With the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, we celebrate the passing of an amazing individual. The Queen was a stabilizing presence for over 70 years, not only for Great Britain but for all the commonwealth countries.

I remember as a girl in England being envious of the dollhouse and Wendy house the two girl princesses were given. Then when as a child living in one of the commonwealth counties (Rhodesia) receiving a coin with her picture on it to celebrate her coronation. This was a time of turmoil as England was recovering from the war and many of the commonwealth countries were looking to throw off the dominance of Great Britain.

Through it, and many years of ups and downs of governments, the Queen was always there, welcoming new prime ministers, always smiling, always gracious and always wearing a hat and carrying a purse!

However, we must never forget this period of history, of the brutality of the British empire, the treatment of many on the African continent; ramped racism; the brutal treatment of India; and the exploitation of the colonies by the British. I saw first-hand the exploitation and brutality inflicted on the black population in Rhodesia. While the Queen was obviously not responsible for these atrocities, she was representative of the British Commonwealth.

It is important to celebrate the passing of a great woman and Queen but also understand the history she reigned over.

Scilla Wahrhaftig

Wilmington