RIP HM Queen Elizabeth II

There's definitely a "what now?" feeling this morning. I'm not a monarchist in the least, but it does feel like QE2 is really gone now and we're in a new era.

It will be interesting to look back at this point of history and see how QE2's passing affects both the country and people's lives. I wonder if this moment, which fittingly occurs around the start of autumn, will inspire (hopefully positive) changes.
 
Why is this still on American television? One or two days of coverage is fine, but the coverage excessive and indulgent--particularly considering the multitude of domestic affairs that should be covered.
From time to time people feel the need to concentrate on something different from the usual horrific politics, racism, misogyny, war, pandemics and other global disasters.

Queen Elizabeth has lived through many of these including World War II. Like everyone's favorite grandmother, her message with her words and her whole being has been: You'll be fine in the end. How we need that! ❤️
 
Why is this still on American television? One or two days of coverage is fine, but the coverage excessive and indulgent--particularly considering the multitude of domestic affairs that should be covered.
Can't be any worse than Canadian news. I'd expect the Canadian news to be worse, given the ties between Canada and Britain.
 
It would be cool if they had one of those age old competitions to determine who would be the best emperor/empress in the future. Then Charlotte can win. I think all those smiles are just a disguise, she will not hold back when it comes to her brothers. They'll be lucky if they escape with their limbs intact.
As long as she doesn't ride her dragon and burn everything down after she wins the competition and everyone's heart.
 
Here is a nice piece about Emma the pony with quotes from the head groom. The Queen rode Emma for more than 20 years!


Thanks for sharing. While I expected the funeral to be grand, I didn't expect these beautiful personal touches, of which Emma the pony was a highlight. One commentator compared the funeral to a Russian doll, where each layer got a bit more personal (the final layer being of course family only).

I went for my lunchtime run through Hyde Park, and it's a bit sad to see everything being dismantled. (There are lorries upon lorries taking away portapotties :lol: ). I think I will re-route to Regents Park for a few days.
 
No matter your thoughts on Charles, it has to be incredibly difficult to get zero bereavement leave and then be in the spotlight while you have your every move analyzed/criticized as the entire world is adjusting to a major change.

As the procession was walking to the chapel, beautiful as it was, the only thing I could think was that I would never be able to walk in it, because I despise slow walkers. And that poor guy who had to drive like 3 km/h!
 
No matter your thoughts on Charles, it has to be incredibly difficult to get zero bereavement leave and then be in the spotlight while you have your every move analyzed/criticized as the entire world is adjusting to a major change.
Not only do you not have bereavement leave, your previous job ended and your new significantly more responsibilities job started with the Queen's last breath. He literally got promoted to CEO in seconds.
 
A hypothetical question…say if in a few years it is clear Prince George lacks the temperament, maturity, desire, etc., to follow William as king. Princess Charlotte, however, shows a clear aptitude and desire to be queen. Would it be possible for George to step back and let Charlotte take the throne for the good of the country and so George could follow his own dreams?
George could abdicate just like the Queen’s uncle did which paved the way for her to be Queen.

So you never know….anything is possible.
 
No matter your thoughts on Charles, it has to be incredibly difficult to get zero bereavement leave and then be in the spotlight while you have your every move analyzed/criticized as the entire world is adjusting to a major change.

As the procession was walking to the chapel, beautiful as it was, the only thing I could think was that I would never be able to walk in it, because I despise slow walkers. And that poor guy who had to drive like 3 km/h!
Not only do you not have bereavement leave, your previous job ended and your new significantly more responsibilities job started with the Queen's last breath. He literally got promoted to CEO in seconds.
And at age 70!
 
A hypothetical question…say if in a few years it is clear Prince George lacks the temperament, maturity, desire, etc., to follow William as king. Princess Charlotte, however, shows a clear aptitude and desire to be queen. Would it be possible for George to step back and let Charlotte take the throne for the good of the country and so George could follow his own dreams?
I am not sure what temperment to be King or Queen is?

Queen Elizabeth’s never struck me as a super boisterous person and she was great at it. I think partly because she didn’t speak a lot or express a ton of views.

Her Uncle was extremely charismatic and I am sure for a long time people felt that lucky he was their heir versus the shy prince who had trouble speaking. But her father ended up being a loved King because he did his duty.

I think there are different types of temperment that can work.

To be quite Frank I am not sure I want to be A Star attitude works very well with royalty because a lot of the job is quite dull with hand shaking ribbon cuttings etc.

Princess Anne and Prince Edward are doing much better in their roles than Harry and Andrew precisely because they never carried really that attitude that they have to be stars
 
Last edited:
Why is this still on American television? One or two days of coverage is fine, but the coverage excessive and indulgent--particularly considering the multitude of domestic affairs that should be covered.

Agreed. It’s pretty over the top. I enjoyed Trevor Noah’s commentary on this though:


 
Speaking of which, I am developing a new form of stand-alone peer-to-peer interface in real time. I call it "personal visits." Some have told me that it is too far out there for the mass market, but I intend to prove them wrong. :HA!:
Completely over-rated when it includes reruns of "Diagnosis Murder" on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries...
 
Late, but reminding people that the majority of daytime broadcast TV viewers in the US are over 50. The coverage of the queen plays well to that demographic and was an easy sell to advertisers.
 
Late, but reminding people that the majority of daytime broadcast TV viewers in the US are over 50. The coverage of the queen plays well to that demographic and was an easy sell to advertisers.
Well, it really was a little bit too much. Day after day, watching her traveling around the countryside. And all of our network and cable news people over there, sitting and saying the same things over and over - 70 years, 96 years old, unprecedented, not on t.v. before, have never seen anything like this, on and on and on. What advertisers? There were no commercials here. They could knock out the world's inflation if they sold all of the jewels they were flashing yesterday.
 
Princess Anne and Prince Edward are doing much better in their roles than Harry and Andrew precisely because they never carried really that attitude that they have to be stars
What about It’s a Royal Knockout? :saint: I hope I’m not the only one who remembers that! It was all Edward’s idea, I think the team captains were Andrew, Fergie, Anne and Edward. Of course it didn’t make them look like stars at all.

I’m just being silly though, and I agree with your post.
 
The irony of an American complaining about events in another country dominating their news cycle!
A week or more of it is not news especially not when nothing happens (and a coffin being moved around does not count as something happening). And, no offense, but there are far more important/significant things happening in the world than a dead foreign Queen, like the situation in Iran for example.
I understand having extensive coverage in the UK and other countries where the British monarch is still head of state and that it may be important for many people in those countries. I don't understand it elsewhere. Not when there are plenty of things to fill the news cycle with and there are other channels/programs than news channels/programs that can cover the Queen's life. (Not to mention that I don't think that you can compare the death of a head of state without much political power with news from a nation that can have an impact on the rest of the world).
 
Agreed. It’s pretty over the top. I enjoyed Trevor Noah’s commentary on this though:
I enjoyed his commentary and the commentary of a British YouTuber about how strange it is that the US Far Right loves the monarchy when supposed patriots should be all 1776! Death to Queen/King!

I also agree that it's hard to avoid. I get notifications of breaking news from more than one source and I got so many notices about the whole thing including following her body all over the place, who was getting her dogs (no, really), and lots of other things. I deleted them without reading the articles but I still found out way too much about what was going on in spite of making an active effort to not watch or hear anything other than that she was dead.
 
Just a small reminder that not everyone on this board or even looking at this particular thread is American.

Some of us had the late Queen Elizabeth II and now have King Charles III as our Monarch. In addition to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland she had some 14 realms and was Head of the Commonwealth. [The leaders of those realms and of the Commonwealth as well as the leaders of European countries were seated ahead of the US President at the funeral, I believe. As someone said on Twitter "revolutions have consequences :) ]

Some of us live in realms where it is almost impossible to get away from American news - as others have posted, there are options if for a week or 10 days you have had coverage of something you don't consider that important. I actually chose to switch to the BBC coverage once there were concerns about the Queen's health, avoiding the American coverage and most of the Canadian coverage as I preferred newscasters who actually knew what they were talking about and pronounced things correctly :)

JMHO :)
 
Last edited:

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top
Do Not Sell My Personal Information