Common-Wealth!

I have given this title to the blog since it is clear that we are the common people and they, the royalty, control the wealth!

The Commonwealth, established in 1949, is deemed to be a political association of independent countries which were former colonies of the British empire. 

Up to September 2022, the head of the commonwealth was Queen Elizabeth 11.

There are around fifty-six countries currently involved. Interestingly, many of these countries, especially in Africa, were savagely exploited during the reign of the British. And in addition to all their natural resources and artifacts being looted, their people were kidnapped, taken overseas and worked to death as slaves, so Britain could build its country on free labour.

The British Empire was the largest of its kind in history, once controlling about a quarter of all the land on Earth. Britain began colonizing the world back in the 16th century, but when Queen Elizabeth 11 took the throne, only around 70 colonies still existed overseas.

Today Britain still maintains total control of the following countries; Anguilla, Bermuda, British Indian Ocean Territory, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, the Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Montserrat, the Pitcairn Islands, St Helena and its Dependencies, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands and the Turks & Caicos Islands.

However, while a number of other countries have supposedly declared their independence from Britain, they decided not to pursue republican status but instead keep the Queen as their head of State. 

This is strictly ceremonial as the monarchy does not interfere in the day-to-day affairs of those countries. Interestingly though, although the British monarch is their head of state, most citizens of these countries need to obtain visas to travel to Britain!

The countries outside of the UK include Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Australia, Belize, Canada, Grenada, Jamaica, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Solomon Islands, and Tuvalu.

They along with many that opted for their own head of state, became members of the Commonwealth of which Queen Elizabeth was head up to her death in September 2022.

However, over the years many citizens and some leaders in countries including Australia and Jamaica, have been expressing disquiet at maintaining the British Monarchy as their head. Some citizens have also angrily pointed to the racist and savage past of the British which got rich by stealing the resources of its protectorates while torturing, raping and enslaving their people.

They have been not only demanding an apology from the Monarchy but also calling for reparations and even the return of stolen artifacts.

These demands have been ignored by the British Monarchy.

Now that the elaborate funeral of the queen is over, the big question is not only whether most of the countries that have retained the monarchy as their head will continue to so, but will Charles 111 be accepted as leader of the Commonwealth and can he even keep it intact?

For if for no other reason, Charles was confirmed by his son Harry and daughter-in law Megan as being a racist. Now he confirmed it in the news clip recorded by CNN.

This shocking clip nearly broke Twitter, for it clearly shows Charles bypassing/snubbing a black man who tried to greet him as he made his way down the line of mourners who had gathered to say goodbye to the Queen.

An interesting Twitter post can be viewed at ;

https://twitter.com/mrcyprians/status/1571832970918432769?s=12&t=tXI9P4V_C8z0BRcDCqQV3w. (Nb. On the 20th September, it was pointed out that this Twitter post was removed. However I checked and it's still there. You have to copy the entire thing and paste. The video is also available on You Tube at; https://youtu.be/FcNkXMtYhUk )

Yes, Queen Elizabeth 11 commanded international love and respect because she was a gracious monarch and had been reigning long before most of the people on this planet were born.

She was therefore accepted although the establishment she represented had been so reprehensible.

However, I am prepared to bet that Charles 111 just cannot cross it! (as we say in Ja!)

Wait for some interesting developments.