By Vanessa Cort   
LASTMonday Her Royal Majesty, Queen Elizabeth 11 of England, was laid to rest with great pomp and ceremony at Westminster Abbey in London, as people around the world watched on.

With 70 years on the throne, Queen Elizabeth was Britain’s longest-serving monarch when she died at the age of 96 on September 8. Since then there has been a tremendous outpouring of grief across the globe.

Media cameras showed the ocean of floral tributes laid outside the gates of Buckingham Palace by mourners and the thousands who stood in a three-mile-long line to pay their final respects to the monarch as she lay in state.

Her funeral was attended by dignitaries and world leaders who were effusive in their praise of the late queen, recalling her dignity, charm and commitment to duty right up until the last weeks of her life.

In days of yore the cry would have been, ‘The king is dead, long live the king,’ said in one breath as citizens welcomed the new king after announcing the death of the previous one. In today’s Britain the cry would be, ‘The queen is dead, long live the king,’ as Prince Charles ascends the throne.

However, the new monarch, who will now be known as King Charles 111, is taking over the crown at a time when Britain faces a looming economic crisis, anti-monarchist sentiment is on the rise and several countries are calling for change.

Many who held Queen Elizabeth in high regard do not have the same fondness for the new king and countries such as Australia and New Zealand are now discussing their constitutional futures. Both are considering becoming republics.

Anti-monarchist rallies, leading to the arrest of protesters, have been held in Britain with a vocal minority calling for the dissolution of the monarchy and an end to financial support of the Royal Family.

In this part of the world and in many African countries, racial justice and anti-colonialist movements have been gathering momentum. A tour of the Caribbean by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge – William and Kate – in March of this year sparked protests throughout the region and led to the cancellation of a visit to a cacao farm in Belize.

Groups demanded an apology and reparations from the British monarchy and an open letter signed by more that 100 leaders prior to the Royals’ touchdown in Jamaica said, “During her 70 years on the throne your grandmother has done nothing to redress and atone for the suffering of our ancestors that took place during her reign and/or during the entire period of British trafficking of Africans, enslavement, indentureship and colonisation.”

An announcement in June of this year by Jamaica’s Minister of Legal and Constitutional Affairs, Marlene Malahoo, noted that the island nation has “formally commenced” the move to become a republic.

A data manager from The Bahamas is reported as saying, in an article by the New York Times, “Growing up she [the late queen] was an omnipresent figurehead that came to represent deeds done in the name of empire and expansion regardless of the cost.” On the other hand, a taxi driver in Belize City felt that she had been a source of encouragement to citizens of his country.

This divide in opinions is also echoed in Britain, with residents facing exorbitant energy costs. In the New York Times article, a teacher from Sheffield in England declared her frustration at the Royals and “those in power [who] don’t appear to care… when many are suffering.” Yet political scientist, Matthew Goodwin is reported as saying, “We feel such loss because, Her Majesty was us.”

At the time of her death, according to Time magazine, Queen Elizabeth 11 ruled over 15 countries in the Commonwealth and l4 additional overseas territories – home to over 150 million people, the majority of whom have known no other monarch.

Now, with King Charles 111 at the helm, the future of the British lands and indeed the future of the Royal Family will be viewed through the watchful eyes of its citizens and the rest of the world.

Though if we are to believe Mario Reading’s report of the predictions of the 16th century philosopher and seer, Nostradamus, King Charles 111 will be forced to abdicate (give up) the throne in favour of his son. However, which son remains a mystery except for the statement, “A man will replace him who never expected to be king.”

We can but wait and see.