The Queen is Dead -- Long Live the Queen

Heavy wears the head etc, but she wore it with grace and dignity like few others.

 

The only thing comparable in modern American history to the Queen's passing was the death of Franklin Roosevelt, who was president for 13 years, or 1/6 the time Elizabeth served as Queen. FDR was the only president millions of Americans ever knew and also served through the Great Depression and WWII, two of the top-4 or top-5 watershed moments in American history.

 

As others have said, the pomp was outstanding. Also, too, the massed pipes and drums were incredible. But that solo piper at the end got me in the feels.

 

Roosevelt's death was stunning and deservedly important, but a few people witnessed the ceremony, with the rest of the country hearing it on radio or on newsreels.

Kennedy's funeral is probably the closest we've ever come to a state funeral of the magnitude we saw today. One, you had the shock of him being assassinated just days earlier. Two, the ability to show the event live across the entire country for the first time. Three, the whole Camelot thing -- dying with a widow and two young children -- really made an emotional impact on an entire generation of Boomers.

 

Did Don swallow his tongue for a second and half, or was he flummoxed into silence?

 

If you missed the funeral, here is the entire BBC broadcast.

 

Except for the racism and pro-pedophilia part. Oh, and her treatment of Diana.

 

Is it really racism when you think yourself superior to everyone?

 

They took the Queen

For all the hype surrounding this, it was an important moment. The last European monarch of her stature - of any real global stature at all - and probably the medium-term start to a British republic.

 

The BBC does such a good job with this - and all other things. I hope to watch this in full in pieces (I saw that David Olusoga was one of the presenters in the beginning, and I love his stuff). I used to use Kodi a lot so I could watch BT and Sky sport channels, but in addition BBC2 and BBC4 programming was so interesting. I know we have BritBox and Acorn, but damn, do I wish I had the ability to watch live British TV without using Kodi (and thus opening me up to using Russian links or whatever).

 

Nine hours? [gulp] ... But if you missed the highlights, here are the highlights of the highlights ...