I am still processing the news of her death. I am not a royalist, I don’t believe in what they represent even if the Queen did try and change things (a little). From what I can tell, she seemed a likeable woman, not heavily burdened (a little unaware?) with her position, quick to laugh and comfort, and knew what she stood for.

As with most people though, whilst there is a lot to applaud there is also a lot to ruminate over and question.

Many words will be written, many speeches given both for and against what she was and what she stood for. Pride in service versus colonialism would seem to be the simplest way to boil it down into its salient points. If only it were actually that simple.

But of course this was a life and it was complex, messy, good and bad. For every person who mourns her passing, who feels the nation has lost a vital calming figurehead, there are others who either don’t care, or vehemently oppose everything she stood for.

Me? I veer between the latter two positions. I am sad that Elizabeth Windsor died, she was a mother and grandmother, but I am not sad that the Queen died, as the establishment no longer seems equipped to serve the people – not that it was ever built to – nor does it have a place in what I believe a modern society should look like (hint: the rich getting richer is not how I believe human beings should act).

All of that said for my entire life there has been a Queen, so if I’m being truly honest I think my main concern will be remembering that we now have a King on the throne.