In recent days, the British media has been filled, on the one hand, with sadness caused by the death of the Queen, on the other – with joy at the inauguration of the new King Charles III. It was mainly the foreign media, such as the American channel MSNBS, that allowed themselves to touch on a dark aspect of the British crown: “The death of Queen Elizabeth has saddened the whole world. But there are also complex feelings of anger, resentment and anger – because for many the Queen’s rule was a symbol of British colonial rule – an institution that enriched itself through brutal violence, torture, theft of territories, rape and enslavement”.
Historian: The Queen personally benefited from colonialism
In a grieving Britain, almost no one talks about it: 400 years of empire in which nearly 400 million people were subject to the British crown. The empire disintegrated during Elizabeth’s reign. But historian Jürgen Zimmerer, a professor at the University of Hamburg, notes: “From a historical point of view, the reign of Elizabeth II is inextricably linked to the empire.” Including the fact that the royal family still today – in their daily life – profits from the former colonialism, although it is not possible to determine exactly how much. “They profit from having some of their wealth owed to the empire and continuing to pay interest. That’s how palaces are financed. The profits are immediate.”
India and South Africa want some of the royal jewels back
Some of the accusations are theft: India and South Africa have long wanted some of the royal jewels back. There are also accusations of colonial thinking: until the late 1960s, non-whites were not allowed to serve in the court, as the Guardian revealed only in 2021. Prince Philip has also been constantly criticized for racist remarks. But the queen was silent.
Historian Zimmerer adds: “She really just watched from the sidelines. And she didn’t get involved at all in the debate about the colonial legacy, which has been going on for 15 years and is getting more intense. That’s why the Queen has remained so loved – because she avoided controversial issues.”
Not only the queen is silent
Writer Marcus Ryder, who advocates for more diversity in the media, says it’s not just the Queen who is being kept quiet. It is about a universal problem – the insufficient rethinking of Britain’s past. “This here shows that there is a certain inability in both British society and the British media to actually address some of the most difficult subjects.”
Recently, the anti-racist movement Black Lives Matter succeeded in sharpening sensitivities about the British colonies, but not necessarily in the media. “The British media is predominantly run by non-disabled white heterosexual men who live in and around London. They make up just 3.1 per cent of the total population, and 3.1 per cent of the population are responsible for much of the media,” Ryder notes.
British people, who are not indifferent to the Queen’s colonial heritage, can share their opinions almost exclusively on social media these days. “It means: black people, people from Asia, who have roots in former colonies, are seeing their values and this discussion being debated in media outside the UK.” Ryder has only been approached by off-Island media these days.
The article has been published HERE >>
