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Queen Elizabeth II has died

bbc.com

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Re: Queen Elizabeth II has died

#341

To everyone who feels sad by these news, my condolences. I respect your pain. However, I have to confess that to whenever I hear that someone aged 90+ (80+, even) died, I don't really feel sad. Actually, I feel an urge to praise this person's achievements, as I'm aware we are all mortals, and death is unavoidable. I prefer to rejoice in how much this person has witnessed throughout her life, how she had enough health…

> What else can we humans aspire? Living forever is out of question. As soon as we are born, we are bound to die. I don't know, living to anywhere between 1'000 to 1'000'000 years of age would surely be quite the interesting experience, lots of things to learn, lots of things to experience. Such numbers might seem humorous but in the grand scheme of things that's still nothing, given the age of Earth and all that. I…

If we could keep our brains running that long, I wonder what our perception of time would end up being.

Would our minds scale to timescales that vast? Would we just start forgetting things as time went on?

Re: Queen Elizabeth II has died

#342

I was born in the UK, in 1963. Because of my step-father's love of first-wave UK punk, the first thing I did on hearing this news was to play the Sex Pistol's "God Save the Queen". It is remarkable how much the Queen's standing has improved during the time since that song (1977). My (UK) family are (as far as I know) staunch republicans, but the last couple of decades have seen all of us soften our disgust with the m…

Not so black and white, but I still thing the Sex Pistols GSTQ is a great song (also Anti-Nowhere Leagues 's "So F*king What!", much more FTW). Never a fan of the Diana bandwagon either.

Yet, likewise to me the Queen always earned the respect shown her. Colouring the establishment by the actions of some is just too black and white thinking for me.

Re: Queen Elizabeth II has died

#344

Time to end on a high? Shall we just abandon this whole monarchy thing and time to flip over to a republic and leave the much revered queen as the last ever monarch of the UK? Seems like Scotland is going to go independent, and if Scotland do Wales will only be a matter of time so may as well just can it now?

Shall we just abandon this whole monarchy thing and time to flip over to a republic and leave the much revered queen as the last ever monarch of the UK?

I'd vote no, because then we'd end up with people like Boris Johnson or Liz Truss as our head of state(!!) The monarch nowadays is important for what they prevent. The Queen stood in the way of someone like Boris getting access to all the 'bling' of state. A big shift would need to occur before we could become a sensible republic, particularly in dismantling a lot of the ceremonial aspects of British life. Perhaps even a collective head of state like the Swiss could work.

Re: Queen Elizabeth II has died

#345

It's weird, I've never considered myself a "royalist" but this news has affected me quite strongly. I just burst into tears unexpectedly on hearing this news and I don't quite understand why I feel so very sad. I guess I have grown up and lived my whole life (as a Brit) seeing and hearing the Queen, singing "God save the Queen" etc, and this news made me suddenly feel very old, very nostalgic, with the sense that all…

I feel the same. I think it’s because it really represents the end of an era. The 20th and early 21st century ushered in unprecedented improvements to quality of life in Britain but it has felt of late that that has peaked and the country is facing a serious decline: Brexit, the increasingly visible effects of climate change, the aftermath of covid, the possible break up of the union, rising costs of living, recessio…

during her lifetime the British Empire went from its zenith to its end

leaving a trade bloc (Brexit) is hardly notable by comparison

Re: Queen Elizabeth II has died

#346

It's weird, I've never considered myself a "royalist" but this news has affected me quite strongly. I just burst into tears unexpectedly on hearing this news and I don't quite understand why I feel so very sad. I guess I have grown up and lived my whole life (as a Brit) seeing and hearing the Queen, singing "God save the Queen" etc, and this news made me suddenly feel very old, very nostalgic, with the sense that all…

Royalty is interesting.

I think it's a very understandably human urge to hold up someone for emulation. The only odd thing about a noble class in that sense is that we decide the job of "role model and leader" should be hereditary.

But I think it's a very understandably human reaction to feel sorrow when someone who millions of people have invested so much energy into making the best person that can be is still mortal.

Re: Queen Elizabeth II has died

#347

FYI: When people are this age, they can die suddenly without much warning. I saw a headline a few hours ago about her family coming to visit, and I thought we'd have a few days. Both of my grandmothers died at 91 without much warning. Cherish your time with your elders, and don't procrastinate a visit.

I mean, the family rushed there because they knew "this could be it", and the statement issued by the palace this morning "Following further evaluation this morning, the Queen's doctors are concerned for Her Majesty's health and have recommended she remain under medical supervision. The Queen remains comfortable at Balmoral." was probably meant to also be taken as a big warning, despite it sounding understated.

Re: Queen Elizabeth II has died

#348
Even as a (still) EU citizen, I'm saddened by the news.

One has to remember she took upon her shoulders a lot (essentialy from WWII to everything we've all gone through in recent memory, plus a lot of responsibility we can only guess at), and yet, by all accounts[1], was an amazing human being.

[1] https://twitter.com/davidmackau/status/1567894552744271872

Re: Queen Elizabeth II has died

#349

This is the end of an era. I doubt any monarch can truly follow her legacy.

I don't think so. From what I read and see I think the world is about to change or die trying in the next 30 years.

This monarch and the following one will also witness great changes and they may play some role in it.

Re: Queen Elizabeth II has died

#350
post #179
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