RIP QEII

A makeshift shrine at the Hospice Shop yesterday on the occasion of the death of Elizabeth II, Queen of New Zealand.

Her passing has unsurprisingly spurred a lot of discussion about the Crown and what it means. For most less-oppressed New Zealanders, the monarchy seems to be more of a curiosity than anything else. For those who have suffered more directly and more recently from the effects of British Empire-building, it’s a more complicated discussion. But as a public figure, Elizabeth seems to have created an extraordinary amount of personal goodwill… it seems she’ll be missed and remembered fondly by most and for a very long time.