As the last imperial monarch, Queen Elizabeth II’s passing should usher a fairer new Britain

London - The passing of Queen Elizabeth II will be solemnly marked by her subjects. While her role over the years may have largely been ceremonial, elsewhere across the globe, the monarchy carries with it a heavy legacy of brutal colonialism. Within the UK, the monarchy continued to maintain the honours system that intrenched inequality and without raising protest, signed off on rafts of deeply racist and Islamophobic legislation. Seventy years since her ascension to the throne and as the last monarch to inherit a truly ‘British Empire’,  this must be a moment for national introspection. The UK and the world are no longer the same. There is a broader understanding of Britain’s historical cruel policies and its role in more recent wars across the world, especially in Muslim countries. The makeup of Britain has also irreversibly changed, with ethnic minorities representing a greater cross section of the population and are increasingly demanding equality and fairness across the board. As a symbol of the UK’s soft power diplomacy, we hope the new era of King Charles III will be marked by a shift away from normalisation with tyranny, support for illegal wars and discriminatory legislation. The emergence of a more just Britain, one that is able to confront the darker legacies of its past, will create goodwill around the world and fairness at home. &nbsp; <em>Image Courtesy of Commonwealth Secretariat on Flikr</em>