The Queen is dead. Long live the King.

The death of Queen Elizabeth II 20 days ago seems to have slipped into history. The period of royal mourning ended just yesterday. It looks as though the only lasting impact from this period is the continued memes and media speculation over the careers of Holly and Phil. But the Queen's passing has created a long overdue opportunity to properly wrestle with the history of the British monarchy. The provenance of wealth, privilege, royal palaces and buildings, the jewellery and artefacts of state. Most important of all, perhaps, an opportunity to reshape the stories of Britain and the values of Britishness.

The story of Britain was captured in theatre by Danny Boyle and his team for the London 2012 Olympic opening ceremony. A green and pleasant land. Isambard Kingdom Brunel orchestrating an industrial revolution that changed the world, defeated Hitler and gave us the NHS and the Beatles. The Isle of Wonder.

The trouble is that story of  Britain skips over some really, very important bits. An industrial revolution driven by imperial wealth, using resources and raw materials taken at gunpoint, opening global trade routes and creating the slave trade. How can we tackle racism, diversity and inclusion without reconciling this past?

Monarchy, which for most of us only means Queen Elizabeth II, embodies those imperial legacies. An institution that still 'rules over us and played an active role in suffering, death, and economic and social devastation.

Some would say the second Elizabethan Age was defined by stoicism. The stiff upper lip, being grateful for what one has, not asking questions, and certainly not indulging emotions. At its root, stoicism is the idea that happiness comes from realising one doesn't have control over all or much of what happens in life. The risk, however, is appearing (or being) complacent in the face of social injustice, becoming passive towards the fate of others, and even victim-blaming by implication.

None of us is to blame for the actions of the East India Company or the thousands of British families who grew rich in the slave trade. But the story of Britain and of our monarchy that we pass on to the next generations is something we do control.

We have seen these last 20 days the conflict and controversy that comes with questioning the dewey-eyed version of British history. Perhaps the nation's collective nerve was too sensitive to take the hit in the immediate aftermath of the Queen's death. Difficult times are defined by unavoidable truths. The Queen has died; she is dead. A second inescapable truth, laid bare by the Queen's death, is of a society unwilling to own the facts of its past. One only prepared to accept an Isle of Wonder, a land for everyone, a new Jerusalem. That might be a stiff upper lip, but it isn't stoic.

“Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one.” —Marcus Aurelius

Stoicism is going through a renaissance with entrepreneurs, athletes, and politicians. The ancient stoics delivered convincing answers to worry, stress, fear, and big questions like “What do I want out of life?”. Highly relevant questions in the 21st century. And one can see the value to an athlete of not wasting energy worrying about things they cannot control before a big game. Or to a patient going through cognitive behavioural therapy - understanding that our thoughts define our feelings and our behaviours.

But, stoicism is primarily concerned with virtue. Stoic’s believed that as long as they think and behave virtuously (with wisdom, courage, justice and temperance), they need not concern themselves with the impact of external events that lay outside of their control. To the ancient Greek and Roman philosophers, this meant seeing the world clearly…but also seeing what the world can be, and living the virtues of stoicism to help bring that possibility into reality.

Our head of state is the chief public representative of our laws, culture, values, and heritage. The opportunity for our new King, Charles III is to be a true stoic, lead by example and create space for an inclusive dialogue that reconciles Britain’s past. That is certainly within his control.

A story of what Britain really is and what it can be.