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The passing of Queen Elizabeth, and subsequent coronation of King Charles, though long anticipated, took me a little by surprise. This change is both inconsequential and significant. A line of kings will succeed, and as a woman who has seen a queen on the throne for my entire life, I feel this shift as a kind of loss. The figureheads we look to have, in so many arenas, been male, yet our Queen was always a counterbalance in visible power. Media stories pit the royal women, in particular, against one another. A sense of royal dignity has been undermined in recent years, peaking with the tabloid-level drama of Harry and Meghan. Where Her Majesty expected to represent the interests of all of the commonwealth, it seems that division is now the norm.
For many people, though, her family signify the things that are wrong with inherited power. The cost of upholding the monarchy, exploitation of indigenous people, and titles that are awarded without merit are among many objections to the crown. And although the role of the royal family in contemporary society is more symbolic than effectual, many long for the abolition of the monarchy and all that they represent.