A Departed Queen, A New King

 

Mirror

I watched some of the sycophantic bile that follows from the death of a royal, especially one as genuinely popular as Queen Liz, however, I could only take so much.  

I began with parliament where the MPs gather to express their condolences and remembrances of the queen, some of which are genuinely funny.  I gave up after the PM, Keith, Boris (desperately wishing she had died when he was PM) and the SNPs Ian Blackford had all had a go.  After them came Harriet Harman who instead of reminiscing began to spout her 'chip on the shoulder' middle class feminism, I left then. 

I noted the crowds gathering, some weeping, while the media fills the screen with platitudes and videos going back to 1952 and beyond.  Flowers are left, something I have never liked and find creepy, and online condolence books appear.  The press meanwhile are hard at work publishing the reams of guff that will be 'Free Pullout' over the weekend.  Written possibly years ago, they will milk this for all it's worth.

In between some offer an alternative viewpoint, Commonwealth citizens demand reparations for colonial rule, a comedian indicates lots of other 'old women' will die this year, probably from cold, and a drunk chip shop owner who rejoiced at her death is hounded by a threatening crowd.  Free speech is not popular if it goes against the mob. 

I am not a royalist but I think Liz did the job of queen quite well.  She has appeared human at times and the story told by her one time police guard of meeting an American couple while walking near Balmoral is well worth listening to if you can get it.  The yank did not know who she was and the two of them played along with the tourists who never realised she was queen.  Her sense of humour was not always seen while on duty but appeared in small crowds.

Respect may well be due to a woman who played the queen well over the years but it must be kept relaxed these days, bowing before royalty is no more.  However, as Otto English indicates in a thoughtful item no-one really knows the actual woman herself.  She has played the queen but kept herself to herself.

A queen dies, the nation must mourn, and proper reverence kept.  However, shops remain open, cricket, it appears continues, while football is postponed.  Some ask why?  This is especially relevant in Scotland where the monarch is less popular than in England.

Listening to Charles first chat a King we see him playing the King role very well.  The question as to whether we need one will develop and how he handles things will be interesting.  He intends, so we are told, to cut the running costs, which is bothering Andrew, especially as he is now out.  How Charles deals with those, mostly women, who hate him because they lived their lives through Diana will be interesting also, though personally I would tell them to lump it.   Anyway, I wish him well, and hope he manages to cope with the hostile media and grasping family.  No doubt he will visit Scotland at one time once crowned. 

Just think, the 'Elizabethan Age' has ended, and the 'Age of Charles' has begun.  The nation is now full of 'Charlies...'