Elizabeth II 1926-2022 | Constance, corgis, colonialism…

Longevity. She stayed on the throne for so long. She’s the only queen I’ve ever known. I don’t know if I’ll work that long, but I hope to live that long!

You’ll laugh, but this morning I took a detour to take the Elizabeth line. It takes me 15 minutes longer than the bus, but it’s my way of paying homage to him. Because I couldn’t go to Buckingham Palace. Elizabeth embodied the nation. We were with her, she was with us. Now that she’s gone, there’s a part of us that’s gone.

His sense of duty. She has always been there. She always did the right thing. She sacrificed herself, to the detriment of her personal life. The example she gave was impressive. She literally served until the end. Two days before her death, she met the new prime minister. Impressive !

I’m 6 years old. I have polio. I am at the hospital. It’s 1952. The queen has just been crowned. My mother gives me a magnificent golden coronation carriage. Not plastic like today’s toys. Made of metal. Solid. Strangely, I haven’t played with it much. At this age, we do not realize the importance of things. We had to throw it away. The mistake. It would be expensive today!

For me, it’s a smile. A friendly and welcoming smile. Not the smile of someone who thinks they’re superior. A human smile, which warms. You could tell she really cared about people. Not like politicians, who only serve their interests.

Dedication. She certainly had flaws, but you couldn’t see them. She showed herself the way people wanted to see her. She knew her function was greater than the rest. Today people wonder what they would like to be. She wondered what she had to be. It’s rare these days.

A large show reality tv ! That’s what I’m thinking. His life has become a real soap, the family too. Lady Di, Harry and Meghan, Prince Andrew. The queen in the middle of it all. They live in another reality, but people watch it like it’s a reality show.

Corgis! Spontaneously, I associate it with these dogs. She had so many. A whole line. I saw a documentary about it. Exciting. She had taste, they are beautiful little dogs. A little short-legged. But cute, right?

The Queen ? Nothing against the person. But I would get rid of royalty. Having heads of state by simple heredity makes no sense. It has to be deserved. I don’t think we’ll have a republic anytime soon in the UK. But I wouldn’t be surprised if Charles causes the process to speed up…

Not much sympathy for the queen. To me, she primarily represents the British colonial regime. Slavery. Racism. These are people who have taken land, who have changed laws. I don’t deny that she did a good job. But behind the beautiful image, there is this darker side that must be criticized…