End of an era
Even with a global outpouring of condolences and tributes paid to the duty and stewardship of the late Queen, reverence for the monarchy, and what it represents to the British people, is not uniform. In May 2022, a poll by British Future found that while 85% of Britons expect to have a monarchy in a decade’s time, only 45% of Scots wanted to maintain the monarchy and only 40% of 18- to 24-year-olds supported keeping the institution. Such attitudes reflect the fact that Britons are less likely than ever to be united by singular figureheads or symbols. Analysing the Union Jack, Michael Skey, a senior lecturer in media and communications at Loughborough University, explains: “Where people who have been brought up to be critical of Britain see in the Union Jack a symbol of shame, those that have Union Jack interior decorations may have it there because the design feels familiar. It reflects who they are, their idea of home,” explains Skey.
In a post-Brexit era, British identity is malleable both at home and abroad. Uncertainty has turned many back to the past. We see this through the celebration of caff culture and Grandmillenialism, as well as the rise of populism. With 56% of Britons feeling the energy bill passed by Liz Truss doesn’t go far enough, the chances of the future revealing a new, unified outlook seem slim. Support, community, and resilience remain fundamental to how people think about British identity. With the UK experiencing a period of mourning that represents the grief of now, but also offers an outlet for the pandemic years, new figureheads will be challenged to encapsulate and lead on these values in a way that feels relevant to the times we’re in.
