Dear Editor,

It’s about colonialism, neo-colonialism, ill-gotten opulence, and lack of atonement for their familial malfeasance. The mascot for these pretentious oligarchs has checked out without paying the bill for the fleecing of captured countries.

Elizabeth Alexander Mary Windsor lived an extremely privileged life. During its period of conquest, Britain invaded nearly 90 per cent of the world’s countries, including Jamaica, which put millions in its coffers. A few years ago the British monarch, as a brand, had a valuation of US$88 billion. The very crown she moseyed around in is estimated at US$2 million, while the royal sceptre, bearing the “The Great Star of Africa”, a 530 carat diamond, is worth over US$400 million — said to be stolen from Africa, they claimed it was a gift to Edward VII, grandfather of Queen Elizabeth II.

Everyone knows that the British monarch, which Elizabeth II headed for 70 years, built most of their fortune on the backs of our black ancestors. Our people died under the oppressive hands of white masters whose blood ran through Elizabeth’s veins.

You may say she wasn’t born then, so why blame her? It would be somewhat unfair to blame her, but she had the power to acknowledge, apologise, and repair, but did she?

Growing up in Jamaica as children of slaves we were conditioned to love and honour The Queen, bestowing God’s endless blessings upon her and following along with blind credulity as we elevated her into the pantheon of demigods.

If you love your queen, go ahead and mourn; mourning is in our bloodline anyway. Our ancestors did a lot of it when they were being whipped, raped, and tortured by Queen Elizabeth’s ancestors.

History gives us insight into the past and perspective for the present and future. It is the middle eye that is watching us and the thunderous voice calling out to us, saying, “Do not forget.”

Now her offspring has descended upon the bejewelled chair, the throne of Pergamum. And the beat goes on… la de da de de, la de da de da… the beat goes on.

It’s a new day, time to wake up.

Maurice Haughton

haughton727@ymail.com