HK artist Law Kar Ying apologises for mourning post on Queen's passing

Local artist and opera singer Law Kar Ying has apologised for his remarks on mourning following the passing of Queen Elizabeth II. This comes as Law posted a selfie on Instagram while he was queuing to pay tribute, and sign a condolence book for the late monarch who recently passed. 

The post read, “When she ascended the throne, I was seven years old. For the past seventy years, the Queen has been my elderly and watching me grow old. Hong Kong was a blessed land during her reign. How many more elderly people are there? This bouquet of flowers, my sincere condolences, will last forever.”

However, the post has triggered backlash as some netizens argued that it was unacceptable to say Hong Kong's prosperity developed under the blessing of the Queen, a check by MARKETING-INTERACTIVE saw. The post is now deleted on Law’s Instagram.

Since then, Law also uploaded a video on Weibo on 15 September where he bowed to apologise for mourning the Queen with inconsiderate remarks. “My original intention was to express condolences for a late elderly woman and I would like to appeal to everyone not to overly interpret what I said,” the 75-year-old said in the video.

“I can’t possibly forget my origin and ancestry. That I have been keeping a Chinese passport says it all, I am Chinese and I love my motherland forever. I am sorry,” Law added.

Britain’s longest-serving monarch Queen Elizabeth II passed last Thursday and her passing was announced by Buckingham Palace at 6:30pm London time which saw advertisers in the UK hitting the brakes to their campaigns.  According to media reports, normal television programming will be halted in the UK and news readers have been asked to wear black as a symbol of mourning. British commercial radio stations have also been asked to play on non-offensive music from a pre-selected playlist.

Meanwhile, in Hong Kong, crowds were seen queuing to pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at the British consulate, with some expressing nostalgia for the city’s colonial past at a time when China is seeking to purge dissent, according to HKFP. 

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