Monarchy, social media, and what it means to be human

Reflections on the death of Queen Elizabeth II and the limits of binary thinking

When news of Queen Elizabeth’s death hit the headlines, I watched as two different threads of lamentation filled my Instagram feed.

The first thread was filled with gracious reflections on the magnitude of her impact, as well as condolences being extended to the British Royal family. Tributes abounded as people lamented her death while celebrating her le…