Queen Elizabeth II has died • Hacker News Board

Re: Queen Elizabeth II has died

#581

Post by davrosthedalek » Thu, Sep 08, 2022, 7:55 PM UTC

gnulinux wrote: post #555

kypro wrote: post #333

As a Brit I'm not a huge fan of the royal family on principle, but Queen Elizabeth has been such an excellent head of state for us you really can't fault her. People like to make out her life was easy and that it's not fair that she inherited such a privileged position, but I think the exact opposite. Her life seemed like living hell to me. Every day for the last 70 years she's had to serve this largely ungrateful co…

> People like to make out her life was easy and that it's not fair that she inherited such a privileged position, but I think the exact opposite. Her life seemed like living hell to me. Every day for the last 70 years she's had to serve this largely ungrateful country, and she did so without complaint. Even in her 90s she took her duties extremely seriously, and I respect the hell out of her for that. She wasn't doin…

She was "obscenely rich" whether she did her job or not. She did it anyway.

Re: Queen Elizabeth II has died

#582

Post by byset » Thu, Sep 08, 2022, 7:55 PM UTC

Pulcinella wrote: post #565

kypro wrote: post #333

As a Brit I'm not a huge fan of the royal family on principle, but Queen Elizabeth has been such an excellent head of state for us you really can't fault her. People like to make out her life was easy and that it's not fair that she inherited such a privileged position, but I think the exact opposite. Her life seemed like living hell to me. Every day for the last 70 years she's had to serve this largely ungrateful co…

She could have abolished the monarchy and quit at any time. Monarchies are inherently undemocratic and she was the head of that undemocratic class system for decades while people suffered under the British empire. I don’t doubt your sincerity, but these feelings in you and others were intentionally cultivated by decades of propaganda. There is no such thing as a rightful king or queen, and certainly no such thing as…

The queen (or king) can abdicate but would not have the power to abolish the British monarchy. That's a constitutional change and would presumably take a Parliamentary act.

Re: Queen Elizabeth II has died

#583

Post by chrisstu » Thu, Sep 08, 2022, 7:55 PM UTC

Starlevel001 wrote: post #541

kypro wrote: post #333

As a Brit I'm not a huge fan of the royal family on principle, but Queen Elizabeth has been such an excellent head of state for us you really can't fault her. People like to make out her life was easy and that it's not fair that she inherited such a privileged position, but I think the exact opposite. Her life seemed like living hell to me. Every day for the last 70 years she's had to serve this largely ungrateful co…

Quoted post unavailable.

Really, I thought she removed the titles. Where is the story about her regranting them?

Re: Queen Elizabeth II has died

#584

Post by highwaylights » Thu, Sep 08, 2022, 7:55 PM UTC

Pulcinella wrote: post #565

kypro wrote: post #333

As a Brit I'm not a huge fan of the royal family on principle, but Queen Elizabeth has been such an excellent head of state for us you really can't fault her. People like to make out her life was easy and that it's not fair that she inherited such a privileged position, but I think the exact opposite. Her life seemed like living hell to me. Every day for the last 70 years she's had to serve this largely ungrateful co…

She could have abolished the monarchy and quit at any time. Monarchies are inherently undemocratic and she was the head of that undemocratic class system for decades while people suffered under the British empire. I don’t doubt your sincerity, but these feelings in you and others were intentionally cultivated by decades of propaganda. There is no such thing as a rightful king or queen, and certainly no such thing as…

I think it’s incredibly naive to suggest that she could have abolished the monarchy just like that.

What about the legal system in the UK/Canada/Australia that have it in constitution that she as a veto to the passing of new laws as a balance.

Could the system be made not to require the monarchy anymore? Sure, it’s purely ceremonial and has been for her entire reign, but to say that the monarch can make that decision at whim on behalf of 15 countries is just not true.

Re: Queen Elizabeth II has died

#585

Post by nmz » Thu, Sep 08, 2022, 7:55 PM UTC

gnulinux wrote: post #555

kypro wrote: post #333

As a Brit I'm not a huge fan of the royal family on principle, but Queen Elizabeth has been such an excellent head of state for us you really can't fault her. People like to make out her life was easy and that it's not fair that she inherited such a privileged position, but I think the exact opposite. Her life seemed like living hell to me. Every day for the last 70 years she's had to serve this largely ungrateful co…

> People like to make out her life was easy and that it's not fair that she inherited such a privileged position, but I think the exact opposite. Her life seemed like living hell to me. Every day for the last 70 years she's had to serve this largely ungrateful country, and she did so without complaint. Even in her 90s she took her duties extremely seriously, and I respect the hell out of her for that. She wasn't doin…

I'm pretty sure she didn't do it for the money but from some sense of moral duty. Don't forget, she took reign right after one of the worst wars in history.

Re: Queen Elizabeth II has died

#586

Post by 5440 » Thu, Sep 08, 2022, 7:57 PM UTC

munk-a wrote: post #532

kypro wrote: post #333

As a Brit I'm not a huge fan of the royal family on principle, but Queen Elizabeth has been such an excellent head of state for us you really can't fault her. People like to make out her life was easy and that it's not fair that she inherited such a privileged position, but I think the exact opposite. Her life seemed like living hell to me. Every day for the last 70 years she's had to serve this largely ungrateful co…

As a Canadian (and we tend to be staunchy more anti-monarch over here) I agree whole heartedly. Her reign was pretty much entirely inoffensive, she tried to use her powers to promote good things while staying out of the running of any of the commonwealth governments. I think being a monarch as prominent as Queen Elizabeth is a hard job mostly because there is very little you can do right and a whole lot you could do…

I couldn't disagree with you more. I live in BC (and ONT), and all of us that migrated from the UK are much more pro-monarchy than most brits back in the homeland.

Re: Queen Elizabeth II has died

#587

Post by [deleted] » Thu, Sep 08, 2022, 7:59 PM UTC

saberience wrote: post #71

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…

[deleted]

Re: Queen Elizabeth II has died

#588

Post by msabalau » Thu, Sep 08, 2022, 8:00 PM UTC

colechristensen wrote: post #314

PaulDavisThe1st wrote: post #198

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…

Quoted post unavailable.

Given that Dang has decided that exploring the negative aspects of monarchy are "ranting" and "malignant", it is hard to imagine how you could get an comprehensive assessment of the institution on HN. A curious person can probably find that sort of information elsewhere.

Re: Queen Elizabeth II has died

#589

Post by nmz » Thu, Sep 08, 2022, 8:00 PM UTC

antifa wrote: post #533

kypro wrote: post #333

As a Brit I'm not a huge fan of the royal family on principle, but Queen Elizabeth has been such an excellent head of state for us you really can't fault her. People like to make out her life was easy and that it's not fair that she inherited such a privileged position, but I think the exact opposite. Her life seemed like living hell to me. Every day for the last 70 years she's had to serve this largely ungrateful co…

> Every day for the last 70 years she's had to serve this largely ungrateful country This doesn't really address why anyone is "ungrateful"...

It would be impossible to, there is a sea of reasons whether justified or not. You can check twitter and see.

Re: Queen Elizabeth II has died

#590

Post by Maursault » Thu, Sep 08, 2022, 8:01 PM UTC

Starlevel001 wrote: post #541

kypro wrote: post #333

As a Brit I'm not a huge fan of the royal family on principle, but Queen Elizabeth has been such an excellent head of state for us you really can't fault her. People like to make out her life was easy and that it's not fair that she inherited such a privileged position, but I think the exact opposite. Her life seemed like living hell to me. Every day for the last 70 years she's had to serve this largely ungrateful co…

Quoted post unavailable.

> She intervened to regrant titles to her paedophile son.

Just curious as to when Prince Andrew's titles were forfeit. I vaguely recall he resigned from public roles, but I don't remember anything about his titles being taken away. Anyway, if true, that is shameful. Any decent, self-respecting parent under similar circumstances would have at the very least abandoned the child to a convent, if not an orphanage.