by Islam Ibrahim and Abdel Rahman Atef – Interregional for Strategic Analytics
Immediately after the announcement of Buckingham Palace in Britain, in a statement on the evening of September 8, the death of Queen “Elizabeth II” at the age of 96, and after sitting on the throne for 70 years; The British and international reactions expressed great sadness, and many world leaders and leaders were keen to direct their condolences on the death of the Queen; In addition to being deeply affected by the event inside Britain, the global reactions to the Queen’s departure expressed appreciation and reverence for her historical role. In general, the reactions expressed the success of Queen Elizabeth II in maintaining the popularity of the monarchy. Not only within the Kingdom, but throughout the world as well.
Remember the achievements
In this context, it is possible to review the most prominent trends of British and international reactions to the death of the Queen through the following :
1- Speeding up the announcement of “Charles III” as the new king of Britain: After the death of Britain’s Queen “Elizabeth II”, it was quickly announced that the heir to the throne, her son “Charles III” became king of the country, and his wife “Camelia” became queen; And that after he was the longest-reigning heir to the throne in British history. It is scheduled that King Charles III will make a statement to the nation on September 9, in his first speech after the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth, while British media announced the intention of King Charles III to conduct a subsequent tour of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland.
After the Queen’s health deteriorated, the media circulated previous news about the “London Bridge plan” revealed by the Guardian newspaper last year about arrangements for dealing with the Queen’s death; The plan was drawn up in the 1960s and updated several times over the following years. According to the plan, the Queen’s Secretary informs the British Prime Minister upon the death of the Queen that “London Bridge has fallen” to begin implementing the pre-prepared steps, which include, within minutes, informing the governments of 15 countries and 36 other countries within the Commonwealth, then placing the black banner at the gates of Buckingham Palace, and announcing the news to the media around the world, then take action to quickly transfer power to the new king, and carry out a popular funeral for the late queen.
2- A 10-day national mourning was declared across the Kingdom: A 10-day period of national mourning began across Britain following the death of Queen Elizabeth II; Flags will be at half-mast on all public institutions from 9 September, and the British Parliament, as well as the delegated legislatures of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, will be suspended. Most likely, five days after her death, the late Queen’s coffin will be carried in a solemn military procession from Buckingham Palace to the Houses of Parliament at Westminster, and the Queen’s body will be there for three days to allow the public to see her farewell.
3- Emphasizing the Queen’s pivotal role in Britain’s modernization: British Prime Minister Liz Terrace reported that Britain prospered during the Queen’s era; Where modern Britain was built, and former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson asserted that Queen Elizabeth modernized the constitutional monarchy. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, noted that the Queen had helped understand British identity by making a development in British society.
4- Three trade unions suspend planned strikes in the Kingdom: Three British trade unions representing postal and transport and rail workers have announced that they will suspend their planned strikes; After the death of Queen Elizabeth II; These unions were planning to strike starting on September 9th; Due to a dispute over wages in light of the high rates of inflation in the country.
5- A desire to strengthen relations with the Kingdom during the reign of King Charles: US President Joe Biden affirmed that Queen Elizabeth II was a “state woman of unparalleled dignity and steadfastness”, expressing at the same time his aspiration to continue the strong friendship with King “Charles III”, and Egyptian President “Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi” offered condolences on the death of the Queen, stressing the determination to work with King “Charles” to strengthen relations between the two countries .
6- Referring to the continuation of the historical legacy of Queen Elizabeth : US President Joe Biden indicated that the legacy of Queen Elizabeth II will remain immortal in history, saying: “Her legacy will loom large in the pages of British history, and in the story of our world.” He added that she “reinforced the basic alliance between the United Kingdom and the United States,” while German President Frank Steinmeier said that “the Queen wrote history,” and French President “Emmanuel Macron” confirmed that the Queen has always been a friend of France and its people, and Irish President Michael drew attention Higgins” indicated that she was a special friend of his country.
7- A tribute to the late Queen’s contribution to building world peace: The European Union’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, praised Queen Elizabeth’s contribution to building peace and settling differences, while German Foreign Minister Annalina Birbock expressed her gratitude for the Queen’s communication with Germany with the aim of settling differences. After World War II, while Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi confirmed that the Queen maintained stability in times of crisis, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the State, said on Twitter: “The great late woman was a symbol of wisdom, tolerance and respect. the world and its appreciation.
8- Considering the late Queen an icon that expresses the British nation: French President Emmanuel Macron indicated that Queen Elizabeth embodied the continuity and unity of the British nation for more than 70 years, while Polish President Andrzej Duda emphasized that the Queen embodied everything that makes Britain great. , while NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg considered that the Queen embodied dedicated leadership. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres praised the Queen’s merits of “virtue, grace and devotion”, and the Crown Prince of Bahrain confirmed that the late Queen dedicated her life to strengthening the standing of the United Kingdom.
9- Some countries have declared a general mourning for the Queen: Several countries have declared a general mourning for the Queen, such as the Emirates, Jordan, Brazil, Kuwait and the Sultanate of Oman, for a period of three days, during which flags are at half-mast at all public institutions and their embassies abroad. The US President directed the White House flags to fly at half-mast, and the French authorities turned off the lights of the Eiffel Tower, one of its most prominent symbols, to mourn the Queen’s departure, while members of the UN Security Council decided to observe a minute’s silence for the Queen, while the English Premier League matches were postponed after the Queen’s death, and the London Stock Exchange was also suspended. trading.
10- A wave of sadness spread on social networking sites: Social networking sites dominated a wave of sadness over the news of the death of Queen “Elizabeth”, and topped the medals “#LondonBridge”, “#Queen Elizabeth” and “#Queen_Elizabeth” on Twitter, and many accounts participated in it. Pictures of Queen Elizabeth, offering condolences, and indicating that the Queen will always be remembered, and many users talked about Queen Elizabeth’s efforts.
stability symbol
In conclusion, it appears by following up on the reactions to the death of Queen Elizabeth II, both at home and in the countries of the world, the extent of the popularity of the British monarchy; Where the reactions did not forget the historical role played by the Queen, both at home and in the world. The reactions also showed that Queen Elizabeth II succeeded, over the course of seven decades of her rule, in keeping the royal institution in line with the modern world, and preserving her image as a symbol of stability in the kingdom.
Sources:
Josie Ensor, Queen Elizabeth II: World reacts to death of monarch, the Telegraph, September 8, 2022, Accessible at: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world–news/2022/09/08/queen–tributes–world–leaders–commonwealth–canada–us–live–reaction/
Kyle Fitzgerald, Queen Elizabeth II: US leaders pay tribute to late UK monarch, the National News, September 8, 2022, Accessible at: https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/us–news/2022/09/08/us–reacts–to–death–of–queen–elizabeth–ii/
Max Foster, What happens now that the Queen has died, CNN, September 8, 2022, Accessible at: https://edition.cnn.com/2022/09/08/uk/what–happens–after–queen–dies–intl/index.html
Pippa Crerar, ‘With the King, we mourn’: Liz Truss pays tribute to Queen, the Guardian, September 8, 2022, Accessible at: https://www.theguardian.com/uk–news/2022/sep/08/liz–truss–pays–tribute–queen–with–king–we–mourn
UK unions suspend strike action following death of Queen Elizabeth, Reuters, September 8, 2022, Accessible at: https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/uk–rail–union–suspends–strike–sept–15–17–after–death–queen–elizabeth–2022–09–08/
Queen Elizabeth’s death: Reaction from world leaders, Reuters, September 8, 2022, Accessible at: https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/queen–elizabeths–death–reaction–politicians–officials–2022–09–08/
Brazil’s government declares three days of mourning to honor Queen Elizabeth II, Reuters, September 8, 2022, Accessible at: https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/brazils–government–declares–three–days–mourning–honor–queen–elizabeth–ii–2022–09–08/
Britain’s new king will address the nation on Friday, Reuters, September 8, 2022, Accessible at: https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/britains–new–king–will–address–nation–friday–2022–09–08/
Head of State: Queen Elizabeth had a long friendship with the UAE, Al Ittihad Newspaper , September 8, 2022, available at: https://bit.ly/3RwX6kL
The Prime Minister announces three days of national mourning in the Kingdom for Queen Elizabeth II, Jordan News Agency , September 8, 2022, available at: https://petra.gov.jo/Include/InnerPage.jsp?ID=223420&lang=ar&name=news
