The Queen dies: Brits react to Narelda Jacobs’ call for apology for colonisation

Indigenous Australian newsreader Narelda Jacobs sparked a heated debate on social media after she called for the monarchy to apologise for its colonisation of First Nations people following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

Her request was met with support from some progressive Australians but also backlash from Britons who feel they do not owe Aboriginal people an apology for the actions of their ancestors more than 200 years ago.

‘No one is owed an apology; the world has moved on. We have learnt from history and that is why all nations are in a better place now,’ one Brit tweeted.

‘Invading and taking possession of other peoples’ lands is a fact of human history,’ another wrote on Twitter. 

Some Britons and Australians argued that complaining about colonialism is a ‘waste of time’ because the issue is no longer relevant to modern society. 

One tweeted: ‘”Colonialism” wouldn’t be in the top 1,000 issues facing Aboriginal people today. Bourgeois activists like Narelda do nothing but divert attention and resources away from the problems that really need solving.’

Others pointed out that Jacobs is of Irish and English descent on her mother’s side, making her ‘as much British as she is Indigenous’. 

Jacobs’ late father Cedric was an Indigenous man and a member of the Stolen Generations, while her mother Margaret, who is white, migrated to Australia from Northern Ireland with her family.

However, plenty of Australians congratulated Jacobs for sharing her perspective. 

‘Thank you, Narelda, for sharing your story. I hope there will be changes made,’ one supporter tweeted, as another added: ‘Great work, Narelda!’ 

Jacobs, a presenter on morning show Studio 10, expressed her resentment towards the monarchy on Monday and also said Aboriginal people shouldn’t be criticised for refusing to mourn the Queen’s death.

She described the British monarchy as a ‘symbol of colonisation’ and asked what had been done by the modern-day Royal Family to ‘make up for that’. 

‘There was a great wrong that was done,’ she said. ‘Australia was settled without the consent of First Nations people that were here.’

Jacobs also confessed how ‘frustrating’ it was for her to hear stories of how her late father Cedric, a reverend of the Uniting Church in Australia, had met the Queen and Prince Philip in the 1980s to receive an Order of the British Empire.

At the time, Cedric was also in the process of drafting a treaty between Indigenous Australians and the Commonwealth, but apparently this was not brought up during his meeting with the Queen. 

Jacobs questioned why the Queen didn’t ‘say anything’ about the proposed treaty despite knowing about ‘the trauma from colonisation’.

‘They knew full well that plans for a treaty were afoot, as there were treaties [with Indigenous people] in New Zealand and also in Canada. But what did they do? That’s the source of the frustration,’ she added.

Jacobs said there was ‘more’ the Queen and Prince Philip could have said to her father, who died in 2018, about the ‘intergenerational trauma’ felt by Aboriginal people as a result of British colonialism and racist government policy in Australia. 

Cedric was one of the tens of thousands of Indigenous children forcibly removed from their families from the late 1800s to 1969, in accordance with ‘protectionist’ policies, in what is known today as the Stolen Generations.

While she acknowledged ‘the monarchy is above politics’, Jacobs said she would have liked to have seen more recognition by the Royal Family of the effects of colonialism during the Queen’s 70 years on the throne.

Jacobs then demanded an ‘acknowledgement or apology’ from the monarchy. 

‘While the world has united in grief over the Queen’s passing, colonised people have also united over their trauma,’ she said. 

‘Because we know that in British museums are stolen artefacts. Stolen gems, diamonds. There are human remains that are sitting in British museums, even now. And there has been no acknowledgement of that, or apology for that.’

Jacobs asked viewers not to be ‘dismissive’ of those who refuse to celebrate the Queen’s reign or mourn her death, and instead ‘listen’ to them and keep an open mind. 

She went on to defend the AFLW, the women’s division of Australian Rules football, which received backlash for announcing it would not observe a minute’s silence to mark the death of the Queen during the remaining matches of its Indigenous Round.

‘Don’t attack them. Just go, “You must have really listened to be able to come up with that outcome,”‘ she said.

Hours before her appearance on Studio 10, Jacobs posted a photo on Instagram of herself wearing a T-shirt bearing the slogan: ‘Another Day in the Colony.’ 

She also reposted an Instagram Story from the left-wing women’s website Mamamia, which read: ‘I am an Aboriginal woman. Don’t ask me to mourn the Queen’s death.’

Queen Elizabeth was born 138 years after Australia was colonised by Britain in 1788.

She visited Australia 16 times during her 70-year reign. In 2002, she famously watched a cultural show at the Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park in Cairns.

Australia has joined much of the world in mourning Queen Elizabeth II, as her death prompts the first change in head of state in more than seven decades.

A statement from Buckingham Palace early on Friday (AEST) confirmed the 96-year-old’s death.

‘The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon,’ Buckingham Palace said. 

‘The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow.’

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese paid tribute to the Queen, who is succeeded by her son King Charles III in a move that is expected to renew Australia’s republican debate.

‘An historic reign and a long life devoted to duty, family, faith and service has come to an end,’ Mr Albanese said in a statement.

‘The government and the people of Australia offer our deepest condolences to the royal family, who are grieving for a beloved mother, grandmother and great-grandmother – the person whom for so long was their greatest inner strength.’

Mr Albanese said that ‘from her famous first trip to Australia, the only reigning sovereign to ever visit, it was clear Her Majesty held a special place in her heart for Australia.

‘Fifteen more tours before cheering crowds in every part of our country confirmed the special place she held in ours.’

He praised the Queen’s relationship with Australia and the rest of the world.

‘As monarch for more than half the life of our Federation, the relationship between Australia and Britain matured and evolved throughout Her Majesty’s reign,’ he said.

‘The Queen greeted each and every change with understanding, good grace and an abiding faith in the Australian people’s good judgment.

‘This was the deft and diplomatic way she bound the diversity of the modern Commonwealth, nations around the world who will mourn her passing.

‘This time of mourning will pass but the deep respect and warm regard in which Australians always held Her Majesty will never fade.’

Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor was queen of the UK and 14 Commonwealth realms including Australia, since her reign began in February 1952.

Governor-General David Hurley said Australians should take inspiration from the Queen’s contribution.

‘She was a truly remarkable person,’ he said in a statement.

‘When I reflect on my own memories – she was my Queen for my whole life – I think of Her Majesty’s dignity and her compassion. Her dedication and tireless work ethic. And her selflessness and unwavering commitment to the people that she served. To us.’

Federal opposition leader Peter Dutton was thankful for the Queen’s dedicated service.

‘Today, a comforting warmth has left the world. One of humanity’s brightest lights has gone out,’ he said.