The End of An Era: Worldwide Views on Queen Elizabeth’s Death
Queen Elizabeth II greets Guyanese citizens alongside Prime Minister, Forbes Burnham. National composer, Valerie Rodway, stands far right.
Long lived The Queen. On September 8 Queen Elizabeth II of the Commonwealth and a prominent figure in the media died at the age of 96 after ruling for over 70 years (since 1952). However, some question whether her power was deserved. Did the Queen serve as an inspirational figure? To what extent was her passing a significant event to those who live outside of the UK? OHS students from around the world weigh in.
“I considered her to be an overall positive figure with a successful reign,” said Sophia Mitchell, a sophomore who lives in London.
Katherine Stoneman, a senior from Wisconsin, also praised the monarch. “She [Queen Elizabeth] was able to lead and control her nation throughout many different situations.”
However, some students believe that the Queen didn’t have as much power as her title would suggest.
“Most of her power is ceremonial,” said an anonymous junior, who compared Queen Elizabeth’s influence to that of the Pope and indicated that she had a negative impact on their life. “I do not believe she used that power effectively.”
Some had even harsher judgments, such as Australian student Jonathan Forder. “I despise the monarchy and what [the Queen] stood for.” Forder indicated that while he wasn’t directly impacted by the Queen’s decisions, his ancestors were. “My family is Irish, Cornish and Greek, and I can name ancestors whose lives were changed for the worse, or even killed, by the English government and the monarchy.”
In contrast, Sara Weng, from China, has a more neutral response. She “found it interesting to observe the aftermath of her death. I believe that there is a chance that sometime in the future the constitutional monarch in Britain will fall so I will keep looking out for news related to this topic.”
Other students also expressed shock and disbelief at the Queen’s death. Stoneman says that it feels “surreal”. Mitchell remarks that “even though people around the world predicted her dying soon, it was still surprising for it to actually happen”.
“It has just been sad and kind of an end of an era for me,” says freshman Isobel Lewis, who lives in Rhode Island. Lewis’s sentiment was echoed by an anonymous junior, who says, “I’m glad that one of the last vestiges from a bygone era has left us.”
Despite Forder’s and other students’ readiness to move on, Queen Elizabeth won’t be forgotten anytime soon.
“Though she’s made decisions some did not agree with, for someone who was on the throne for 70 years, her impact is undeniable,” said Mitchell.