The End of an Era

By Keenan W.

From 1952 to 2022, Queen Elizabeth II has been the monarch of the United Kingdom and its associates. She has been a constant for 70 years (“Queen Elizabeth II”). Where times change, countries rise and fall, presidents are elected and forgotten, and economies falter; she has been a constant. On 8 September 2022, she took her last breath. But, how will her death affect the world and why does it signal the end of an era?

Queen Elizabeth II has been a figurehead and an influence on the world even before she became Queen, with the support and speeches she gave during World War II and the roles she filled as a member of the royal family. Once she became Queen, she set herself up for an incredible reign. During her lifetime, she met with over 13 U.S. presidents, lived through JFK’s assassination, the Civil Rights Act, watched the first man walk on the moon, lived through the Chernobyl Disaster, watched the rise and fall of  the Berlin Wall, the birth of the World Wide Web and the Internet, the election of Nelson Mandela, the death of Diana, the 9/11 attacks, Brexit, and Covid (Syed). Queen Elizabeth has truly lived through an entire era in world history. Her death has had mixed reactions though. 

For many countries that were once colonized, harmed, or ruled by the Great British Empire, the death of Queen Elizabeth is the final breath of the impact and influence the United Kingdom has had on their lives. For many NSA students, the British Empire has probably had an impact in their country’s life in some way or another. For example, for people from South Africa, such as myself, the devastating impact that the British had on their lives and the way they treated their people, during the Anglo-Boer War and after, the death of Queen Elizabeth seems like rightful retribution.  

Even with some of the negatives, Queen Elizabeth II has still done a great amount of good in her lifetime. With her standing on the throne, Biblical beliefs and generally more conservative views were held in place, not just in the UK, but around the world, because of the Queen’s influence. And as a figurehead for multiple nations, she has upheld views and beliefs that a lot of people followed and looked up to. Now, with her death, we can expect that the impact that the UK monarchy will have on the world will look much different and it is assumed that the new monarch, King Charles, will uphold his own new set of values and beliefs. Nonetheless, it is truly the end of an era, and only time will tell what the world will do from this point onward. The sun has finally set on the British Empire.

Here, at NSA, our hearts go out to all our UK students who are currently going through the mourning of their longest-reigning monarch. 

Keenan W. is in 12th Grade and has been with NSA since 2019. She lives in Houston, Texas, with her family after moving from South Africa. Keenan plays both the piano and the mandolin. She is also an avid reader, loves music, and enjoys watching 2000s movies. Some of her interests include psychology, criminal justice, international relations, business, leadership, and politics. She hopes to help and serve others through whatever her career may be.

🔎InformationalEIC NSA2022-2023, October 2022 Publication