Name? Queen Elizabeth II
Westphalian identity? The epitome of British
Age? Eternal (96)
Why is she in the news? This week the Queen celebrates her Platinum Jubilee: 70 years on the throne. As the only monarch in British history to reach this milestone, the UK is laden with union flags, street parties and national pride. All major news outlets in Britain have full coverage of the minutiae of the event as the British public enter a 4 day weekend to celebrate.
Why do we care? While the political role of the Queen is minimal, and even more so in international relations, the head of state has a legacy of making her presence known. From publicly rebuking PM Margaret Thatcher and British inaction over South African apartheid in the 80s, to altering the Equality and Diversity Act to exclude ethnic minorities from working in royal properties…
Why should you care? Because the Platinum Jubilee questions the monarchy and its necessity in the UK and abroad. The Queen is a beloved British icon, though many feel she should be the island’s last monarch. 41% of 18-24-year-olds claim they would rather have an elected head of state, and 31% believe that the monarchy should not continue after Queen Elizabeth’s (seemingly unending) reign. You should care 3/10 about a possible shift away from modern monarchy.
Who else cares? Boris Johnson. The British PM has made a baseless promise to bring back the imperial system in what seems like another of his eccentricities. However, Bojo has and will continue to use this event to distract from failing policies and economic downturn.
Any further comments? In the midst of a cost of living crisis, a taxpayer-funded event is a hard pill to swallow. But with the Queen standing as the head of state of 15 Commonwealth nations, the question has to be asked if anti-royalists get their way, who will take over as head of state in these countries?
