The Queen is Dead -- Long Live the Queen

So you’re saying there’s a chance?

 

That's what I get for trying to remember instead of looking it up

 

A couple disconnected thoughts on events in no particular order:

1. I assume they probably clued her in that it was almost time, but imagine being Liz Truss, who has been Prime Minister for less than 72 hours, and the Queen up and dies. I mean, I don't feel bad for her, because I think by all indications she's a dolt and a fairly cruel one at that (she basically looks and sounds like a pre-Trump Republican, the kind of person who complains that poor people don't pay their fair share in taxes). However, that's an all-timer for "welcome to the NFL" moments.
1A. The Richard Nixon parody account on Twitter made a good point that it appears Her Majesty did everything she could to hold on until Boris Johnson would no longer be eulogizing her.
2. I do think, given her interest in nature and well-known affinity for the place, that it seems quaint and nice that she went at Balmoral as opposed to in England.
3. We should probably start chronicling some of the fawningly bad takes, both from English and American journalists. I've already heard a few.
4. This might be one: Several very online people (and also Irish) will have lots of opinions regarding Elizabeth's death and the oppression of both the British Empire and of monarchy at large, and I'd say they are relatively valid, but in terms of history, I think there is a significant loss to an institution, not of the British monarchy, but of Elizabeth II as the British monarch. There's no way Charles will be long enough for the job that he'll be portrayed as the Queen was either in "The Queen" or "The Crown" or, for that matter, "The Naked Gun." It will be as if Britain just suddenly started chilling their beer or driving on the right side of the road or if the BBC had just ceased to exist. Elizabeth II exists as this sort of metronome of the post-war West. As Nancy Armour tweeted, "God Save the King" will probably never not seem weird. Hell, I'm still getting used to the Astros in the American League.
5. I don't know her exact plans, but I was in England three weeks ago (and came home with a nasty sunburn and staph infection in my leg). I did many of the London landmarks on Monday the 15th. It seems entirely possible, if not likely, that I saw Buckingham Palace more recently than the Queen.

 

That's a *lot* of assassinations.

 

Willie Ames could sure use the work.

 

After reading the article about "London Bridge Is Down", it is interesting to see the precision of the planning being executed. The web site going to a black home page, the BBC special report, the notes being placed on the gates have been accomplished according to schedule.

 

Someone upthread speculated on how Trump would behave if Liz had assumed room temperature on his watch. Never mind the funeral, the nonstop coverage of something other than him might have been enough for him to activate launch sequence.

 

My fascination stems from my family’s roots in Scotland and England. Plus, I’m a sucker for pomp and circumstance. And, deep down, I’m an institutionalist. That’s what she was - an institution wrapped in a ton of formality and pomp.

 

As with anyone her age, I always feel a sense of wonder of the world changes she saw during her lifetime. Thought about that a lot with my grandfather, who was born in 1917 and died in 2015 at 97. And thankfully was mentally sharp and pretty healthy right until end.

I know there are tons of feelings from all viewpoints about the monarchy and QEII. But just from a history standpoint to live that long life in the role she had is incredible.

 

England and America shared common cultural, legal and religious roots. Even though the United States separated from England, we retained the English Common Law and expanded on the democratic principles that were found in Parliament but without a monarchy. Sharing a language made following the Royals easier than following the Japanese Royal Family or the Dutch