# Death of the Queen/President **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 24, 2015, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-of-the-queen-president/728747 "2015-08-24T18:13:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2015, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-of-the-queen-president/728747/41 "2015-08-25T02:52:03Z")
> [@Kenm](#): > > But the Queen Mother lived for more than a century, so I wouldn’t place any bets on the length of the second Elizabethan Age. I was wondering about that. Are people in the future going to refer to an “Elizabethan era” or the “second Elizabethan era”? Or are we past that sort of thing? ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2015, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-of-the-queen-president/728747/42 "2015-08-25T03:00:46Z")
> [@Baker](#): > > The majority of British citizens will remember no other monarch. Not just the British. She’s the only monarch i’ve ever known here in Canada. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2015, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-of-the-queen-president/728747/43 "2015-08-25T05:01:18Z")
If anyones wondering,[this is what happened when George VI died](http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/february/6/newsid_2711000/2711265.stm) > [@](#): > > As the news of the King’s death spread, all cinemas and theatres closed, and BB **C programmes were cancelled except for news bulletins. Flags in every town were at half-mast, and sports fixtures were cancelled**. I somehow doubt the same would happen now. [QUOTE=Lord Feldon] They probably don’t know, since George VI died in his sleep when nobody else was around. [/QUOTE] Its considered bad form for a king to sleep with his wife.:dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2015, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-of-the-queen-president/728747/44 "2015-08-25T05:48:04Z")
Ronald Reagan, who was long-time a past president when he died in 2004, had a scrumptious not to mention splendiferous funeral that lasted a full week, in a venue that literally went from coast-to-coast. When Hirohito died in 1989, American newspapers were full of retrospective articles about his life-and-times, most of them painting him as a not-so-bad guy after all. When Richard Nixon died in 1974, [he got an _unrestrained_ op-ed obituary from Hunter S. Thompson](http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1994/07/he-was-a-crook/308699/), who was never bashful of speaking ill of the dead. ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2015, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-of-the-queen-president/728747/45 "2015-08-25T06:51:20Z")
> [@chizzuk](#): > > It’s really quite remarkable how long Charles has been waiting. Charles has been Duke of Cornwall (oldest son of the reigning monarch) longer than any one else – 63 years so far. The closest were King Edward VII (60 years) and King George IV (58 years), who wee both Duke of Cornwall at birth. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2015, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-of-the-queen-president/728747/46 "2015-08-25T07:42:02Z")
> [@UDS](#): > > Hardly. The existing currency will continue to circulate. As it’s replaced in the normal course, the replacement currency will have a new design. But the costs of issuing the new currency would have been borne anyway; the only additional cost will be introducing the new design. It’s not a big deal. Yes, I was thinking that myself. You said it much better than I could have. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2015, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-of-the-queen-president/728747/47 "2015-08-25T07:50:51Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > When Richard Nixon died in 1974, [he got an _unrestrained_ op-ed obituary from Hunter S. Thompson](http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1994/07/he-was-a-crook/308699/), who was never bashful of speaking ill of the dead. I thought HST was pretty kind to the Trickster in that obit. Well, kind for HST, that is. ---
**Author:** ![JoseB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/joseb/32/1530_2.png) [@JoseB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoseB)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2015, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-of-the-queen-president/728747/48 "2015-08-25T08:09:34Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > \<…\>When Richard Nixon died in _ **1974** _\<…\> (Emphasis mine) Oh, if only… 😛 😉 ---
**Author:** ![The\_Angry\_Badger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b38774/32.png) [@The\_Angry\_Badger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Angry_Badger)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2015, 8:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-of-the-queen-president/728747/49 "2015-08-25T08:50:02Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > If anyones wondering,[this is what happened when George VI died](http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/february/6/newsid_2711000/2711265.stm) > > > [@](#): > > > > As the news of the King’s death spread, all cinemas and theatres closed, and BB **C programmes were cancelled except for news bulletins. Flags in every town were at half-mast, and sports fixtures were cancelled.** > > I somehow doubt the same would happen now. You don’t think so? I’m pretty sure it would. The flags thing would definitely happen, certainly in town halls and other official buildings. Probably a lot of private businesses, too. The BBC would certainly drop their programming, at least on BBC1 (BBC2 didn’t exist when George died; I expect they’d have their schedule shuffled to take on a lot of the BBC1 stuff), and probably the main commercial channels too. I don’t know about the sports fixtures, but there would at least be a moment of silence or a dedication beforehand. I doubt many cinemas (or in fact, other businesses) would close, though, at least for any length of time. Business is business, after all. ---
**Author:** ![Malden\_Capell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malden_capell/32/5274_2.png) [@Malden\_Capell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malden_Capell)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2015, 9:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-of-the-queen-president/728747/50 "2015-08-25T09:35:19Z")
On a constitutional basis, the death of the Queen is known as the Demise of the Crown. Once the Queen’s heart stops, Charles is instantly King - it doesn’t wait for coronation. The Sovereign never dies. However as soon as possible the Accession Council (which would be the members of Elizabeth’s Privy Council, members of the House of Lords, the Lord Mayor of the City of London, the Aldermen of the City of London and the High Commissioners of some Commonwealth countries) gathers in St. James’ Palace to make a formal proclamation announcing the new King to the realm, and to hear the King take the Oath: The Council commands the Proclamation be read in London, Edinburgh, Windsor and York. Here’s a video of the [Queen’s Proclamation in 1952](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcIeEUPxsa4), but the herald mumbles it pretty awfully, so here’s the text: > [@](#): > > Whereas it has pleased Almighty God to call to His Mercy our late Sovereign Lord Elizabeth the Second of Blessed and Glorious memory, by whose Decease the Crown is solely and rightfully come to the High and Mighty Prince Charles Philip Arthur George: > WE, therefore, the Lords Spiritual and Temporal of this Realm, being here assisted with these Her late Majesty’s Privy Council, with representatives of other Members of the Commonwealth, with other Principal Gentlemen of Quality, with the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Citizens of London, do now hereby with one voice and Consent of Tongue and Heart publish and proclaim that the High and Mighty Prince Charles Philip Arthur George is now, by the death of our late Sovereign of happy memory, become King Charles the Third\*, by the Grace of God King of this Realm and of all His other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith, to whom His lieges do acknowledge all Faith and constant Obedience with hearty and humble Affection, beseeching God by whom Kings and Queens do reign, to bless the Royal Prince Charles the Third with long and happy Years to reign over us. The new King’s first act must be to swear an oath to uphold the Church of Scotland: > [@](#): > > And further His Majesty with Advice aforesaid expressly declares and statutes that none of the Subjects of this Kingdom [Scotland] shall be liable to but all and every one of them for ever free of any Oath Test or Subscription within this Kingdom contrary to or inconsistent with the foresaid true Protestant Religion and Presbyterian Church Government Worship and Discipline as above established and that the same within the Bounds of this Church and Kingdom shall never be imposed upon or required of them in any sort And lastly that after the decease of His present Majesty (whom God long preserve) the Soveraign succeeding to Him in the Royal Government of the Kingdom of Great Britain shall in all time coming at His or Her Accession to the Crown swear and subscribe that they shall inviolably maintain and preserve the foresaid Settlement of the true Protestant Religion with the Government Worship Discipline right and Privileges of this Church as above established by the Laws of this Kingdom in Prosecution of the Claim of Right. He must also swear to uphold the established Church of England, but that’s done publicly at the first State Opening of Parliament of His reign, and it’s considerably snappier, too: > [@](#): > > I, Charles, do solemnly and sincerely in the presence of God, profess, testify and declare that I am a faithful Protestant, and that I will, according to the true intent of the enactments to secure the Protestant Succession to the Throne of my realm, uphold and maintain such enactments to the best of my power. Also, if the Queen dies in the middle of a General Election, then by law the date of the election is pushed back a further fourteen days. At the first meeting of Parliament under a new monarch there is no speech from the Throne written by the Government. All Members of the Commons and the Lords take an oath of allegiance to the new King. The Houses vote separate Addresses to the Crown in response to the official notification of the Queen’s demise, expressing condolences upon the death of Elizabeth and loyalty to the new King. \*Yes, yes, I know about the rumours of Charles calling himself something else, like George the Seventh…but nothing has been affirmed by Clarence House, and until the day it all happens, we shall never know. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2015, 9:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-of-the-queen-president/728747/51 "2015-08-25T09:45:26Z")
In the short term (up until the state funeral), there will be a lot, the official ceremony of proclamation, lying-in-state in Westminster Hall, flags on public buildings at half mast (and I’d imagine tabloid open season on anyone else who doesn’t), and so on. But I imagine radio and TV programming will continue more or less as normal, but with some modification (repeats of almost all the documentary histories that have already been shown, and “how life has changed” and all that) and steering clear of any re-runs of The Naked Gun, or more seriously those plays and movies that have sought to portray her in real life. With so many digital and internet channels available, I can’t see anyone going out of their way to tone down entertainment programmes, or anything of that sort. In court circles and some aspects of public life, the period of “official mourning” will have some minor effects (on official receptions, state visits and the like), but I doubt if you would get many ordinary people wearing some sort of mourning indicator (black armbands or ties, for example) as certainly quite a few people did for George VI. I suppose it’s an open question on how soon Charles’s apparent plans to speak out more will get on people’s nerves, and on whether republicans in the other realms, like Australia and Canada, may raise the issue again, particularly if people in London mishandle the transition by taking them for granted rather than going through the motions of consulting their governments about how they want to handle things. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2015, 9:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-of-the-queen-president/728747/52 "2015-08-25T09:47:48Z")
At least it doesn’t _cause_ a general election like it did until the law was changed in 1867. ---
**Author:** ![Malden\_Capell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malden_capell/32/5274_2.png) [@Malden\_Capell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malden_Capell)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2015, 9:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-of-the-queen-president/728747/53 "2015-08-25T09:56:13Z")
I may be mistaken but I understood that on a Demise of the Crown flags are _not_ on half mast because the Sovereign cannot die? ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2015, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-of-the-queen-president/728747/54 "2015-08-25T17:27:26Z")
You may be right, but after the Diana hooha, I suspect that will quietly be forgotten. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2015, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-of-the-queen-president/728747/55 "2015-08-25T17:32:36Z")
Ah, just checked: Wikipedia claims the royal standard is never flown at half-mast (because there is always a sovereign), but the Union Flag is “From the announcement of the death up to the funeral of the Sovereign, except on Proclamation Day when flags are hoisted to full-mast, from 11am until sunset”. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2015, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-of-the-queen-president/728747/56 "2015-08-25T17:47:57Z")
> [@Grotonian](#): > > Also, I was surprised to read that the U.S. House and Senate voted to adjourn “out of regard for the king.” I think that’s understandable. WWII had just ended 6 years earlier, and King George had been a steady image of determination for the entire war, a symbol not just for Britain but for all the Allies. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2015, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-of-the-queen-president/728747/57 "2015-08-25T18:55:42Z")
> [@JoseB](#): > > (Emphasis mine) Oh, if only… 😛 😉 Yeah, the wishful thinking seems to have gotten to me too! Well, wait a minute – once he resigned (in 1974), it didn’t matter much after that. Maybe early 1968? ETA: He died in 19-NINETY-4. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2015, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-of-the-queen-president/728747/58 "2015-08-25T19:23:56Z")
> [@Malden\_Capell](#): > > … > > > [@](#): > > > > Whereas it has pleased Almighty God to call to His Mercy our late Sovereign Lord Elizabeth the Second of Blessed and Glorious memory, by whose Decease the Crown is solely and rightfully come to the High and Mighty Prince Charles Philip Arthur George: > > WE, therefore, the Lords Spiritual and Temporal of this Realm, being here assisted with these Her late Majesty’s Privy Council, with representatives of other Members of the Commonwealth, with other Principal Gentlemen of Quality, with the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Citizens of London, do now hereby with one voice and Consent of Tongue and Heart publish and proclaim that the High and Mighty Prince Charles Philip Arthur George is now, by the death of our late Sovereign of happy memory, become King Charles the Third\*, by the Grace of God King of this Realm and of all His other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith, to whom His lieges do acknowledge all Faith and constant Obedience with hearty and humble Affection, beseeching God by whom Kings and Queens do reign, to bless the Royal Prince Charles the Third with long and happy Years to reign over us. > > … I have to hand it to the Brits; that’s some fine speechifying there. Far more powerful and moving than anything us mere Colonials have ever strung together. ---
**Author:** ![SaharaTea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@SaharaTea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SaharaTea)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2015, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-of-the-queen-president/728747/59 "2015-08-25T19:44:44Z")
Let’s talk about something much more important with regard to the Queen’s future demise: ALL HAIL QUEEN CAMILLA! ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2015, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-of-the-queen-president/728747/60 "2015-08-25T21:23:58Z")
> [@UDS](#): > > Hardly. The existing currency will continue to circulate. As it’s replaced in the normal course, the replacement currency will have a new design. But the costs of issuing the new currency would have been borne anyway; the only additional cost will be introducing the new design. It’s not a big deal. Read the article for details. Of course money will remain in circulation, but all of the portraits on new money need to change. Commonwealth wide, its a lot of bills and coinage going through a redesign. Here is the quote: > [@](#): > > First off, new currency will begin being printed and minted immediately. The portraits of Charles will already have been made in preparation. They won’t seek to replace the entire stock of currency overnight, however — it will take several years to do so, much like how older notes and coins are gradually removed from circulation today. Read more: [http://uk.businessinsider.com/what-happens-when-queen-elizabeth-ii-dies-2015-3#ixzz3jreq5jeN](http://uk.businessinsider.com/what-happens-when-queen-elizabeth-ii-dies-2015-3#ixzz3jreq5jeN) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-of-the-queen-president/728747.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-of-the-queen-president/728747.md?page=4)