As far as ‘convenient graphics’ go, that one isn’t. What a convoluted mess!
Sure. I guess my musing was more “should” than “will.” If this huge state funeral is followed by stories of pensioners freezing in their homes in December, it’s at the least a bad look.
Lots of dignitaries and media will be traveling to London for the funeral. To a certain extent, it’s going to be good for the economy.
The timing of that was incredibly lucky.
I would not be at all surprised if Liz Truss has thought to herself over the last few hours, “This is not what I signed up for.”
I just can’t imagine the clown prince that is Boris Johnson’s persona being appropriate at this time.
I’m open to the possibility that, depending on the cause of death, some of us can live minutes, and maybe hours, longer by sheer act of will, but days seems unlikley.
However, I suspect she had enough emotional by-in to the non-political stance of the job of constitutional monarch that anti-Boris feelings would not have predominated. I suppose that she did want to go through the formalities with Liz Truss on Tuesday, even if it was difficult, because that was her role, not because she dislikes Johnson.
If conscious, she may have made an effort to hang on for the arrival of family members. Or it could just be a myth that you can will yourself more time.
Well, he’s already famous for his mistress…
Did I miss something, or has Princess Anne not shown up? Except for Sophie Wessex, all the family members I’ve seen today are men.
What I’m finding is that Anne was already there.
D’oh! Okay, thank you.
God Save the King.
Obviously, this thread is growing quickly. Has a cause of death been announced? It seemed rather sudden.
Vladimir Putin issued a statement of condolence, “The most important events in the recent history of the United Kingdom are inextricably linked with the name of Her Majesty. For many decades, Elizabeth II rightfully enjoyed the love and respect of her subjects, as well as authority on the world stage.”
He may not attend the funeral, but I expect Russia will be represented.
No, it hasn’t. It is possible we won’t know.
For something this quick, something went wrong really quickly. She looked fairly good in the pictures with the new pm. I’m figuring on a fall, stroke, thrown blood clot, that sort of thing. They do keep the health of the royal family fairly tight lipped.
I asked my mother, who is the only member of the extended family with any experience of a change in Monarch, what should the family do at this time.
Mum’s pragmatic response (befitting her status as an Australian republican):
“Say God save the King”
I must admit I never gave Her Majesty much thought, in my lifetime she’s just always sort of “been there”
Today, though, when I heard her 1940 Children’s Hour speech and then her 1953 Coronation Day Speech I thought to myself how lucky the British were to to have such a person as a leader all these many years.
As an American, I found the speech she gave at the beginning of the covid lockdowns in 2020 to be reassuring and inspiring to a much greater degree than anything that was coming from our government at the time.
It has been said that William IV toughed it out until Victoria became eighteen, so her mother, whom he despised, would not have a chance to exercise power as regent.
My last name is important in the history of Great Britain and as one whose ancestry is about 80% British, I am saddened. As requested by the president, I lowered my flag to half staff. Thank you for a life well lived Your Majesty.
I can’t put my flag at half-mast, because it’s one of those poles that stick out at an angle from the house, but tomorrow I’m off in quest of black ribbon to attach to it.