Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the author(s) do not represent the official position of Barbados TODAY.
by Leslé Honoré Poetry
As a child of a former British colony, formerly proud of its former nickname ‘Little England’, I recognise that Barbados was home of some of the worst forms of slavery and colonialisation, developed by the English and perpetrated by our own Barbadians, which have left a lasting and current legacy, for too many of us, of self-hate wrapped up in the social hierarchy of colourism and classism, even in 2022.
The Monarchy represents both the fairytale of royalty, jewels, the fabulous fashion, pomp and ceremony of weddings and more. I enjoyed all this unabashedly on a superficial level. (I enjoyed the fantasy of my beloved Mills & Boon romances similarly)…
The Monarchy also represents the pain of too many of our forefathers who suffered, died and were buried to produce the wealth that The Royals and the citizens of other former colonialisers, the ‘First World’ enjoy today. I acknowledge all this.
By definition, despite current attempts to ‘modernise’, the institution of royalty represents the pinnacle, the apogee of the concept of purity of race and breeding which found and finds people who look like me ‘unattractive and unworthy’. People who look like me, who have my socio-economic origin, would be considered largely unwelcome socially, amongst the royalty and aristocracy of old and of now.
So why do I have such mixed feelings about The Queen’s passing? Why do I feel some fondness, some sadness, some …? Is it due to the PR, overt and subliminal media messaging and formal education that has been part of my entire life? The loyalty that was drummed into us despite being children of Independence? Is it due to to the complex emotions one feels in a sometimes abusive relationship?
It is difficult to separate positive thoughts on the dignity and diligence of the individual Queen Elizabeth 2, from the less positive feelings regarding the institution of the monarchy, if one is being honest, particularly as a daughter of a former colony – the Jewel in the British Crown especially in the 17th century. The institution of the monarchy, personified in the family, is the symbol of the very nation who exploited us during our history, and which has yet to fully make amends, inclusive re the poor treatment seen in the Windrush Generation Scandal.
We can be respectful of the emotions of those who loved the Queen while not ignoring past and current wrongs.
Our relationship status: ‘It’s complicated’’
Deepest Condolences to the family of Queen Elizabeth II and the people of Great Britain.
This poem perfectly encapsulates the conflicting emotions felt by many of us:
‘May our memory and nostalgia
Never cloud the truth
May we hold in tension
Our entertainment
Our fascination
Our indoctrinated fairy tale culture
With the legacy
Of colonization
Imperialism
The transatlantic slave trade
The sun that never set
On oppression
May we separate the crown
And the woman
And as we bury an era
May we never bury
History
Truth
Freedoms and reparations yet to be received
God Save The Queen’
Leslé Honoré Poetry
http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/invited/7246301/60961c6d7586a0cd67babc86e7a0da3e8d38d7b7
