Royal family

The royal family aren’t meant to be like us mortals – that’s their power and their problem

Holiday parks will close and hospital operations cease without anyone even needing to ask. This is what having a monarchy…

For those of us who are neither monarchists nor republicans, this is the strangest time

We’re happy to watch the funeral and raise a glass to His Majesty, but mostly we want a return to…

Keir Starmer’s response to the Queen’s death shows he can speak for modern Britain

Starmer has doubled down on Labour’s support for the monarchy but this does not mean the status quo will prevail

The remarkable reconciliation between the royal family and Sinn Féin

In dark times, the warmth between Irish republicans and the monarchy is an inspiring reminder of progress.

The history of the royals is tangled and bloody. But so is that of the nation they rule

The monarchy bears the fractures of the Union’s past, and underpins its present.

Leader: The Queen held together a restive kingdom

She was intertwined with modern Britain and its self-identity. Her loss, at a time of national crisis, is disorienting.

How the Queen changed Britain

Elizabeth II’s legacy and example will endure. But the certainty she provided has gone.

King Charles is popular – but for how long?

Republicans hoped this was their biggest opportunity to make their case in decades.

The Queen’s death has become an opportunity to bash Meghan

She’s condemned both for not turning up to royal events, and for daring to appear in public.

Portraits of a Queen

From regal paintings to punk collages, images of Elizabeth II have alternately humanised and glorified her.

21 December 1979: Christopher Hitchens on Prince Charles and the development of the commercial monarchy.

What happens now the Queen has died?

The UK will enter ten days of national mourning and parliament will sit on Friday and Saturday for MPs’ tributes.

Why unionism needs the monarchy

The Crown and the military are still the most important symbols of Britishness.

Queen Elizabeth made us feel less embarrassed about Britishness and empire

Without the Queen, we are scrambling to find a national identity we can be proud of.

“Elizabeth the Great”: MPs pay tribute to the Queen

Liz Truss, Keir Starmer, Boris Johnson and Theresa May led parliament in memorial.

The Queen made us a gentler and kinder country

Having a motherly figure as the representative of state power has been overwhelmingly positive.

The Queen’s death leaves a nation unsure of its place in the world

This is the second act of a national realignment that began with the UK’s departure from the EU.

The death of the Queen marks the final break with imperial Britain

Her reign was a link to a country still in the twilight of empire.

Queen Elizabeth II has died

The longest-serving British monarch had reigned since 1952.

From Diana to Meghan – why do the British problematise displays of emotion?

It’s not victimhood to express feelings – it’s good for your mental health.