By Laura Vodanovich
Reflecting on the death of Rangatira Queen Elizabeth II and the national day of commemoration to mark this, it is undeniable that her death is a moment in history and the end of an era. It is also inevitable there will be a wide range of emotions about this. There are many who admired the Queen and will mourn her passing. There are also those for whom she is the representative of a system and regime of oppression.
I asked the team at MTG Hawke's Bay to organise a small display of objects relating to the Queen to be up in time for the day of commemoration. What I hadn't thought about or anticipated was being faced with a vinyl to go on the exterior window with the Queen's face surrounded by feathers - a design copied from one of the items in the display.
It is one thing to commemorate the Queen's death and another to glorify it. So what was the right thing to do? I am fully aware of how many people feel a real sense of loss at her death. My mother is one of them – she grew up with the Queen and has always liked her. This despite being Scottish and having a, somewhat natural, aversion to the British Empire.
The Queen is someone deemed to represent dignity and duty, someone who has spent her lifetime trying to do the "right thing" by royal standards. She is admired by many around the world for her decorum and restraint.