Why a Queen with no executive authority continues to dominate the world
Nine out of every ten living inhabitants in the entire world were born following Elizabeth's accession to the throne. Essentially, most people in the world have grown up with some awareness of the British monarch.
Queen Elizabeth II, a beacon of stability for more than 70 years on the British throne, died at 96. Holding the British crown in two different centuries, over eight different decades, she is the longest and most celebrated monarch in the world.
The Windsors, with the Queen as their centrepiece, are also the most recognisable royal family in the world.
The number of English-speaking people in the world, as well as the sheer number of countries who were under British colonial rule, has played an important role in making Queen Elizabeth the most talked-about monarch in the world.
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Most of the world was born during the Queen's long reign
Nine out of every ten living inhabitants in the entire world were born following Elizabeth's accession to the throne. Essentially, most people in the world have grown up with some awareness of the British monarch.
According to the World Factbook, around 10% of the global population is 65 years old. This figure is greater than 19% in the United Kingdom, and slightly less than 17% in the United States.
Bangladeshis have a life expectancy of fewer than 70 years on average. Which is why, less than 1% of Bangladeshis were born before Elizabeth II became Queen.
It is therefore not surprising that the whole world has something to say about the passing of the Queen, albeit in the form of grieving her death, paying condolences or criticising the legacy of the monarchy.
Since most of the world does not have a monarchy anymore, people like to immerse themselves in their fantasies and imaginations about the monarchy through the Windsors.
The plane carrying Queen Elizabeth II's coffin, in fact, broke the world record for the most tracked flight ever. Around 500,000 people tracked the aeroplane that transported the Queen's body from Edinburgh to London on 13 September.
Colonial hangover
A long history of colonialism has naturally left an impact on the people of the former colonies. During her 70-year reign, the Queen may have had little practical power, but nonetheless commanded global attention.
'The Sun never sets on the British Empire' is an adage from a time when British imperial power was at its height. Since this region of the world was occupied by the British empire for almost two centuries in its heydays, the impact of the monarchy on Bangladesh and its South Asian counterparts was far greater than other independent nations.
The branding of Buckingham Palace
Even though the British Monarchy has no executive authority, Buckingham Palace significantly impacts the nation's economy, foreign affairs, etc. Buckingham Palace focuses its efforts and strategies on connecting the Commonwealth nations and the rest of the globe to the United Kingdom through a variety of initiatives.
The Queen's Young Leaders, the Duke of Edinburgh's Awards, and a multitude of additional programmes promote not only the British royals, but also the government's goals. It functions like a snowball. They choose a group of foreign people and provide them required exposure, which helps to promote the British monarchy and government in a snowball manner and achieve its objectives.
Interestingly, the Firm is an informal title for the British royal family and its associated institutions, including the courtiers, staff and working royals that keep the business of the monarchy functioning. It reportedly stems from King George's statement that he and the rest of the royals were "not a family, we're a firm," a concept first introduced in the mid-20th century.
The title is an apt reflection of how, despite the absence of political power, the image of the monarchy is carefully crafted through a powerful PR machine and transmitted to the world.
Control of wealth
In 2017, the royal family earned £125 million in worldwide press coverage for the United Kingdom, according to a Brand Finance assessment. However, royal warrants, taxes paid on private estates, and surplus funds generated by the Crown Estate all contributed to this amount.
Brand Finance estimated the royal family to be worth £67.5 billion in 2017. According to Forbes, the average annual net contribution of the British royal family to the United Kingdom's economy is £1.9 billion.
The monarchy essentially makes most of its money from real estate. The Queen is the proprietor of the Crown Estate, real estate holdings across the UK that bring in sizable sums in annual appreciation and industry, primarily farming. She then returns the profits to the Royal Treasury, which disburses 15-25% of these funds to the Royal Household as the Sovereign Grant each year.
According to a report released in September 2020 and reflecting the prior calendar year, the Sovereign Grant received £82.4 million, or $113.9 million.
The legacy of colonialism
The Queen's power extends beyond the UK to former colonies, and in many countries outside the UK she is still the sovereign monarch. Even the Bangladeshi government declared three days of national mourning to commemorate her passing.
How often does a former colony observe three days of national mourning for its former coloniser, especially when the former coloniser never recognised, much less grieved, the heinous violations her empire perpetrated on the former colony?
In contrast, no state statement on the passing of economist, educator, civil servant, and freedom fighter Akbar Ali Khan, who died on the same day as the Queen, was visible.
Did the government observe three days of national mourning for other deceased foreign leaders? Will there ever be a day when Britain declares even three minutes of state mourning, or at least a three-word apology, for their 200 years of cruel colonisation that looted and starved the prosperous Bengal region in order to spur British industrialisation?
Did the United Kingdom mourn or apologise for the Bengal famine of 1943, which directly stemmed from its colonial plunder and policy decisions and resulted in the deaths of millions of Bengalis? Needless to say, the implications of colonialism continue to exacerbate our current income disparities.
Reality check
While we rightly lament the disastrous impact of 200 years of colonial rule, the current cultural and economic relevance of the UK to Bangladesh cannot be denied. The same significance applies to our neighbours and other countries around the world.
Furthermore, modern day UK remains relevant not just because of its influence, but what it still has to offer to the world.
I firmly believe there are plenty of things to learn and embrace from modern day UK. We should strengthen our relations with the contemporary UK, which hosts one of our biggest diasporas.
We can also learn a lot from modern British institutions, such as freedom of speech, parliamentary democracy, the accountability of states, preserved rights and well-being of the people, and so on.
This does not, however, justify or minimise their brutal colonial past.
MD Talebur Islam is a researcher, columnist, and communications and development professional
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of The Business Standard.
