Well, Paul McCartney was bigger than Jesus…
Well, i suggested the Pope might beat her … I can’t think of any other serious contenders for “most famous living person”. Xi Jinping is probably better known to a billion people, but I think world-wide, Queen Elizabeth is better known.
Pfff. No chance
Nitpick, that was John. (the one who said it. Allegedly bigger than Jesus were the whole Beatles.)
I think the Queen is missing an opportunity to represent the millions of people with mobility issues. She could still dress well and look regal in a wheelchair. A footman discreetly pushing it.
I know she’s from a generation when the disabled were hidden away at home. I would hope she’s aware of the Paralympics and the thriving lives of people with disabilities. Her son Harry founded the Invictus Games to aid the rehabilitation of injured or sick military service members and veterans.
Not the same, I know, but I use a cane. It takes a while before using one becomes instinctive and the learning process in tiring and frustrating. A strong, independent woman like the Queen is going to resist becoming accustomed to mobility aids which will make her learning curve take a little longer.
Of course, I have no real idea as to what is going on, I’m just offering up my viewpoint on the issue.
I understand its a new reality for the Queen. She’s always projected power and strength.
I think it could be done in a wheelchair. It’s the attitude of the Royals and presentation that creates Royal pageanty.
Am I the only one who suspects that the Palace is hiding something?
Maybe, just maybe, the Queen is suffering from something more than just a “mobility problem”, but they don’t want to admit it?
I agree that the Queen in a wheelchair could still look fine and regal.
Hey, it’s a chair…just a different kind of a throne, right? Dressed properly and wearing her crown, I think the British public would truly respect her even more for appearing in public in a wheelchair , showing her courage and dedication to her responsibilities. Ignoring her personal discomfort for the good of the nation, etc.
So I’m guessing that there’s more to this story than has been released so far.
They could get her a mobility scooter and dress it to look like her golden chariot.
Peasants.
The Queen would have a palanquin.
~VOW
On the other hand:
The Queen is, in a sense, the symbol of the nation she leads, and also represents the stability that comes from the crown. Prime ministers come and go, different political parties move in and out of power in Parliament, but the crown is a constant, and a sign of the kingdom’s strength. To publicly present herself as being frail, even disabled, would certainly portray her as human, but that may well not be how she desires to be seen, nor would it necessarily portray the crown’s strength.
Recall that, in 1997, after Diana died, the Queen, and the rest of the royal family, stayed in seclusion for days, and she did not make a public statement immediately – it was public pressure to demonstrate a more “human” reaction to Diana’s death which finally led her to make a public statement, several days later.
Get her a motorized chair.
[Tim Allen]So I turbocharged that sucker![/Tim Allen]
Chrome wheels, a flame paint job, etc.
I added a date to the title, for clarity. Wondering if I should update the title to reflect the current discussion around the mobility issues. Please report a post or DM me if you want to share your opinion on that.
I just had a flashback to this:
Favorite story about Queen Elizabeth: One of the Prime Ministers was explaining the difficulty he was having with some other head of state - and the explanation got deeper and deeper into the other person’s mental functions. At one point the Queen looked at the Prime Minister and said: “So, you’re telling me that he is just plain bonkers.”
It was only the other day, when he appeared in public in a wheelchair, that Pope Francis pointed out that previous Popes didn’t need wheelchairs, as they used a sedia gestatoria.
SNL Weekend Update from November '21 (NSFW):
Two things:
(a) the parliamentary ceremony requires a slow walk, and steps up and down; wearing the crown and robes has been out for years - they’re heavy
(b) there’s one of the summer garden parties today (the day after the State Opening) - perhaps she wanted to conserve her energies (though granted, it doesn’t seem likely she could do the usual garden party mix and mingle)
They had already announced that she’s not attending any of the garden parties this year.
As I understand things, a Royal garden party is not so much of a mix and mingle, as it is of a receiving line. I read the memoirs of a Canadian press correspondent just after WWII, and he met the King and Queen at a garden party, and then had tea and sandwiches in the garden, while the King and Queen remained in the receiving line. He and his contemporaries were left to wander around the garden, drinking tea, eating sandwiches, and remarking on the flowers and such. He did say that many of the guests pocketed the teaspoons, as souvenirs.
At any rate, I doubt that today’s Queen would be up to that task. If she appointed Charles to take her place at the garden party, fine. I’m sure the guests would be just as honoured at meeting Prince Charles, especially given the Queen’s age and health.