The Queen's passing has yielded a lot of different feelings from a lot of different corners of society. Perhaps it's unsurprising that the death of such a central figure in such a complex and diverse land should serve as a catalyst for so many conversations. Since Thursday 7th September, Opinion pages have been rich with talk of Republicanism, Racism, Sexual Abuse, Classism, the Economy; all of them being pulled apart and re-explored in this weird, 10-day, err, celebration? Commemoration? Of her Majesty being laid to rest. Or as I've come to call it, Restival. With the exception of the odd royal baby or World Cup over-excitement, Britain has largely, for the past few decades at least, been seen as a mostly stable country. We had a safe-haven currency. We have the Mother of Parliaments. What does it say about that perceived stability that when a 96 year-old Head of State dies - and the hereditary process of passing power to her son begins - that that's all it takes to explode our existential sensibilities to the point of frothing madness? You don't have to stroll too far on the internet to find Right-wing trolls railing against unspecified, imagined Leftists for getting on their soapbox and politicking at a time of national sensitivity; seemingly unaware that such faux-offence (in absence of a specific offender) is actually them - on their soapbox - politicking at a time of national sensitivity. Are they offending themselves now? To some extent, perhaps they always were? We've seen the re-emergence of bullying and racism, directed at Harry and Meghan. We've asked what that says about us? About Britain. About the Media's influence over the public. Why do people hate her and refuse to shake her hand, while a Prince who sullied the now dead Queen's reputation by (presumably) asking her to contribute to his sexual violence settlement figure - is protected from embarrassment? We've witnessed the bare-naked classism of King Charles' exemption from inheritance tax. We've seen the hypocrisy of the Press, some of whom - at the height of Covid - would tell anyone who was listening that the country shouldn't grind to a halt just because your Grandma died. Perhaps, in a way, shining a light on these issues was the Queen's final, parting gift. A chance to look at ourselves and correct course, straighten our ties; We should make things fairer. We shouldn't allow tabloid hacks to convince the public that someone is "bad" just because they need a narrative to sell for the next couple of months. Maybe arresting protestors is bad? Perhaps journalistic hypocrisy should be exposed and regulated? There are many who would like the period from now to the 19th to come and go quick, for different reasons. Some would like it out the way so they can go back to enjoying their Centreparcs breaks uninterrupted. Others would like the issues all of this is bringing to the fore to be quietly buried with the Queen. After all, a funeral is traditionally the time we knock back a few beers, laugh and move on. But there are others among us who would like to believe these genies are now out of their bottles. Plural. That the safety, constant and universally adored sovereign that was Elizabeth II is no more. And that in her absence we have sorrow, but that we also have questions. What kind of country do we want to be? Are we going to put up with such insulting inequality? "Nobody gave a hoot when my Gran was fretting about freezing to death, so how are the same dismissive, emotionless faces entitled to criticise me for not caring about someone else's Gran that I never met?" When Prime Minister Truss, in her maiden speech, tried to get us excited about becoming a "modern, brilliant Britain", how modern might that be? Should it include a Royal Family? With Princes and Princesses, who live in castles and palaces? Should it bang on about the Blitz? Should its ministers dress like Victorians? Lobbying journalists, activistists and politicians alike have been gifted a moment to take, while the spotlight is on their specialist subjects. Let's hope they don't waste it.
