Queen Elizabeth II has died

[vandermolen]

So, how many here are planning to watch (and also are able to) watch the funeral on Monday?  The time difference here is pretty rough (even for a morning person).

PD

p.s.  I believe that Monday is a bank holiday in the UK?  Obviously, not so here in the US.

We'll be watching PD and observing the One-minute silence this evening at our front door.
Yes, Monday is a bank holiday here.

[Todd]

The American Declaration of Independence included a long rant directed at the "present King of Great Britain"

Which every American knows.

The stark truth  is that the American colonies had be largely ignored by the British government at mostly allowed to "do their thing" until after the French & Indian War.

Had the Crown and Parliament been wise, they would have continued to let the colonists do their own thing.  The Crown and Parliament were unwise.  Now the entire English-speaking world is subservient to the US.  So, thanks crazy George III and incompetent Parliament of the late 18th Century!

[Pohjolas Daughter]

We'll be watching PD and observing the One-minute silence this evening at our front door.
Yes, Monday is a bank holiday here.

For those who are wondering what the order of events will be on Monday, I found this helpful article (online) by Time Magazine.  Particularly helpful for those living in EST as it also shows those times besides the BST ones.

https://time.com/6214346/queen-elizabeth-ii-funeral-schedule/

I think that I'll pass on watching the closing of the doors to the public (re vigil) as that would be VERY early for me here!  Also, I discovered a little while ago that the funeral service at Westminster Abbey doesn't start until 11 a.m. BST time so much more doable for me here; some of the t.v. stations in the US are starting their t.v. coverage at 4 a.m.! 

PD

[Mandryka]

£249

[Karl Henning]

£249

Well, that was probably inevitable ....

[vandermolen]

Previously unseen photo of Elizabeth II issued by Buckingham Palace today ahead of the State Funeral:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news

[Irons]

Previously unseen photo of Elizabeth II issued by Buckingham Palace today ahead of the State Funeral:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news

That photo reminded me of an article I read yesterday of people recounting the experience of meeting the Queen. As one commented her smile lit up a room.

My wife summed it up when I said many from overseas must look at the Royal Family as antiquated and a ridiculous concept in the modern world. She replied "it is who we are".     

[vandermolen]

That photo reminded me of an article I read yesterday of people recounting the experience of meeting the Queen. As one commented her smile lit up a room.

My wife summed it up when I said many from overseas must look at the Royal Family as antiquated and a ridiculous concept in the modern world. She replied "it is who we are".     

Your wife is right.

[Florestan]

No less than 11 Romanian TV channels, including the state one, are brodcasting live the funerals.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

No less than 11 Romanian TV channels, including the state one, are brodcasting live the funerals.

Too many to count here.  Currently, over 550,000 online at BBC's website.

PD

[71 dB]

No less than 11 Romanian TV channels, including the state one, are brodcasting live the funerals.

Really? In Finland the national public broadcasting company Yleisradio Oy is broadcasting it live on their "most important/primary" channel YLE 1. That's it as far as I can see. All other (Finnish) channels are doing their normal programme.

[Florestan]

It is done. Sobre, rigorous and impressive ceremonies all throughout. My admiration and respect for the British people, their monarchy and their faithful and enthusiastic preservation of their traditions and historical continuity has deepened.

[vandermolen]

It is done. Sobre, rigorous and impressive ceremonies all throughout. My admiration and respect for the British people, their monarchy and their faithful and enthusiastic preservation of their traditions and historical continuity has deepened.

Kind words Andrei. Thank you

[Fëanor]

Had the Crown and Parliament been wise, they {the American colonies} would have continued to let the colonists do their own thing.  The Crown and Parliament were unwise.  Now the entire English-speaking world is subservient to the US.  So, thanks crazy George III and incompetent Parliament of the late 18th Century!

This is true;  of course we have the benefit of hindsight to realize that.

No doubt the American colonies would eventually gain independence, perhaps with similar status to Canada's achieved less than 100 years after US independence.  And no doubt such a successor would also have been a world leader.

Who knows?  Achieving independence under the latter circumstance, the USA, (or whatever it would be called), might have benefited from retaining a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary form of government.

[Karl Henning]

Makes it all the more painfully shameful here in the US that we had a mini Nuremberg rally in Ohio last night.

[Todd]

Achieving independence under the latter circumstance, the USA, (or whatever it would be called), might have benefited from retaining a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary form of government.

There is no benefit to monarchy.  Relative benefits of parliamentary democracy are best left to polisci profs. 

[vandermolen]

There is no benefit to monarchy.  Relative benefits of parliamentary democracy are best left to polisci profs.

Don't you think that rather depends on the historical context and the type of monarchy we are talking about?

[Todd]

Don't you think that rather depends on the historical context and the type of monarchy we are talking about?

There is no valid reason why any family or small number of families should have members who serve in lifetime roles as head of state.  All senior leaders, actual or ceremonial, should be able to be replaced by the people at regular intervals. 

Of course, I understand that a small number of countries will retain monarchies for various reasons.  It just seems all so 17th Century.

[JBS]

The benefit of monarchy can be summed up this way: the Queen was the symbol and representative of the UK. Without her the symbol and representative of the UK the last few years would have been...Boris Johnson.

I admit the gap between the new King Charles and Liz Truss is not nearly as big, but it's still there.

[JBS]

This, from a blogger who lives in Indianapolis

http://twowheeledmadwoman.blogspot.com/2022/09/image-of-man.html?m=1