of the queen have been arguing that she had no real power and, therefore, is immune to scrutiny.
This argument falls apart when one considers the fact that the royal family directly benefited from the wrongs of the empire. For that argument to hold up, one would have to believe that the queen had no knowledge of the evils being done on her behalf.
It’s possible that Queen Elizabeth II was oblivious to what was being done to grow her wealth. Maybe she never questioned it and closed her eyes and ears the entire time she was in Yemen. But that seems unlikely.
Supporters of the queen have also been pointing to her status as a face of Western stability and the monarchy. For this argument to be effective, one has to believe in the value of monarchy, which is difficult to do given its inherently parasitic nature to its subjects.
It’s estimated that the royal family cost British taxpayers £102 million in 2021. That’s far too much to pay glorified celebrities for simply being born into the right family. The American equivalent of that would be if we paid the Kardashians $117 million annually to have coffee and take pictures with foreign heads of state.
The prevalence of monarchy-friendly sentiment in America is odd given that one of the best things America has done was defeat the monarchy. Turning around and defending it betrays the views of the founders, who many American defenders of the monarchy hold in high regard.
The death of the queen should be used as a chance to discuss the wrongs of the British Empire and the inadequacy of monarchy more generally—not to reinforce the legitimacy of the royal family.
Frank Kidd is a 21-year-old mass communication junior from Springfield, Virginia.
