It was widely understood to be in the works, but king Charles announced that his son would take on his previous title without formally informing the first minister of Wales.
Whose lives are considered worth grieving? Why is Queen Elizabeth’s life and death considered more grievable by authorities than Indigenous people, overdose victims or anyone else?
It’s understandable some people wish to publicly grieve the Queen and offer their respects to her and the monarchy. But those who disagree with the monarchy also have a right to freedom of speech.
Richard Shaw, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University
If the prime minister is right, and New Zealand’s ties to the monarchy will only strengthen under Charles III, the country will be swimming against the Commonwealth tide.
The Australian media’s blanket coverage of the sovereign’s death was a reflection of public expectations, but it was allowed to drag on and became increasingly bizarre.
The British empire brought the practice of commons enclosure to Africa to claim land. Its effects continue today at sites like the Liesbeek River in Cape Town.
A cartoon commemorating the death of King William IV in 1837 would have been unthinkable; by the time Queen Victoria died in 1901, newspapers had changed.
Is it possible to disentangle the personal attributes of a gentle and kindly woman, from her role as the crowned head of a declining global empire that waged numerous wars? Many don’t think so.