Much of the critical commentary on Elizabeth II's legacy following her death has concerned actions of the British state in its colonies during her reign. An historically significant number of these territories gained their independence during this period despite significant efforts by the British state, which at times such as during the Mau Mau rebellion in Kenya have been criticised as oppressive if not criminal.
Defenders of this legacy point to the political neutrality expected of the monarchy and the limited ability of the Crown to exercise even powers it notionally possesses without destabilising the constitutional regime that keeps the monarchy in place.
Did Elizabeth make any historically important interventions during her reign that influenced these events politically or diplomatically? If not, or as well as these, are there interventions she declined to make that might have influenced the events some now associate with her legacy? And were there contemporaneous public calls for her to act one way or the other?
