Our Queen

[jeanjeannie50]

God bless and take care of our dear Queen at this worrying time!

[JOY2THEWORLD49]

Yes.

Queen Elizabeth does look frail and bent over.

But she is 96! And the royal family members or not give her a worrying time.

cheers JOY

She's on the NZ news for not attending some celebratory day.

[jeanjeannie50 in reply to JOY2THEWORLD49]

Family have been called to go to her as her health has suddenly taken a turn for the worse.

[JOY2THEWORLD49 in reply to jeanjeannie50]

Hi Jj50

Just turned on national radio.

She has passed!

Dear person who stood up for Commonwealth countries.

Parents gave me the Royal Locket - a red stone either arnet or little rugby in it. Her face is within.

I'm on day 6 of being a COVID ... contact. Day 3 proved negotiative. Tomorrow is day 7 to test again. No symptoms.

Lucky we were outside walked arond his gardens, given a cuup of tea and cabbage.

Went to 4 square local grocery shop, swabbed my hands in and out.

We have Prince Charlesas King. I was working in Devon when Diana died, I sat in the restaurant she was eating with her horsie redheaded friend.

I siged the book up the road at Somerville.

A sad day.

Joy 73. (NZ)

[CyclistMark]

Must be significant for this to be announced to the public.

Sending my prayers and thoughts to her and her family at this time.

[JaneFinn]

Beautifully put, thank you Jean ❤️ Have been listening to the news with dismay.

What an incredible person she is, a beacon of integrity and faithful service. And with everything that’s so uncertain and unstable in these times I don’t feel ready for our country to lose her. Thoughts and prayers are with her, and her family Xx

[wilsond]

yes indeed. Still did her duty yesterday

[colourblue]

She has been a lovely hard working Queen, she will be sadly missed. It would be great if she pulls through, but it does not sound good unfortunately.

[Bagrat]

Quite so Jean, an amazing lady. Thinking of her and her family and hoping they can support each other and bury the hatchet for a while at least.

[Staffsgirl in reply to Bagrat]

Let’s hope the hatchet is buried for good!

[Threecats]

A remarkable lady indeed, having devoted her long life to selfless service to the country. Alas, we'll not see her like again.

[meadfoot]

Bless our dear Queen Elizabeth. The epitome of stalwart unwavering service.

[Kevinder23]

God bless her xxx

[waveylines]

sad sad news.......may she rest in peace. She gave her all to duty and her country.

King Charles has his work cut out trying to unite his family and after loosing both of his parents in 18months he is carrying a heavy load. I do hope Harry can come to some sort of peace with his family. Harry has chosen to live outside of his family's establishment but I hope this sad passing will allow some middle ground to be found so they can all be at peace with each other, accept their differences and can support their father, the King.

[Fulentium in reply to waveylines]

Or, alternately, that Prince Charles chose Prince William for the role of king. That would be tremendous, and Diana's legacy would inspire the world, but I don't see that happening because Charles is now 70 and has been waiting to be king since he was three!

But could anyone follow the manifest professionalism, tireless work and restraint of the queen we've lost or be a tenth as adored? As merciless as it seems right now, the world felt more secure under Queen Elizabeth's gaze.

[jeanjeannie50 in reply to Fulentium]

The Queen is certainly a great loss to everyone. I think it would be a good idea for Charles to be King for a few years while William's children are growing up. Perhaps in 10 years' time, he may think of abdicating and letting Wiliam take over.

[Fulentium in reply to jeanjeannie50]

Logistically, there is not an alternative to Charles' kingship, and I don't wish to undermine the memory of Queen Elizabeth II by suggesting untenable alternatives to a line of succession that the Queen herself judged most sound. My wistful comment about Prince William was a response to the cynicism that has often accompanied thoughts of Charles becoming king since the 1990s. Perhaps the gravity of this moment will be kinder to him now than the press was then. And perhaps he will humble us with wisdom and compassion.

I was not thinking of Charles's character or leadership as much as I was the fact that we crave inspiring presences in politics at the moment -- not just in the UK, but across the world.

That is why, despite feelings of grief, I cannot dismiss responses to the Queen's passing like those expressed in Harvard Professor of History Maya Jasanoff's essay in the NYT, "Mourn the Queen, Not Her Empire," and criticisms of de facto colonialism ("But we are a commonwealth now!" I can imagine people saying) by academics like Professor of Postcolonial Studies at Cambridge University Priya Gopal, who said this:

"I find myself appreciating the circumstances in which she passed. She had good care. She had good medical supervision. She was in secure shelter in a place that she loved. And I am glad for that. I do wonder whether, given the state that Britain is in today, which is in a state of crisis preceding her passing, whether many British pensioners will have the same easeful passing this winter. I fear not. I think many people will be in insecure housing, without heat, potentially without food, and certainly without access — without immediate access to good medical care."

British journalist Ash Sarkar acknowledges that the Queen's passing is a matter not only of grief but of national and personal identity. But she then goes on to contrast "how top-down and choreographed the national mourning is" with the "bottom-up outpouring of grief" over Princess Diana (or Diana Spencer, if people prefer).

That sounds too Boolean, but Sarkar is really talking about tonal adjustments that U.S. citizens can barely imagine, such as the BBC temporarily removing comedies from its lineup so as not to interrupt the national mood, and music stations and services adopting more somber playlists. No one would think to do that here, and the pitch of cruelty would scarcely be interrupted.

We have seen similar responses to President Biden's fragility here in the States -- voices lent to the uncharitable conscience of parity -- and those criticisms are not without merit even though Biden was in my view the only sane choice in the general election and continues to be in this moment.

But if he were to pass away suddenly (as a man who will be 80 in November might), I have no doubt similar criticisms would be voiced about the relative injustices and paradoxes of his comparatively miniscule reign. I do choose to listen to intelligent dissent and not reactionary character assassination, but it would be unreasonable of me not to listen at all.

By the way, I've made a copy of this post (which perhaps should have been a note to myself and not a public comment). If anyone is put off by it, or jarred out of key by it, I hope that people will feel free to say so and moderators to delete it. I apologize in advance if that proves to be the response.

[Dr-Gohan in reply to Fulentium]

Thanks for the post. Well written.

[waveylines in reply to Fulentium]

I dont think Prince Charles has that choice.....the Queen chose and named him. It was her wish. We should respect that. Prince William will have his time when it comes.....

[Fulentium in reply to waveylines]

Perhaps I didn't express myself clearly enough. I addressed that point specifically -- that King Charles had to become who he is now -- and acknowledged that he had no choice and also that it was the chosen and most logistically sound line of succession.

[waveylines in reply to Fulentium]

I think Id rather stick with the original theme of this post Fulentium..... which was concern for the queen.....who we have sadly just lost & people are mourning her. And we are also welcoming the new King in. The debate you are raising is for another day. It doesnt feel right to be doing it right now tbh.....thats just how I feel.

[Fulentium in reply to waveylines]

I said everything I could to qualify what I said and even invited you and everyone else to request that my post be deleted if it offended you. I don't know how I could possibly be more sensitive to your grief or my own, for that matter.

You make it sound as though I callously unloaded on King Charles and showed no compassion for Queen Elizabeth II and that is unfair. I am British by birth and American by official residency. I feel no particular allegiance to either country or grudge against the monarchy. But the question of whether a monarchy is just deserves more thought than reflexive answers allow, and grief can be used as an excuse to avoid important questions. Prya Gopal rightly points out that monarchy is one aspect of a plutocracy, and left-leaning journalists in your country identify themselves strenuously as republicans in the British sense (Americans mean something very different) while still mourning the Queen. The U.S. is by no means exempt from questions about the same phenomenon under a less official name, obviously. We have exactly that problem here as well and I think it is even worse.

But please do not make me a target by investing me with sentiments and motives I do not possess or presuming a lack of tact or understanding. I have had that experience in UK more than once. I wonder if you know how it felt to me as young man to return to London and watch my American stepmother be vilified by upper middle-class people who hated by father for marrying her and repeatedly referred to her with one of the vilest initialisms I have ever heard: NQOCD.

Queen Elizabeth II herself is a very different subject (even though Wilde pointed out she *is* no subject). She was so competent, tactful, devoted and tireless that she seems to personify the best qualities that a royal person can have. I don't think I've ever seen her snub anyone as those asses did my stepmother, and I don't appreciate any insinuation that it is all because I am out of key with and clueless about the tone of the moment.

[waveylines in reply to Fulentium]

I hear you are very upset. Thats a great shame as that was not my intention. I simply expressed what my own needs are and how I was/am feeling as your response was in response to my reply. And you invited in your original post to say if we'd rather not discuss it so I did.

We all respond to grief in very different ways. The death of such a big figure head not only raises questions/emotions for that figureheads passing but Ive noticed within myself it raises a reminder of all other dear love ones passed over adding to my grief plus a reminder we are all mortal. I just need space to process thats all. That isnt an excuse/snub of you but what I need at this point in time.

I hope you can see there was no hurt intended. Take care....x

[ibuputih]

I’m just so so sad.

Just said to my husband that HMQ has been such a constant in our lives, it’s as if a family member has died.

Weren’t the rainbows wonderful last night when the flags were lowered?

I’m glad she’s reunited with Philip now.

[jeanjeannie50 in reply to ibuputih]

Yes, seeing them just made me cry all the more - how appropriate.

[reinaway]

As it was often said she vowed to do her duty to her people to the end and she kept her promise. I feel it is the end of the era I was born into. A wonderful self sacrificing lady with the best smile in this world. Rest in peace Queen Elizabeth 💕

[belindalore]

What a remarkable lady. She missed her Prince. RIP

[Cha275rL]

Still can’t quite believe she’s gone, especially when we saw her on Tuesday with the new PM. She did look frail, but still had her spark. I really didn’t think she was so near death.

[waveylines in reply to Cha275rL]

I thought she looked very ill in that photo.....she had lost sooo much weight. I was worried for her.

[Cha275rL in reply to waveylines]

Oh yes she had lost a lot of weight. I think she just wanted to be with Philip. She must have missed him so much after all that time together.

[sealover]

Dear Friends in Land of Hope and Glory, So very sad for the loss of the Queen. But grieve not for her. She is home in Heaven and with her loved ones who went before. It is well with her soul. Thank God.

[Fulentium]

As a person whose family moved to the States when I was nine, I hoped things wouldn't get any worse. First, Joe Louis, Elijah Cummings, bell hooks, Barbara Ehrenreich, Toni Morrison and so many others over the past four years. Close friends died as well, and humane institutions closed. I thought I had mourned as much as I could stand and now Queen Elizabeth has passed. What new leaders will allow themselves, or be allowed, a tenth of the decency and good faith we've lost?

[Dr-Gohan in reply to Fulentium]

Again I find myself agreeing with you. For me, born in the US and married 36 years to a Brit, my point of view is fairly open and less judgemental than many of my friends and family. Politics is a very messy business no matter what country. The folks in powerful positions often make 33 percent of the public angry as soon as they utter a word. Personally, I found the Queen to be of the highest example of decency and understanding how to conduct one's self that my generation will ever know.