The Legacy of Queen Elizabeth II

Sep 26, 2022 Letters

Dear Editor,

Much is currently being written about the life of Britain’s longest monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away a couple of weeks ago. However, regardless whether one embraces or despises the monarchy the Queen’s 71-year reign beheld her working alongside 15 British prime ministers, beginning with Sir Winston Churchill, while witnessing the rule of 14 US Presidents with Harry Truman being the first in 1953 and Joe Biden the last U.S. President in 2021. Queen Elizabeth II’s tenure as head of state spanned post-war austerity, the transition from empire to Commonwealth, the Non-Aligned Movement, the end of the Cold War and the UK’s entry into – and withdrawal from – the European Union.

Since 1953, the year the Queen took the throne, UK coins have borne five different versions of her portrait. She appeared on the country’s banknotes starting in 1960 but now, the Bank of England, which prints the country’s banknotes, and the Royal Mint, which makes its coins, face the sizable task of withdrawing the currency from circulation and replacing it with the pound bearing the portrait of the new monarch, her son, King Charles III.

Her horse drawn coach is made of gold, with an estimated worth of hundreds of millions of dollars. According to media reports, the crown she wore in public is made of stones obtained from India, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa and other former colonial territories and is also worth millions of dollars. Not to mention that the anticipated worth of her properties is in the billions. Despite her wealth, the Queen does not pay any taxes because British law exempts the monarchy from paying taxes.

But there is another side of the monarch which the world needs to know. From a Guyanese standpoint when the (Marxist) PPP won 18 out of 21 legislative seats in 1953 British troops were sent to British Guiana and shortly thereafter, the British Government suspended the country’s constitution and removed the PPP Government led by Dr. Cheddi Jagan from office. By far, it was one of the worst acts imposed on a colony by the colonial master. Such arbitrary decision by the British triggered protest in the streets as thousands of Guyanese advocated for independence. Through it all, the nation survived and 13 years after, in 1966, Guyana attained its independence and four years later in 1970, it severed all political and constitutional ties with Britain by proclaiming a republic. The Queen is dead. Long live the Queen!

Leyland Chitlall Roopnaraine

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