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University newspaper announces Queen's death with photoshopped image inside morgue, slammed for VILE coverage

The newspaper published the gruesome image on the front page with the headline ‘Queen Dead, Charles Next’

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA: A university newspaper is facing backlash for its vulgar photoshopped images and disgraceful coverage of Queen Elizabeth’s death. The longest reigning monarch died peacefully on September 8 at her Balmoral residence.

The weekly newspaper published by the University of Sydney displayed an offensive photoshopped image of what appeared to be the late Queen Elizabeth II laying in a morgue and the newly crowned King Charles trying to identify her body.

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Honi Soit, the newspaper, published the gruesome image on the front page with the headline ‘Queen Dead, Charles Next’. In an article accompanying the image, the publication described the death of Her Majesty as "slow, gruesome, lonely and painful" while speaking about how the Queen’s reign was built on a long dark history of colonialism.

The article reads, “Elizabeth II sat on a throne that was deeply, inextricably implicated in the exportation of cruelty, exploitation, and dehumanization that formed the British Empire. Her vast wealth is the spoils of colonization.” It adds, “Why is it that we hold this woman, whose wealth and whiteness existed on an almost metaphysical scale, in such high regard, and not that of those who suffered under her reign?”

While many internet users validated the points raised by the publication, some criticized the newspaper for not respecting the late monarch. Liberal Democrat candidate for Wentworth Daniel Lewkovit wrote, “Sydney University rag Honi Soit has disgraced itself with a vulgar cartoon of the Queen and her Son standing over the body in a morgue. Vile.”

Another user wrote, "I agree, it is disgraceful and offensive, but my stance on this remains. Honi Soit should be free to publish this article despite how offensive or disgraceful it is providing that it causes no harm.”

Not just the image or article but the student publication shared a slew of tweets to criticize the Queen just an hour after the news of the Queen’s death broke out. In a now-deleted tweet, they posted a photo of the scene of Princess Diana's fatal car crash with the caption: "That's 1-1 folks #diana strikes back", as reported by Sky News.

The University of Sydney Conservative Club president Cooper Gannon described the image and Honi Soit's handling of the news as "disgraceful". "We don't believe in double standards and this is very clearly the left weaponizing what would be a somber occasion for their own political damage.If we were to publish an article replicating a photoshopped image, no doubt we would face enormous backlash because it's a lack of basic standard for human dignity. At the end of the day it's not appropriate less than a week after her death," Gannon told Sky News.

Defending the publication, the editors of the newspaper said, "We hoped to remind readers that Elizabeth II sat on a throne that was deeply, inextricably implicated in the exportation of cruelty." They added that they were yet to receive backlash on campus as most of their peers have responded to the article positively.

Honi Soit, established in 1929, is produced by a team of student editors and published weekly by the Student Representative Council.