Brazil** Bolsonaro recently announced that in order to mourn the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the whole country will mourn for three days and ordered the government to lower the flag at half-mast. The 96-year-old queen, the longest-reigning monarch in British history, drew global attention and mourning when she passed away at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on September 8. Both Western countries and Russia, which has contradictions with Britain, have paid tribute to her, and the UN Security Council has all stood up for a minute of silence before the meeting.
However, Bolsonaro's move has sparked some controversy, with some accusing him of "consuming" the Queen to serve his own political interests. Because Brazil and Britain did not have a particularly close relationship, Brazil was a Portuguese colony in the past and had no direct historical entanglements with Britain. Moreover, Brazil is a member of the BRICS and advocates opposing Western hegemony, while Britain is a loyal ally of the United States and often imposes sanctions and pressure on other countries, so Brazil and Britain are not harmonious and friendly. Even an old British friend like the United States only lowered the flag at half-mast and did not ask for national mourning.
Some believe that Bolsonaro is doing this because he faces a strong challenge from the former Lula, who had already surpassed Bolsonaro in early October. Bolsonaro wants to take the opportunity to present his conservative, traditional and pro-monarch stance to his constituents in the hope of winning more votes. However, this approach can backfire, making him appear insincere, even cold-blooded, and using the deaths of others for his own personal gain.
In fact, this is not the first time Bolsonaro has held national mourning for a foreign leader. In July, after the assassination of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo in Nara, Bolsonaro also declared three days of national mourning. However, the situation was different this time, because Brazil and Japan have deep roots, and there are many Japanese immigrants living in Brazil, who have contributed to the development of Brazil and are respected by Brazilians. Therefore, the national mourning at that time can be understood as a respect for the feelings of the Brazilian people and a manifestation of the friendship between Brazil and Japan.
However, the situation is different for the Queen of England, a symbol of the Commonwealth who once ruled many colonies, and some even called her the "Colonial Queen", hostile to her. Although Brazil has not been colonized by the British, it has also had the experience of being colonized, and it is impossible to have a sense of affection for the Queen of England, let alone treat her as "his own family". Therefore, Bolsonaro's three days of national mourning seem a bit excessive and anachronistic, which may cause dissatisfaction in other countries and make some people in Brazil feel uncomfortable.