The British monarchy is historically a brutal, thieving regime, and some member nations of the Commonwealth appear poised to sever those imperialist ties in the wake of Queen Elizabeth II’s death.
Elizabeth’s death, and the pageantry around it, has enlivened discussion about the legacy of British colonialism and atrocities committed in the name of enriching the royal family. And multiple countries — specifically, majority-Black nations — are primed to consider resetting their relationship with Britain in her wake.
Gaston Browne, the prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda, told London-based ITV News his country will hold a referendum within the next three years to vote on whether to remove Elizabeth’s successor, King Charles III, as Antigua and Barbuda’s head of state.
“This is a matter that has to be taken to a referendum for the people to decide,” Browne said, adding: “This is not an act of hostility or any difference between Antigua and Barbuda and the monarchy, but it is the final step to complete that circle of independence, to ensure that we are truly a sovereign nation.”
Thanks to centuries of violent and exploitative invasions, Britain has retained a foothold in 14 Commonwealth “realms” outside the United Kingdom. They are Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, the Bahamas, Canada, Grenada, Jamaica, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Belize, the Solomon Islands, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Tuvalu.
But even before Browne’s announcement there were signs of breakage between colonized nations and their British invaders. Just last year, Barbados formally removed Elizabeth as their head of state and became a republic. And according to Foreign Policy, Belize, the Bahamas, Jamaica, Grenada, and St. Kitts and Nevis have all shown interest in following a similar path. All of this is important context as you watch people fawn over the royal family and extoll Elizabeth’s virtue in the coming weeks. (I heard one CNN commentator remark how “frugal” she was — as if she hadn’t sat on a mountain of stolen riches for decades.) The British monarchy’s tentacles reach far and wide. Good on the nations that want to move out from under their thumb. The state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II will be held at Westminster Abbey on Monday, Sept. 19 at 6 a.m. ET. Follow our live blog for expert analysis and takeaways. msnbc.com/royalfuneral
Ja’han Jones is an MS NOW opinion blogger. He previously wrote The ReidOut Blog. Recommended
