Can the British Commonwealth maintain the centripetal force of the former colonial coalition after the death of the British Queen?

Change is inevitable with the death of the queen… Criticism of past imperialism
Transition to a republic in the Caribbean region… Demands apology and compensation from UK

With the death of British Queen Elizabeth II, who reigned for more than 70 years, on the 8th (local time), attention is focused on whether the Commonwealth, a coalition of former British colonies, can maintain the framework.

According to the New York Times (NYT) and Business Insider, an economic magazine on the 8th, Queen Elizabeth II has exerted a strong centripetal force to the point of being evaluated as a symbol of the Commonwealth itself.

The Commonwealth is a loose coalition of the United Kingdom and 56 independent states that were colonies of the United Kingdom.

In 1947, before ascending to the throne, the Queen announced that she would dedicate her life to the Commonwealth in Cape Town, South Africa.

Even when the Queen ascended to the throne, Britain was praised for keeping world peace by fighting and winning the German Nazis in World War II.

However, since then, Britain gradually lost its influence in the international community, and the former splendid imperial monarchy also faded.

The Commonwealth has entered a period of great transformation with the death of Queen Elizabeth II, Insider said.

“The British Commonwealth has faced criticism that it is nothing more than a post-colonial club,” Insider said.

In addition, countries that have experienced British colonial rule have become critical of the Commonwealth, rooted in imperialism, and some countries are rethinking their solidarity with the Commonwealth.

The centrifugal force is expected to become stronger with the death of the Queen, who served as the central point of the Commonwealth.

Charles III, who succeeded him, was far less charismatic than his mother in many ways.

In a survey conducted in the Commonwealth of Canada in April this year, 65% of respondents said that “Prince Charles cannot be recognized as king.”

Archyde.com reported that in the Caribbean countries that were once British colonies, calls for reparation by repealing the constitutional monarchy headed by the British king and holding accountable for slavery are expected to grow stronger, Archyde.com reported.

Last year, the Caribbean island nation of Barbados elected its first president in 55 years of independence, and will no longer serve the Queen.

Movements to break away from the monarchy and adopt a republic are also underway in other Caribbean countries such as Jamaica, the Bahamas, and Belize.

Prince William and his wife visited these three Caribbean countries in March this year, but they had to face the voices demanding reparation for past colonial rule and an apology for slavery.

Jamaica’s prime minister has publicly stated that he wants to be reborn as a republic, and in Belize, a foundation sponsored by the crown prince and residents in disputes over land have staged protests.

A survey conducted in Jamaica last month found that 56 percent of respondents supported the abolition of the British monarchy.

Alan Chesternett, who served as prime minister of the Caribbean island nation of St. Lucia, told Archyde.com, “I firmly support becoming a republic.”

“The role of the monarch has changed,” said Niambi Hall Campbell, director of the Bahamas’ National Compensation Commission.

In the 15th and 19th centuries, during the height of European imperialism, more than 10 million Africans were forced to emigrate to the Caribbean by white slave traders, and it is known that they were exploited in plantation farms and other areas.

“The queen is gone, and the imperial monarchy must end,” said Maya Jassanoff, professor of history at Harvard University, in a New York Times article.

“The new king has the opportunity to make a historic decision to reduce royal authority and transform the British royal family into a Nordic royal family,” he added.

/yunhap news