‘I Cannot Mourn’: Former Colonies Conflicted Over the Queen

Many subjects were unwilling when Queen Elizabeth II took the throne in 1952. She died in the former colonies of the British Empire.

There is a lot of bitterness about the past in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and other parts of the world. There is talk about the legacies of colonialism, from slavery to the use of force in African schools. The queen came to represent all of that for many.

A lawyer named Alice Mugo shared a photograph of a fading document from a long time ago, when a young Elizabeth learned of her father's death and her new role as queen. Four years into the queen's reign, it was issued, and into Britain's response to the rebellion.

The document states that there is a movement permit. Mugo's grandmother was forced to request British permission to go from place to place after being rounded up in a camp.

In the hours after the queen's death, Mugo said that most of his grandparents were taken advantage of. I can't grieve.

Even though his father was imprisoned during the queen's rule before becoming the country's first president in 1964, the outgoing president of kenya ignored past troubles as did other african heads of state. She was called the most important figure of the 20th and 21st century.

People were angry. Some wanted to apologize for past abuses like slavery.

England has the wealth of this Commonwealth of Nations. Samuels is a member of the National Council on Reparations in Jamaica.

The independence of African countries from Ghana to Zimbabwe, along with a string of Caribbean islands and nations along the edge of the Arabian Peninsula, was one of the highlights of Elizabeth's reign.

Some historians think she was a monarch who helped oversee the transition from empire to the Commonwealth. She was the symbol of a nation that rode roughshod over others.

In the Middle East, where many still hold Britain responsible for colonial actions that drew much of the region's borders and laid the groundwork for many of its modern conflicts, there was little interest in her death. Gaza's Hamas rulers called on King Charles III to correct British mandate decisions that they said hurt Palestinians.

Many Greek Cypriots remember the four-year guerrilla campaign waged in the late 1950s against colonial rule and the queen's indifference over the plight of nine people who were executed by hanging.

The president of the Association of National Organization of Cyprus Fighters said that the queen was responsible for the island's tragedies.

There are new attempts to address the colonial past with her passing.

India is trying to get rid of colonial names and symbols. The country has grown larger than the British economy.

According to Dhiren Singh, a 57-year-old businessman in New Delhi, we don't have a place for kings and queens in today's world.

There was some sympathy for the Elizabeth who was born in a situation like that.

Max said that he remembered the rebellion with a lot of bitterness and how some elders were killed or imprisoned. He thinks someone else was running British affairs when the queen was young.

The queen can't be blamed for all the sufferings that we had.

There is a spiritual connection to the colonial experience in some African countries, according to a political analyst in Uganda. He described it as a moment of pain and nostalgia.

Kalyegira said that the queen is seen as the mother of the world due to her dignified persona and age.

Some countries in the Caribbean are removing the British monarch as their head of state due to differing views.

The prime minister of Jamaica announced during this year's visit of Prince William, who is now heir to the throne, and Kate that the island intended to become fully industrialized.

William expressed his "profound sorrow" for slavery during his visit to the country.

The British presented Elizabeth as a benevolent queen who had always looked out for the Jamaican people, but young people aren't awed by the royal family.

The queen died and never apologized for slavery. She should have said sorry.

That's right.

Journalists from around the world contributed to the report.

That's right.

The British monarchy and Queen Elizabeth II's death are covered by the AP.