Photo courtesy of Photo by Tomas Martinez on Unsplash
Why is it that the death of a monarch ruling over a nation which is not our own has taken over all of the American media’s attention in the past few weeks?
Could it be due to Queen Elizabeth II’s longevity and reach, ruling over the United Kingdom along with other realms and territories for 70 years which consisted of over 16% of the world at the time of her ascension? Or possibly the modern special alliance that both the United States and the United Kingdom share since the fall out from the wars of the early twentieth century?
Whatever forced American media, and more so the world’s media, to become so focused on Queen Elizabeth II, her life and her legacy signifies that it must be connected to an intrinsically human instinct – an instinct which forces us into mourning when what was once stable and continuous comes to a close.
As humans, we can mourn those we love and those we admire. As Americans, we might not overtly mourn Queen Elizabeth II, but we should respect, admire and understand the system that modernized since we violently left it: that of a constitutional monarchy.
From Norway in the north, Lesotho in the south, Japan in the east and Canada in the west, 22% of the world still has a monarch as head of state. The monarch system, constitutional or otherwise, provides a form of stability and continuity that cannot be replicated by any form of government, especially the republican system we swear by in the United States.
For the United Kingdom, the monarchy, while mostly insignificant in prominent political matters, is a vital diplomat and mediator around the world.
The formation of the Commonwealth, like other organizations such as the United Nations and the European Union, connects nations and their officials in a way that cannot be replicated, allowing international communities an ability to meet, discuss and push forward agendas of true global change.
In acknowledging the legacy of Queen Elizabeth II, from the dissolution of an empire to the modern day, we recognize what her kingdom has done through its history is vital.
Through the freedoms gained by states from the former British Empire, to her reign seeing the final payments of the Slavery Abolition Act from 1833 which freed all enslaved people throughout the empire at that time, the past 70 years have been shaped by her presence.
The queen’s reign and its end suggests that a monarchy heightens the stability of its nation by keeping its head of state constant opposed to nations whose head of state changes between varying political ideologies multiple times a decade.
King Charles III, who now begins his reign is forced to become apolitical but his time as Prince of Wales shows us that, on the world stage, as diplomat for 15 nations he will push forth fighting climate change and forging a greater global community for future endeavors higher up on the global agenda.
While Queen Elizabeth II might not have reigned over the United States, her ability to be a stable and forceful presence on the world stage during her 70-year reign leads us to respect, rather than mourn, the achievements of her reign and the form of government it represents.
