Queen Elizabeth celebrates 70 years of service with 4 days of extravagantly Royal festivities.
Highlights:
- Celebrations kicked off on Thursday with a massive military parade.
- A 70-plane airshow flew over London while the Royal family looked on from Buckingham Palace.
- A £15 million pageant carnival took place on Sunday with celebrity performers.
London: The extravagant celebrations began with a military parade Thousands of supporters lined the street over the 2-day national holiday. The celebrations originally began in February 2022, with a long string of events taking place since then. Queen Elizabeth is the longest-reigning monarch, breaking the record of her ancestor Queen Victoria.
Criticism over frivolous spending on the Royal Celebrations:
A 2021 plan released to the UK parliament allotted £1 billion to staging celebratory events. This included The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and Festival UK. Fortune.com reports “More than £22 million in national lottery funding will also be used to fund community celebrations”.
Reports estimate those who celebrate the event are set to spend £2.9bn on food and beverage alone. Moreover, Retail spending is set to hit £3.47 over the jubilee weekend. Some call for this to be turned into an annual affair, but it is unlikely considering how unpopular the monarchy is amongst young people
Financial crisis:
The Uk has reported a significant economic strain on its lower-middle-class population. The Commons Library reports that 13.4 million people are classified as ‘relatively low income’. This accounts for about 20% of the population. This means that around ¼ of the population is considered low income after housing costs.
A report by Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG UK) reveals the following stats for 2020-21:
- Approx 8 children in a classroom of 30 lived in poverty from 2020 to 21.
- 49% of all children in lone-parent families live in poverty.
- Children from Black and ethnic minority homes are nearly twice as likely to be poor.
Children who grow up in poor households exhibit a higher probability of malnutrition and other
developmental setbacks. British citizens now question whether shelling out nearly £28M is appropriate at a time when the financial crisis deepens across the country.
Is the Queen’s Monarchy failing?:
Younger Britons show a sharp distaste for the monarchy in recent years. A YouGov survey indicates that at least 41% of people aged 18-24 would rather do away with the establishment.
This is due to various reasons, ranging from economic concerns to the bloody history of the British Empire.
The younger generation, however, is the most exposed to the colonial past of the English crown. A recent controversy of influencer Emma Chamberlain wearing a “stolen” necklace put the colonial power back under the scanner. An Indian jewel maker made the decadent necklace, for Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala in 1925. The decadent necklace somehow made its way to Cartier in the mid-1950s, presumably due to British involvement. This used to be a common practice for the British to do during their 300-year reign on the Indian subcontinent.
Royal scandals:
Recent allegations against Prince Andrew, over his involvement in the Jeffrey Epstein, exacerbate the dislike towards monarchy. A woman came forward to allege the Royal family member’s involvement in Epstein’s crimes. The royal stayed with Epstein at his New York City home over the years including times when alleged illegal activities took place in the home. Meanwhile, an ongoing case cites a then 17-year-old victim of Andrew’s crimes.
Jeffrey Epstein was an American businessman who died in jail while serving time for sexual crimes against young women. Prince Andrew drew flak for a disastrous interview where he denied all allegations in the face of overwhelming evidence.
The separation of the Sussex couple, Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan, from the establishment, adds to their unpopularity. The couple relinquished their duties citing racially motivated comments made about their children by family members. Meghan Markle is a mixed-race American actress and activist who married Prince Harry in 2018. The couple is amongst the more popular members of the family.
Queen Elizabeth’s Reign:
Queen Elizabeth the second became the monarch of The United Kingdom and 14 other Commonwealth realms 70 years ago. Her rise to the throne, however, is far more complicated than just inheriting the throne. Her father, George VI grew up as the “spare” to his father’s throne.
His older brother, Edward the VII, became notorious for his playful nature at an early age. Soon after ascending to the throne in 1936, it became evident his disregard for royal norms would be devastating. Just months into his reign, he proposed to an American divorcee Wallis Simpson at a time when it was socially unacceptable to make her queen consort. Edward abdicated the throne to marry Simpson, staying with her until his death in 1972.
Queen Elizabeth II ascended to the throne after her sickly father passed away. She donned the crown aged just 25, having previously worked as a mechanic in WW2.
