Queen’s interest in UK imperialistic history, abiding

The British Queen is expected to resist any attempts to end the use of imperial titles, in a move which proves her excessive interest in the UK’s imperialistic history.

Reports claimed that Queen Elizabeth II wants to put off any change in the terminology of the country’s honours system, which would scrap the word “Empire” from awards such as Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) and Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE).

A campaign is underway to replace “Empire” with “Excellence” in the titles of the honours, because it is criticized for being a “jingoistic relic” of Britain’s colonial past.

However, a senior source told The Mail on Sunday that the British Queen believes honours should stay the same, and any future changes should be dealt after her reign when Prince Charles ascends the throne.

The source said, “I have been told that her view is’ “If it really must be changed, can you please wait until I am no longer Monarch?’”

Sharp divisions were opened up during a Commons inquiry into the British honours system in September last year.

During the enquiry, Labour MP Paul Flynn said that the order, which was created in 1917, was an outdated “relic” of the “jingoism of a country at war” and called for “Empire” to be replaced by the word “Excellence”.

But Conservatives threatened to veto a Westminster review of the honours system, insisting that there should be no change until at least 2017, the 100th anniversary of the creation of the Order of the British Empire.

An online petition has been also set up by the anti-racism campaigner Phemy Williams, calling for an end to the use of the term “Empire” in honours.

“For those of us and our Ancestors who were subjugated, colonized and enslaved under the reign of the British ‘Empire’, the awards are a gross insult! They rub salt into deep and long standing Psychological and emotional wounds – for which there have been no formal apology or reparations,” Williams said.

Britain, which is described today as “the old fox” has a long imperialistic history. The saying “The sun never sets on the British Empire” was used for the British Empire mainly in the 19th and early 20th centuries, meaning that the Empire spanned the globe. At any time of day or night, the sun was shining on some piece of ground controlled by Britain.