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The queen has gone
The visit of Queen Elizabeth II to Jakarta in March 1974 testifies to the joint commitment to long-lasting cooperation and a good relationship between the two countries.
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Tribute to Queen Elizabeth II: People lay flowers by the gates of Buckingham Palace in central London after it was announced that Queen Elizabeth II had died, in central London on Thursday. Public figures around the world have paid their respects to the late queen on social media. (AFP/Daniel Leal)
T
he world is joining the United Kingdom in mourning the death of Queen Elizabeth II, whose 70-year reign bore witness to how democracy works within a monarchy – a legacy that her successor King Charles III and those next in line for the throne will preserve for many years to come.
Buckingham Palace said the queen died peacefully at her beloved retreat Balmoral Castle in Scotland at the age of 96 on Thursday. In the coming few days, the palace is expected to announce the official plans for her funeral at Westminster Abbey.
The queen’s last official duty came only on Tuesday, when she appointed Liz Truss as prime minister, replacing Boris Johnson – the 15th and 14th prime ministers of her reign, respectively. Palace officials said the queen had been suffering from "episodic mobility problems" since the end of last year, forcing her to withdraw from nearly all her public engagements, Reuters reported.
The queen is known to many Indonesian people from all walks of life and all ages. President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo acknowledged Elizabeth II as “a widely admired and beloved queen” when he conveyed his condolences via his Twitter account.
Her memorable visit to Indonesia, and her only one, came in 1974, during which she and her husband Prince Philip received a red-carpet welcome from then president Soeharto and then Jakarta governor Ali Sadikin. The Indonesian visit also took the royal couple to Yogyakarta, where they met the sultan, Hamengku Buwono IX.
Indonesia’s ties with the British empire dated back to early in the 19th century, when the United Kingdom took over the then Dutch colony, albeit only briefly. In the post-independence era at least twice the UK and Indonesia have been embroiled in confrontation, with the queen witnessing the British Commonwealth forces fighting Sukarno’s claim over the northern part of Borneo in 1963-1966.
But the history of hostility has been deeply buried as the two nations built their ties anew at a time when Indonesia was focusing on its economic development. The visit of Queen Elizabeth II to Jakarta in March 1974 and Soeharto’s reciprocal visit to London eight months later were testament to the joint commitment to long-lasting cooperation and a good relationship between the two countries.
The queen also received the visit of Indonesia’s third president BJ Habibie and sixth president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
During her reign, the queen had seen the gradual shrinking of the British Empire and the independence of former colonies. Many may deem the queen as a symbol of British imperialism, although many others saw her as a safeguard of parliamentary democracy and liberties.
The Guardian’s investigation last year, however, found evidence suggesting that the queen used an arcane procedure to lobby the government to change a draft law in order to conceal her private wealth from the public for decades, casting doubt over the principle of constitutional monarchy.
As our thoughts and prayers are with the people of the UK, let’s recall the queen’s contribution to world peace and well-being. With her lasting impact and all the great deeds she did throughout her life and reign, we can hope God saved the queen.
