The death of Queen Elizabeth II has prompted public displays of grief around the world – from public gatherings at Buckingham Palace in London, and condolences from world leaders, to individuals reflecting on social media about what she meant to them.
Of course, the vast majority of people grieving or acknowledging the queen’s passing will have never met her in person.
So is this outpouring of grief of someone we don’t know any different to mourning someone we were close to?
There are some similarities and some stark differences. There’s also a tussle emerging over how the queen is remembered, which can potentially complicate the grieving process.
How is this grief similar?
Grieving someone is about reflecting on our lifetime connection and the attachment we had with them that no longer physically exists.
Even though the queen may not have been part of our immediate family, many of us have “grown up” with her.
During her 70-year reign, she’s been part of our lives – part of our grandparents’ lives, our parents’ lives and now ours. Think of these as cross-generational connections. We, collectively and across the generations, feel as if we “know” her.
