Queen Elizabeth II has passed away at the age of 96, in the year of her Platinum Jubilee. The past three years were trying for her, with the pandemic, the HMS Bubble, the loss of her beloved husband Prince Philip, the infighting among her family and a lot more. But it did feel, at one point, like she was back out in the world and enjoying herself in the last year. A series of mysterious health issues contributed to her long goodbye, and she passed away peacefully in one of her favorite places, her Scottish retreat Balmoral.
She was surrounded by all four of her adult children and a few of her grandchildren, including Prince William. I don’t believe Prince Harry had made it to Balmoral in time to say goodbye to his grandmother, but he did get to see her back in April and June, and he got to introduce her to her great-granddaughter Lilibet.
Queen Elizabeth, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch and the nation’s figurehead for seven decades, has died aged 96, Buckingham Palace said on Thursday.
“The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement.
“The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow.”
Her eldest son Charles, 73, automatically becomes king of the United Kingdom and the head of state of 14 other realms including Australia, Canada and New Zealand.
Elizabeth became Queen in 1952, when Winston Churchill was prime minister and the UK was still dealing with a post-war slump. She saw and met countless prime ministers, presidents, kings, princes, queens and despots. She loved corgis and gin and she was beloved by a nation. Welcome to the world, King Charles.
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- Queen Elizabeth II after she recorded her annual Christmas Day message, in the White Drawing Room of Buckingham Palace in central London.,Image: 534959697, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR 48 HOURS- Fee Payable Upon reproduction – For queries contact Avalon sales@Avalon.red London +44 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles +1 310 822 0419 Berlin +49 30 76 212 251 Madrid +34 91 533 42 89, Model Release: no, Credit line: – / Avalon
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- Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II, Patron, attends a Service of Thanksgiving to mark the Centenary of the Royal British Legion at Westminster Abbey, in London, Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2021.,Image: 637732700, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: WPA SOLO POOL. AP+PA+AFP+REUTERS+GETTY+IPA+CPNA IN, Model Release: no, Credit line: Frank Augstein / Avalon
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- Queen Elizabeth II records her annual Christmas broadcast in the White Drawing Room in Windsor Castle, Berkshire. Issue date: Thursday December 23, 2021 The photograph on the desk is of The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, taken in 2007 at Broadlands, Hampshire, to mark their Diamond Wedding Anniversary.,Image: 649254904, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR 48 HOURS- Fee Payable Upon reproduction – For queries contact Avalon sales@Avalon.red London +44 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles +1 310 822 0419 Berlin +49 30 76 212 251 Madrid +34 91 533 42 89, Model Release: no, Credit line: Avalon.red / Avalon
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- Queen Elizabeth II cuts a cake to celebrate the start of the Platinum Jubilee during a reception in the Ballroom of Sandringham House, which is the Queen’s Norfolk residence. The Queen came to the throne 70 years ago this Sunday when, on February 6 1952, the ailing King George VI – who had lung cancer – died at Sandringham in the early hours.,Image: 659601877, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Joe Giddens / Avalon
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- Queen Elizabeth II leaves Sandringham House, which is the Queen’s Norfolk residence, after a reception with representatives from local community groups to celebrate the start of the Platinum Jubilee. The Queen came to the throne 70 years ago this Sunday when, on February 6 1952, the ailing King George VI – who had lung cancer – died at Sandringham in the early hours.,Image: 659635986, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Joe Giddens / Avalon
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- Queen Elizabeth II during an audience with President of Switzerland Ignazio Cassis at Windsor Castle. Picture date: Thursday April 28, 2022.,Image: 686853114, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR 48 HOURS- Fee Payable Upon reproduction – For queries contact Avalon sales@Avalon.red London +44 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles +1 310 822 0419 Berlin +49 30 76 212 251 Madrid +34 91 533 42 89, Model Release: no, Credit line: Avalon.red / Avalon
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- Queen Elizabeth II during an audience with President of Switzerland Ignazio Cassis at Windsor Castle. Picture date: Thursday April 28, 2022.,Image: 686853133, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR 48 HOURS- Fee Payable Upon reproduction – For queries contact Avalon sales@Avalon.red London +44 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles +1 310 822 0419 Berlin +49 30 76 212 251 Madrid +34 91 533 42 89, Model Release: no, Credit line: Avalon.red / Avalon
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- Queen Elizabeth II during a visit to officially open the new building at Thames Hospice, Maidenhead, Berkshire. Picture date: Friday July 15, 2022.,Image: 707551923, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR 48 HOURS- Fee Payable Upon reproduction – For queries contact Avalon sales@Avalon.red London +44 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles +1 310 822 0419 Berlin +49 30 76 212 251 Madrid +34 91 533 42 89, Model Release: no, Credit line: Avalon.red / Avalon
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- Queen Elizabeth II waits in the Drawing Room before receiving Liz Truss for an audience at Balmoral, Scotland, where she invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative party to become Prime Minister and form a new government.,Image: 719993378, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Jane Barlow / Avalon
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RIP QEII. I hope PH got to see her before her passing.
i don’t think Harry made it to the Queen’s deathbed before the announcement went out, but she died earlier this afternoon – so likely she was gone before william, andrew, and edward arrived, too
i thought it was interesting that initial reports said that harry and meghan were *both* en route to balmoral, but after william arrived without kate, the story changed to clarify that harry was travelling without meghan
did william put up a stink about meghan coming because kate stayed home and that delayed harry’s arrival? did he push for the announcement to go out before harry arrived?
@Elle, I thought the same when I saw the photo of William driving Andrew, Edward, and Sophie— I was like, FTLOG, they fly helicopters like we drive cars, yet today of all days, he drove??
I did see a photo of Kate (allegedly) driving there, but idk why they initially announced that Meghan was going, followed by a “change of plans” so only Harry was going, and she was staying in London. The only thing I could think of is that the vile Fail SAID she was going just so they could then say she wasn’t, fueling speculation that the other family members made a fuss when they heard she was coming?
In any case, I feel sorry for Harry that he didn’t have his wife with him to comfort him. But he must be so glad he went to the stupid Jubbly and that Liz met Lilibet.
Harry arrived at Balmoral at about 7.45pm UK time – a few hours after the announcement was made. He was also in London so I wonder why he didn’t go up on the flight with Andrew, the Wessex’s and William but I think we all know the reason for that.
I just hope that King Charles III can sort out the family drama otherwise it will overshadow his coronation and reign.
I think she passed early afternoon – I knew when the BBC presenters all changed into black and they cancelled ALL normal programming across ALL platforms and channels. Its speculated that Charles, Cams and Anne were there when she passed but the others were too late.
May de light shine upon her and may she rest in peace. Amen.
My mum.and my aunts died quiet young too My granny was my best friend and support , l loved her.dearly .When she died l was beyond devasted , so l can understand how Harry feels now.
I believe her family apart from.Charles where not there earlier in Balmoral as she deteriorated quickly. She lived long life in fairness. End of an era , let de games begin !!!!!
Meghan is not welcomed in this family. At this time, during the last moments of the Queen, it is impossible that they would give her the privilege of a glimpse at the longest and respected Queen Elizabeth’s last breath in such a personal, intimate and priceless moments. And also, I think she is respectful enough to know that her presence might unfortunately be a source of chaos. She would not want to be that person.
Everyone on BBC was wearing black by 11 am east coast time. I think she had passed before any of them got there.
I think the issue was that Harry and Meghan’s spokesperson announced that Harry and Meghan would both be traveling to Scotland – that came from their spokesperson, not media sources. Then something obviously changed after they put that statement out – maybe the queen died shortly after their statement and they decided that only Harry would go now. Or maybe members of the royal family requested that Meghan not come after all. The clarification that only Harry would be travelling to Scotland after all came from Omid Scobie and then other media I believe.
My friend messaged me around 4 to say that she heard at lunch from a friend, who is an MP, that the Queen has died. So if she heard around lunch (between 12-2), then she had passed a little while.
Since Harry doesn’t have a royal protection it may not have been as simple as him hopping on a plane with the rest of the family. It’s really ridiculous he is forced to use private security, especially today.
I have a connection to someone who is connected to one of QE2’s nurses.
The connection heard from the nurse about 2pm British time that she had passed… which makes me think it likely happened around 1pm. Definitely delayed the announcement
(Disregard my earlier comment— I didn’t realize that the photo of William driving the car was just from the Aberdeen airport.)
I do wonder if Kate wanted to go but was shut down? I understand that the kids just started at a new school, but this was a *momentous* event, and we know that Sophie went, so it isn’t as if it was only the Queen’s children. Nanny Maria and CarolE could have stayed with the children for a few hours, and Kate could have left Scotland tonight quickly, before William did.
We’ll never know, but I’m curious. If I had to guess, I’d think Kate would have wanted to be there with William and the rest of the family.
For once, I think people are reading too much into this. I think the decision was made that it wasn’t appropriate for young children to be there when it became apparent the Queen would die. I think this is a wise decision in these situations. Kate and Meghan stayed back to help explain and comfort the children.
I honestly think she passed before most or any of them got there. I don’t know why exactly, just a feeling. I think they were stalling for time to get things as much in place as they could. I don’t think it’s some vast conspiracy, and I understand, it’s complicated. She’s one of the most public of public people, but also a human with family.
Well, RIP. The next few months are going to be very interesting!
It would be so sad to know that the Queen, loved by so many, head of so many states around the world, has died alone or with aides but no family. Charles might have gotten there on time, but i dont think the rest missed her last breath. Very sad.
I think so too. There’s a Guardian article from 2017 about “Operation London Bridge is down” that makes for interesting reading today. It’s all about the plans in place for the Queen’s death and funeral. One thing they stressed was that the BBC would be informed hours before anyone else, that they’d actually use an antiquated WWII era system to convey the message so nobody could intercept it. Understanding that, IMO there’s just no way BBC broadcasters would change into mourning clothes if they weren’t certain the Queen had passed. They’d look ridiculous if she had some sort of unexpected recovery.
Agreed, HMQ died prior to the flight William etc took at 14.50
They were aware of her death before the flight and drive scenario they chose.
Had she still been alive surely they would have helicoptered straight there or at least from Inverness post the flight and prior to an hour long drive.
The BBC leaked it at 3pm via a tweet which was then deleted, the House of Commons were spoken to seriously a few hours before this tweet.
This being the case why they did not share their flight with Harry I will never know
I suspect something happened during the night and she simply didn’t wake up. I had the suspicion she was already gone when they announced grave concerns for her health and they were buying time for all of the family to at least be in Scottish airspace before they announced her death.
Is it too soon for Wooten to put TT on TV to get his very important view on this momentous occasion?
No matter, the DM beat him to it and his incredibly important opinion is above the fold on the day she died.
The PM was told at 4:30 pm Uk time. Only Charles, Anne and Camilla were there by then. The car with William, Andrew and the others didn’t arrive until after 5 pm.
I sincerely wish this family peace and healing and reconciliation.
Emily I think that’s going to be a long time coming
They didn’t even wait till Harry got there to announce it. They’ll never find peace among themselves.
Good luck to King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla is all I can say.
I am not a monarchist but I feel she was a good Queen. To me she failed as a Mother and a Grandmother. If my grandchildren were treating the other grandchildren as disgustingly as Will and Kate treated Harry and Meghan. I would call them in and hash it out. She caused her sister pain by not letting her marry the man she loved and ruined her life. I’m not a Queen but my daughters love each other and my grandchildren love each other as well. RIP
@Dorothy not today Satan.
@Dorothy, this is not the place troll.
@Dorothy This is not the day or time for that type of prattle. Slow your roll.
@Dorothy. JFC troll give it a rest. And the word is secede which is something countries and territories do, not people.
He did not betray his grandmother. You have about as much knowledge about what the queen’s personal views on Harry leaving as the man on the moon. She wasn’t too cut up about it because she welcomed them back with open arms when they attended her Jubilee.
The personal strife aside, as 6th in line to the throne, he chose to strike out on his own. He was never going to be king or inherit any of the wealth that comes with the position.
You really are a classic example of the saying: “those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.”
Love how trolls attack Harry and keep quiet about the pedo. What a great look.
And to add, Dorothy, William’s not Prince of Wales yet.
There would be no good reason to wait for Harry to arrive before releasing the news about the Queen’s death.
I am sorry I missed @ Dorothy’s post as it is no longer up. She must be a massive troll from the sound of everyone’s response. Too bad I missed it.
@Ella, the reason would be respect. Especially if he was already on his way and in the air.
@lorelei, I was watching the BBC coverage. The newsreaders had been wearing black for hours and interrupted all coverage for a live program and clearly had ran out of things to say, well before the announcement was made. I agree that in an ideal world, they should have waited for Harry, but I think it got to the point where they couldn’t keep waiting.
Ditto.
I’m surprisingly heartbroken over this news. As a republican, I had expected to feel relief, to feel that we were one step closer to a true meritocracy rather than prestige being based on inbred privilege. But.
I’ve never known anything but the Queen. She reigned twice as long as I’ve been alive. She was so intrinsically woven into the fabric of British society and culture, the epitome of reticence and continuity. Now that she is gone, I don’t know where my country will go from here. Will Charles make a good king? Only God knows. Will he precipitate the end of the monarchy and seismic upheaval throughout the land?
The thing about the Queen was that, in a nation increasingly divided and polarised, she held us all together. Without her, what are we? What are we?
May she Rest In Peace.
I hope with the Queen’s passing, life doesn’t get even harder for the Sussexs. I honestly fear the firm was holding back while she was alive. Time will tell….
@em, I don’t think we will have too long to wait, as the Sussexes’ children are now officially Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. This change is automatic upon Prince Charles’ becoming King. We will see if, and how quickly, Charles wants to divest them of those titles (and what that may mean for the Sussexes’ relationship with the rest of the Royal family).
Are Bill and Kathy automatically the prince and princess of Wales? Or does Charles confer that title on them?
Do the Sussex children really become prince and a princess automatically? It hasn’t been updated yet on various succession sites, even though they already list Charles as king.
And I’m pretty sure the title of Prince of Wales isn’t automatically given. William has to be crowned. Wales might be against it after all this time having English princes?
No, they are automatically the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall but not the Prince and Princess of Wales which has to be conferred on William. And Charles can do that at any time at his discretion. And if William has any plans on divorcing Kate, he may well do that before he gets the POW title.
My question is will Charles bestow the Duke of Edinburgh title on his brother Edward?
@Nicki: the PoW titles are conferred by the monarch at their discretion
Yes its automatic as long as they didn’t change the letters patent, which I don’t believe they did. (if they did, it has not been publicized.)
William has to be invested as Prince of Wales, my guess is Charles waits a while for that.
@Nanny The official royal site has gone black with just TQ’s passing on it. If there are other sites, they aren’t likely official.
@Nanny, Archie and Lilibet automatically become a prince and princess but, as Feeshalori stated, William needs to be invested by Charles as the prince of wales. This could happen this week or 5 years from now. It’s up in the air when and if that happens.
The Daily Mail has already posted an article indicating that Archie and Lilibet are now a prince and princess but I am not surprised if it is not on the Royal website. If Charles does want to remove their titles I think he would rather that people think he stopped them from becoming titled rather than took the titles away from them. This way people would not question why he wouldn’t remove the prince and princess titles from other non-hereditary male line grandchildren,e.g., the Dukes of Kent and Gloucester, Princess Alexandra, the York sisters, and Prince Michael.
Because, to be fair, if Archie and Lilibet have their titles removed retroactively (which is what Meghan said Charles wanted to do by letters of patent), it should happen to the others as well. Otherwise, the only two grandchildren of a British monarch, in possibly the monarchy’s history, to not be a prince and princess would be the two biracial grandchildren. Not a good look, Charles.
That depends on Charles signing a letter preventing them becoming Prince and Princess or not – he expressly stated to the Sussexes that this was part of his plan for a slimmed down monarchy
We’ll wait to see his first racist act
@Feeshalori, do we know if there’s a reason that the Queen didn’t bestow the Duke of Edinburgh title on Edward herself, leaving it up to Charles?
I thought under George the 5th’s succession plan legislatively enacted as law during the 1920’s , Archie and Lilibet automatically become entitled to the titles of Prince and Princess now Harry has moved up in the line of succession. With the death of their great-grandmother, they are also entitled to use the HRH moniker if they wish. From my understanding of the current rules of succession, it is not King Charles (boy that sounds strange to type) that can block either kids from becoming a Prince or Princess. But their parents can decline the titles. Typically the amended succession plan designed by George V never covered the children of a monarch’s daughter. There was, however , scope for the monarch to award titles if the daughter asked. Apparently Phillip was keen that Anne’s children be given titles. But Anne being Anne, probably the most direct, down to earth and hard working royal, bar the late Queen, refused.
@lorelai Charles inherited the title as eldest son. It’s not up to the Queen. Now that he’s king, the title will revert to the Crown. Charles can make a new creation of the Dukedom (as was done for Philip as the previous DOE’s son had predeceased him when he died in 1900) for Edward. That was the wish of his parents. But it was never going to skip Charles nor could the queen take it.
The trolls are already blaming H&M for the Queens passing but that was to be expected.
It might be a very rough few months for the Sussex family but I highly doubt they’ll let the UK Press continuosly play the blame game with themselves as targets. Maybe Harry will take a huge breather to mourn and come to the realisation that there are no allies to be found in the RF and that he doesn’t have to hold him and Meghan in check anymore.
If anything King Charles and Prince Bully will eventually become ~the story. They’ve been given way too much leeway but with QE2’s passing it’s time to answer some questions and actually prove themselves.
I really and truly thought that like her mother she would live to 100.
It has happened so suddenly and unexpectedly for me, even though she was 96.
She certainly carried out her duties right up until the very end, even though she must have known that she was quite ill.
She was ‘The Queen’ to everyone around the world.
RIP
@princessK I would think she would want to leave this world behind. There is nothing for her anymore: at 96, she hast lost her father, her mother, her sister, her husband, she lives isolated with strangers by her side, and a family that stands by not to live their best life with her, but awaiting her death to reach more power. How is that supposed to keep you alive to 100? How so sad. The dogs will be sad too.
Honestly, I’ve never been this sad over a 96 year old dying. She lived longer than most, and had a full life. Still, I feel so sad hearing about her passing. I have memories of visiting Windsor Castle as a kid. I remember I got so excited seeing the flag was up, which meant the Queen was inside. Having the Queen around gave me some sense of normalcy in such a horrible time in the world. Now she’s gone. RIP.
She was definitely an emissary from another time. As she was just a few years younger than my grandmother, she very much gave off grandma vibes for me.
Oh, my goodness. I just realized she was only four years older than my mother, who died 21 years ago. I miss her every day. Maybe that’s why I’m feeling a bit teary for an elderly lady whom I never met (did get to see her & the gang at 1992’s Trooping, though).
She was a force. Rest In Peace, QE 11.
@me – same – i remember going to England as an 11 year old with my very British grandmother and seeing Buckingham Palace & the Mall. The Queen was a symbol of continuity for so many and I also feel very sad today.
Same here. I got a bit emotional and a little teary eyed.
Did not expect that.
Maybe she was such a grandmother archetype that it strikes a cord within.
Yes, my mom was a year older than the queen when she died. Brings back sad memories of her deterioration and death, much the same way the queen went. I’m just so thankful l had the foreknowledge to call out of work the day she passed away and l was with her at the end.
Someone on here called it earlier. She had passed but they were waiting for family to arrive to announce.
Someone on the other thread said they didn’t wait for Harry; if true I’m sure there’s some protocol explanation but it also just breaks my heart.
I agree. I think she has already passed.
Sadly, stuff like this happens in families all the time. I found out about my grandmother from my cousins Facebook post minutes before my mum called.
There are pictures of him driving with Andrew, Edward, and Sophie so I’m not sure if that’s true.
The BBC confirmed Harry had not arrived by the time of the announcement.
Alice- that was William in the car.
He wasn’t there for the announcement but I’m sure he already knew. Someone was saying (maybe on the BBC) that it was speculated she had died before William et al even arrived (and they got there around 4-5 oclock I think.)
Absolutely, he knew. But them not even observing the formality, for this particular situation, is disgusting, to me.
Do you all think that was really William in the car with Andrew, Edward and Sophie? It didn’t look like him to me. I think they misidentified him.
Seems unlikely to me that they would have been able to keep that information quiet for very long, so I think it happened recently. Maybe they waited a few minutes but I can’t imagine they would have waited hours. We know that they are rife with leaks and News of that scale would spread extremely fast. But who knows!
She probably died a few hours ago. They had to let the U.K PM know, the Parliament them the 14 countries where she was HoS, then the rest of the Commonwealth.
We saw (here in Canada) the newscasters switch to black blazers. As soon as we saw that, we knew the Queen was dead. That and Arsenault in the main chair.
The official announcement said “this afternoon.”
@Mazzie I could easily see newscasters switching to black in advance of finding out. It was pretty clear from the statement about concern for her health and everyone rushing to Balmoral that her passing was pretty imminent, and I’m sure the press would have wanted to be prepared when it was time to announce. And if that many newscasters around the world knew I find it impossible to believe no one would have leaked it early, what would be their benefit to waiting? If they really were able to keep news from spreading for hours then the RF must be more capable than I give them credit for!
@Kate Yes and no. There’s protocol to follow and yes, they would have their black clothes prepared but wouldn’t wear it on camera until actually confirming the queen had died.
“And if that many newscasters around the world knew I find it impossible to believe no one would have leaked it early, what would be their benefit to waiting? If they really were able to keep news from spreading for hours then the RF must be more capable than I give them credit for!”
I am obviously not in a newsroom but honestly? I can see countries with no relation to the queen leaking the story but understand that the UK and Canadian media would not have leaked it. You underestimate the hold protocol has in this situation. She was the queen, not just a celebrity.
(I cannot comment on the other members of the Commonwealth as well as the countries with the king as head of state as I don’t live there.)
I don’t know, maybe if they leaked they get scolded by the Governor General?
The PM was told at 4:30 Uk time. BBC newscasters switched to black clothing around that time which made it obvious they were just waiting for the family to get there.
@mazzie maybe, although I feel like people outside the UK and Canada too were in black before it was announced. I would just think no one wants to get and announce the news when they’re wearing bright yellow or something, so everyone would have changed to at least muted colors after the advance warning of the initial announcement.
Someone else suggested that they had some antiquated WWII era way of transmitting information so it wouldn’t be leaked, and if she did pass hours before the announcement maybe that’s how they managed it. The logistics are interesting! Especially with how hard it is to keep news from leaking these days, it would be amazing if protocol won out. I do remember there was a protocol hold against releasing the fact that Harry was on base for almost a full day, but that could have been a life or death leak if that information had gotten out which is a little different.
Anyway, interesting food for thought for me. Thanks for the convo.
Yeah, I’ve seen tweets about foreign media reports stating that she passed away before most of the family could get there. Like someone else said, it might’ve only been Charles, Anne, and Camilla who saw her in her last moments.
HoS..?
Head of state.
I think that the Queen had already died before William, Andrew and the others arrived.
My friend messaged me at 4 to say that the Queen died. She found out around lunch from an MP friend.
It was me! I called it! It seemed like the correspondents suspected she’d already died but I don’t think they *knew* it. In the official announcement they said she’d passed “this afternoon” so I think it was before the family all got there, although they no doubt knew.
I think it’s very likely that she died in her sleep last night, and they bought themselves some time to get Chuck and Cam to Balmoral. Anne was at Balmoral. Good ol’ Anne, a workhorse for her Mom to the end.
There’s no “formality” that grandchildren have to be present at the palace/castle before the public announcement is made. This was in no way an insult to Harry. It’s a shame people are reading that much into it.
@Christine, ITA.
@CMiddy, yes, there can be insane conspiracy theories on here sometimes, but this isn’t even a “theory.”
The difference is that Harry is now the son of the monarch and should be treated differently than, for example, James and Louise. It’s just how this family works. Yes, they’re all her grandchildren, but he’s one of Charles’s only two sons.
Plus, he was already on a plane on his way there; it isn’t as if waiting until he got to Balmoral would have delayed the announcement by days and days.
I don’t think it’s a huge deal, but I do think it was disrespectful and unnecessary. They wouldn’t have done that to William.
The BBC newscasters were already wearing black when it was announced that HMQ was in critical condition and ‘resting comfortably’. I think she passed away around midday or 1pm. Only Charles, Anne and Camilla were with her; but I’m glad they were. I’m glad that she wasn’t alone.
My condolences to Harry in this time of grief. And lots of strength to Meghan. Our Duchess needs it.
Also, HRH Prince Archie and HRH Princess Lili Diana.
Is Meghan going to be allowed to attend the funeral services and burial? Now that the queen is dead the royal family doesn’t even have to pretend to be civil with Meghan.
I think this family is all about appearances in front of the camera so I think they will behave as they did for Phillips funeral and the statue unveiling. Now behind the scenes is another story. My tinfoil tiara theory is that Charles, who is itching for good PR, would love to be the one known as the great peacemaker between the brothers. “For the sake of your grandmother’s memory this war must end now!” Then he withholds the PoW title until William straightens up.
Charles is anything but dumb. No way would he willingly turn Meghan away.
Rest In Peace QEII. I imagine we will see how influential she was in keeping the family and commonwealth together in the days/weeks/months to come.
I am so sad harry didn’t make there to say goodbye.
She may not have been conscious. It was a coincidence that he was even in the UK . If he had been at home in Cali, of course he would have missed her completely.
Actually he was in Germany for the Invictus games, and had to make his way back. I think he was told and he rushed over to the UK. If she died as early as some speculate, then it sounds like he was the last to know.
Wow, well that’s pretty shocking.
She was a legend and very of her time. I don’t think she wanted to live long without Phillip.
I was surprised she held on this long after Philip, but chatting with my mom early this am about it, she said that QE2 was probably worried about the future of the monarchy.
But they were living separately for years.
Twenty of them.
They were not “living separately for years.” They had separate FORMAL residences. That’s fairly meaningless since they both spend time in several royal residences. They spent most or the pandemic together at Windsor.
Very well said Kaiser. RIP to the Queen, sounds like her passing was peaceful and at the end of a long and interesting life, which is the most anyone can ask for in my opinion.
King Charles, you’re up.
Agreed: Kaiser’s post hit all the right notes with the right tone at the right time. That’s tough to pull off, so I send my kudos.
Agreed on all points. Great job, Kaiser. I was looking forward to this post as soon as the announcent came.
Agree Becks. Perfectly and beautifully said, Kaiser. Right on point. I’m in Australia, and when my husband told me early this morning that the Queen had passed away, my first stop was here at CB. Balance, truth, and fairness.
Peace to the entire family at this time. Healing is needed. And peace to all the the UK, I have family that is incredible emotional about this. RIP Queen Elizabeth.
Wow. I have no right to be shocked, and yet I am.
I hope she rests in peace, and there is healing ahead for the family. She had a hell of a life.
While I was no fan of hers, may she Rest In Peace. I hope we all can live as long as her and having our mental health and body seem to be as good as hers was.
Apparently she had passed by the time they arrived at Balmoral. Condolences to Harry; she was the closest thing to a maternal figure after Diana, and he clearly cared deeply for her. Balmoral must be especially unpleasant for him now, what with staying there when his mother passed away and now it’s the place of his grandmother’s passing. I hope he and Meghan remain safe.
Yeah, this has to be especially hard on Harry and even Peggy. They were there when their mom died. Elizabeth really tried with Peggy and was obviously close to Harry.
No 10 just confirmed that Truss was informed of her passing at 4.30pm so I would expect that the actual passing was some time before that.
Rest In Peace, QEII.
The Queen is dead. Long live The King.
The coming years will be…interesting.
It’s been over an hour, and I have yet to see a “long live the King!” I thought that was meant to be instantaneous?
I just saw the phrase, His Majesty the King, on the BBC news app. Just seems weird right now. We’ll all get used to it, eventually.
On Twitter I saw a thread about someone who was waiting *today* to be sworn in as a Canadian citizen over Zoom (his friend, who was with him, tweeted about it in real-time — you can find the tweets @robroc). Obviously the ceremony was held up because, y’know, traditionally they’ve sworn their fealty to the Queen, and what was about to become of her? Once the announcement came, the event proceeded. They pledged their allegiance to “sa majesté le roi Charles III, roi du Canada” and they indeed concluded with “The Queen is dead, long live the King”
@Jenn – I am absolutely sharing that story tomorrow!
@BettyRose, on CNN they showed a group of people singing “God Save the King” and it sounded so strange!! It’s going to take a long time for everyone to get used to.
@Jenn that’s a great story!
Ah Lizzy.. Why didn’t she give Charles the throne? Will we ever find out (memoirs🤞)
This will be like a brutal gladiator fight.
What we will witness now is indescribable.
How so? Charles is King now.
Charles is king and will be bringing in his own staff so there will be massive turnover, and I would imagine quite a bit of jockeying for power behind the scenes.
hopefully this means we’ve seen the last of Angela Kelly!
The Queen does not *give* her firstborn the throne. He’s been operating as soft regent for some time, and would not have been able to become full monarch unless she had officially abdicated, which she had implied she would not do until she died.
She always said she would be monarch and in service of the people for life. She took her role as a ‘defender of the faith’ very seriously.
RIP Queen Elizabeth II. She served her nation just as she promised. It’s a sad day.
My sympathies are with those grieving her death. Very interesting times ahead. I may live through different reigns (Queen, Charles and William).
Not negating the effects of British colonization for myself as a Jamaican descent black Canadian, but I’m sad.
We lost the most powerful woman in the world today.
A family lost their matriarch.
Many people and nations will hurt today and the days to come.
Rest in peace QEII you were an inspiration to many and your legacy will be remembered.
I’m indigenous American and really despise the BRF as a concept. But I agree that QEII is to be admired for her dedication to her duty, her steadfastness is inspirational.
I actually think only Charles and Anne were there, I think William, Andrew and the Wessexs were too late and Harry even later
RIP to Queen Elizabeth II. This is the only place I will be coming to read and comment because I think the media and craziness from ppl are going to be unbearable for H&M.
May she Rest In Peace. Prayers for all her loved ones.
I do hope the Windsors can come together as a family at this time and cease the petty squabbling. Also pray the spiteful BM and RRs are put in check and not carry on with their usual nasty foolishness.
Very sad. I’m really sorry for Harry and all the people who genuinely loved her. I’m wondering…is King Charles really going to be King “Charles”? Technically, he could decide to rebrand himself by using one of his other names…
People who have seen the prepared posters and materials that are part of London Bridge and Operation Spring Tide say yes, he’s planning on reigning under the name Charles. Which is the correct choice, really. He’s been Charles all these years it’s not like people would actually use George or Albert or whatever.
It has been confirmed King Charles III.
The first Charles died of beheading. The second Charles died of a massive fit of apoplexy (stroke). I wouldn’t use “Charles” as a regnant name; it’s got bad juju.
PS According to Wikipedia, the second Charles said on his deathbed that he regretted his treatment of his wife. Think the third Charles will be so generous to his first wife?
The best tweet I saw was Josh Gondelman saying the only name that makes sense is “King Prince Charles.” I’m still laughing.
Omg!! I will only call him “King Prince Charles” henceforth.
excellent!!!
Well, this is going to be interesting.
I don’t mean to sound insensitive but im sure William is breathing a sigh of relief moving Kate and the children to their “modest” cottage just in the nick of time.
Can we maybe just…not, today? Especially on this post?
@MY3CENTS then maybe just don’t be insensitive? There will be plenty of time for nasty comments let’s have some decency at least today.
+1
I agree that we can hold off on the snarkier comments for the day, but I’ll also point out that the BBC didn’t hold off on being snarky and rude about Meghan today, even after some of them probably knew what had happened (the queen dying.)
Yep- caught it in a live stream of the BBC. Harry was going to Scotland without his wife; William was going to Scotland while Catherine stayed behind to mind the children
The BBC has been echoing the tabloid party line recently with respect to Meghan (& Harry). Maybe they always have & I just haven’t paid attention. They’re deplorable. God save The Queen (‘s soul) & long live The King. There, that’s out of my system.
So glad you chose not to get snarky and then did anyway.
The Daily Mail couldn’t wait to make new snide headlines about Harry even an hour after his grandmother’s death.
They certainly didn’t wait long to add Cornwall to their social media accounts though. Clarence House still has prince of wales and duchess of Cornwall on theirs.
I don’t feel so bad about snark when grasping actions like this take place.
Let’s make this day one without meanness and give the woman her due respect and admiration.
I’ve thought the same — that once the queen’s health took a turn for the worse, William knew his time to set up Kate in her separate residence was running short (after William is promoted, there would be less excuses for “needing” the cottage). I think it spurred William to act sooner rather than later.
My3Cents – that absolutely crossed my mind too! He barely made it.
I hope she had a peaceful transition.
May she Rest in Peace with her Philip.
I saw on Twitter that she was queen for 30% of the US’s existence, which is pretty crazy when you think of it. 96 is a good long life, and going out at one of your favorite places is not a bad way to go, and she looked pretty decent on Tuesday, all things considered, so I guess it was just time. She was my favorite (aside from Harry) of that whole crazy family. May she rest in peace, and may that family not go completely off the rails now. And may the press just leave Harry and Meghan alone. It’s unfortunate he didn’t get to see her before she died, but at least he got to visit this spring, and I like to think that she had a burner phone somewhere that she got to use to call him and do visits with, so they could keep in touch.
She had been in video contact with Harry and the grandkids for a long time. It’s really a different world for keeping in touch with scattered family. She could see the kids growing up and they could see her. It’s not just about physical in-person visits and snail mail letters any more.
Well the day Charles has been waiting his whole life for is finally here.
Waiting his whole life for the death of his mother? Wow
Sad but true if this is your family business. Not saying he’s not sad, but it’s both anticipatory and kind of an anvil over your head at the same time.
Say what you will about Charles, but give the man ONE friggin’ day to process and mourn his mother’s passing. Do you think he’s jumping up and down with glee and clapping his hands? My guess is he’s deeply and profoundly sad, and feeling like the weight of the world is on his shoulders.
He was very clear in an interview he wasnt looking forward to become king, since that meant his mother would have died. Yes, he knew this day would come but I don’t think it was ‘the’ day he’s been waiting for.
My mother passed away this last weekend and now the Queen. The world lost two Queen’s in one week. RIP Liz.
I’m so sorry for you loss, LBB.
So sorry for your loss LBB
@LBB my condolences to you. Ironically, my mother passed away on Monday and we used to call her The Queen of Warren. I texted my sister…2 Queens passing within two days, what are the odds?
I’m so sorry about your mother.
My deepest sympathies, LBB.
Awwwww…@LBB I am so sorry. May she be resting in peace.
I’m so sorry, LBB and Riley. I had to say goodbye to my dad this weekend, so this is hitting me hard too. Hugs.
Condolences to LBB, Riley and Lionel.
I’m so very sorry for your loss LBB be gentle with yourself as you process your grief
Thank you all for your kind replies, and my very deep sympathies do you Riley and Lionel.
My condolences.
Deepest condolences Riley and Lionel. Loosing a parent is a gut punch. Just be kind to yourself as you grieve. It’s a rough process
@LBB @Riley and @Lionel, I am so sorry.
This is Charles’ moment now after his decades of waiting. The monarchy’s future is in his hands and it will be interesting to see what’s planned, how he’ll make his mark and how he plans to handle family strife. His mother was one of a kind.
As as an interesting bit of trivia, the queen died a day after Queen Elizabeth l’s birthday, born September 7, 1533.
And my condolences to you, LBB. A piece of your heart goes when you lose your mother.
Thank you @Feeshalori. What you say is true, a piece of my heart is forever gone.
Although she was 96 i never thought in my lifetime I’d see this day come to pass. Betty seemed to be eternal in some way. Long was her reign and May she Rest in Peace. Im kinda sad about it… I remember i got to “meet” her in Calgary about 30 yrs ago she was so tiny! even to my teenager eyes.
May she be greeted by her departed loved ones and a veritable horde of Corgis.
@Miranda
That’s a lovely sentiment
How many corgi did she have in total? Can anyone finde that out? I would love to know
@GeeGee – I remember seeing a Corgi family tree (that began to include the Queen’s dorgis) and she had over 63 beginning with Susan, the corgi she received as a birthday gift when she was 18. The last direct descendent of Susan was Willow, but I don’t know what year the current line of dogs was.
May the Queen rest in peace. 🇨🇦 🇬🇧 As someone else said, even though I knew this day would come, it was hard to fathom. Certainly she was ubiquitous here in Canada. I don’t think it will really sink in until her funeral and her official portraits being replaced in government and school buildings with King Charles, that will be very strange. Then the money, she’ll still be circulating around there for a while.
My father was devoted to German Shepherds, and owned six or seven in his lifetime (only one at a time; he always said that one was enough). We all said when he died that they were gathered at the Rainbow Bridge to guide him across, and that many balls would be tossed and walkies taken in Heaven. I’d like to think that all the corgis and dorgis (corgi-dachshund crosses, of which the Queen had a few) and Labradors are now gathered to guide the Queen over the Bridge and escort her to her parents and sister.
RIP Liz. I hope her transition was as comfortable as could be.
The vultures are circling already, Kensington Palace changed their Twitter handle to “Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and Cambridge” – not even Charles is that quick, he’s still Duke of Cornwall on Twitter.
LOL are you serious? Wow.
Charles moved to The Royal Family account
Dang that’s cold and graspy of them.. I mean Rigor mortis hasnt even set in and they’re already looking at the next move. I cannot abide william
That seems super cold and graspy and we all know I never miss an opportunity to bash the Cambridges (sorry, the Cornwalls.)
But I think it was all probably automatic and just someone doing what they are told to do when this happens.
That’s gross. This isn’t some long standing protocol issue ( it’s social media), I get referring to Charles as King, probably giving him and Camilla bows and curtsey’s as they arrived, but there was zero need to do that right now. I just don’t and can’t understand their mindset, it’s all my position and rank all the time.
I don’t think we can read anything into the timing of various administrative events. Each palace must have a checklist to go through. I already heard the new titles on the news.
It’s not though. Clarence House is still the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall
Clarence House has a lot more to think about than does KP. Their to-do list must be a lot longer
Ugh, that’s so gross. Crass and greedy.
Wow Ice ice cold. Ready in peace Betty. Glad you won’t have to watch the mess your family is about to become.
How ghoulish yet unsurprising of them.
I don’t believe it! Wow!
There is a very, very, very detailed protocol that has been planned out and revisited for years that covers pretty much every possible detail of what happens after a senior member of the Royal Family dies. This will be part of that. Not sure if you’re allowed to post links here but if you google “Operation London Bridge is down” you should find a Guardian Long Read article from 2017 on this.
Nothing in Operation London Bridge addresses the order and timing of changing social media titles. William and Kate’s employees couldn’t let the woman’s body go cold before reminding everyone William just became an instant millionaire with a “private” income.
They have a general plan which has been in place for years. Given that the Queen’s health had been declining rapidly over the last few months, it would have been prudent to have a checklist of all the things that needed to be done and set things up ready to go on a moment’s notice. That said, changing the name on the Cambridge account so quickly was really cold. Unlike Charles, the Duke is still just a dook.
Seeing as how Clarence House had not changed their social media, this action is crass. They could have waited. It’s not like their titles have any constitutional relevance anywhere. Let’s stop making excuses for actions that aren’t covered in protocol and show they just want the glory and not do the work.
I’d think, since the BRF love their protocol, that there would be a formal announcement of the upgrade in title rather than the Cambridges jumping the gun and summarily posting on social media. But this couple is so thirsty and William always eager to prove how superior and high in status he is. And while he may have the income as Dook of Cornwall, he’s not Prince of Wales yet.
because she protected a pedophile and paid off his accusers. and has done for years.
because she protected a pedophile and paid off his accusers. and has done for years.
I hope she was greeted by her many beloved corgis. May she Rest In Peace.
Things are going to get *intense* from here on out…
I feel *somewhat* (but not 100%) sorry for Elizabeth because the last years of her reign were marred by the racism shown to Meghan, Andrew’s rape of under-aged girls, William’s colonialist tour of the Caribbean, and Charles’ money laundering and cash-for-honors with Russian oligarchs and Bin Laden family members. I am not “100%” sorry because she could have stopped some or a lot of that from happening if she wanted to.
You can acknowledge her for the iconic historical figure she was while still pointing out her faults. She was human, not a saint no matter what the British media and royalists may say or think. May she RIP.
Agreed, we can acknowledge both her extraordinary life and the harm she/her family have caused, there’s no need to choose.
I didn’t interpret criticism of her as slagging her off. I read it as frustration with a woman who insisted on keeping the crown but refused to use the crown’s powers to help resolve conflict and protect Meghan. And a lot of sympathy for such an old woman who should be allowed to rest but couldn’t get out of her own way. I think there was a continuum of reaction from sympathy and respect to frustration and disdain.
May Queen Elizabeth II Rest in Peace.
The Queen is dead!!
Long live the King!!
Sad? The greatest? She’s had a hell of a life? She is compared to glue, in terms of commonwealth? Will be missed?
Ya’ll posts really shock me. I’ not saying you can’t be civil, but looking at all the posts about QE2 and her UK based family, of the last year, I didn’t expect this ‘turnaround’, because she past away..
Is this a clone of the real celebitchy website?
😳
They always say death is the ultimate whitewash. Even the most unworthy are suddenly deified.
Like… Sure it’s sad when people die… But let’s not forget she did some pretty lame stuff that effected the lives of people in a selfish way (colonization much? Also not acknowledging that that was not great and not apologizing for it?) Meh… Hopefully these welfare kings and Queens become a thing of the past
You can criticise someone yet still be sad that they’re gone and understand their death is a huge political and historical event.
i’m not even that sad she’s gone but I recognize it as a huge historical and political event.
I don’t want to say I’m not sad…its just a weird feeling. I’m 40, there’s always been Queen Elizabeth, even as an American.
I have sympathy towards her family members in the same way I would towards anyone who lost a family member. If my mom passed, I’d be devastated. I recognize her death is historic and means a lot to a lot of people. That’s all I’ve got. I’m not personally sad and I don’t have a huge reverence for the queen.
Maybe sad wasn’t the best word to use. But the rest of my point still stands.
She did have a hell of a life. I’m no fan of Elizabeth, as y’all must know by now, but there is no denying the role she’s had in modern history. It is not deifying her to say that. There are going to be so many changes from here on out. I definitely had it in my head she’d live at least as long as her mother did.
But what did she actually do? What were her contributions to her ‘realm’? She carried out her ceremonial roles, always, and…what? Those ceremonial roles were created long ago, she didn’t have to come up with anything, she changed nothing, initiated nothing. What’s her legacy, exactly?
BeanieBean, I think Swirlmaman stated it well above. She said that Elizabeth was an iconic historical figure. I think that really describes her. I don’t think that she was required to “do” anything beyond live as long as she did. Certainly, she’s someone most people know about–I think. It’s tough to know if the young people in the US ever gave any thought to her.
I think this is where the US and UK show one of the biggest differences. I have the same questions as you, but I believe the people in the UK believed in Elizabeth and it was somewhat comforting to them that she was the head of state.
That’s all I got.
She facilitated and turned a blind eye to colonialism, racism, sexism, abuse, neglect. She fed her daughter in law and granddaughter in law to the wolves. She has done a million bad things.
She has also had immense privilege, and lived in a VERY gilded ‘cage.’ I’m hesitant to use the word cage, because although I personally would never want to be famous, I would be ever so grateful to not be crushed by the cost of living crisis.
She got to sit around and do nothing. She got to cut ribbons and eat cakes. She got to meet with some VERY interesting people. She got to wear gorgeous jewels, fancy clothes.
She got to have an inordinate amount of influence without being elected.
I am as anti-monarchy as you can be. However, I don’t know how someone could deny the fact she had a hell of a life. Visiting over 100 countries in your lifetime? I should be so lucky. Being in history books because you were simply ejected from the ‘correct’ womb? Madness. But she is not a blip. We only know a fraction of the ways she’s quietly influenced the UK, generally not for the better.
No this is not a clone of the real Celebitchy website. We’re doing what civilized people do when a world figure as important as the Queen passes — we offer condolences and sympathy. Today is not a day for any of us to be celebrating her death and gleefully waiting for all hell to break loose in her family.
@Oh Really: You said it. Right down to the expressions of “shock” at the death of a 96 yr. old person. This is why I’ve never quite believed those who said that when the queen dies, Charles will be deeply unpopular. Nope because now all the affection, deference and widespread protection which was lavished on the queen will now transfer to Charles as the monarch, thereby continuing the royal cycle.
@Oh really I agree. Black Twitter and kind of Irish Twitter had the best responses to this event. Irish Twitter said “Lizzy in a box” and have been showing their tails and Black Twitter has been so on point. I love my people 🥴
Rest In Peace QEII. She had a rough few years but as far as we know, her relationships with her family members were solid.
There a people who you just cannot imagine not being there and she was one of them.
It’s truly the end of an era. From her being a mechanic during WWII to marrying someone she truly loved …. she saw a lot and did a lot. May her memory be for a blessing and may those who loved her as a mother, grandmother and great-grandmother be comforted. I’m glad she got to meet Lilibet.
We knew this was coming yet it’s still sad. It’s going to take me a long time to get used to ‘King of Britain.’ Wishing the family peace.
I can’t see or read ‘King of Britain’ without thinking of monty python- KING OF THE WHOOOOO. WELL I DIDN’T VOTE FOR YOU!! 😀 😀 😀
RIP Queen Elizabeth II. My question is will Prince Harry now have security? Did Prince Harry make it to Balmoral & perhaps the security was the issue? I’m praying for the Duke & Duchess Sussex and Prince Archie & Princess Lilibeth (will Archie and Lilli have those titles?)
The grandchildren of the monarch are automatically entitled to ‘Prince’ and ‘Princess’, though as the Earl of Wessex and his children show they are not required to use them. Actually officially removing them would require an amendment to the Letters Patent dictating which styles the various members of the Royal Family are permitted to use, which would be SUCH a terribly bad look for…King Charles III.
I was gonna write Queenie. Not sure what sort of nickname to use for Charles now, Prinny is out.
I’m going with “King Prince Charles” from someone clever on Twitter!
She served her country for a long time. That’s about the only nice thing I can say. Good luck to King Chuck; he’s gonna need it.
Not in the mood for the hate and speculation today. Please appreciate the Queen as a historical figure and an icon of our time.
Condolences to the family. She lived to 96 and lived a life no one can even dream of other than a handful. Good luck to the new King and Queen. They’ll need it.
Well I didn’t expect to cry when the Queen passed but here I am crying. Rest in peace Queen Elizabeth.
I would guess that she passed away shortly after the first statement from Buckingham Palace that said she was resting comfortably. The second statement said she passed this “afternoon”. In between her passing and the announcing of her death, family, government officials, commonwealth heads of state, world leaders, and also media such as BBC had to be briefed before the statement to the public. That takes sometime to do. If I had to guess, only Charles and Anne were with her when she passed (I hope they made it in time). The car with William, Andrew, Sophie and Edward didn’t arrive to Sandringham until 5 pm. I actually understand why they didn’t wait until Harry got there to announce – depending on how far away he was, there could have been leaks before he got there if it means waiting hours more to announce. And she had already died likely hours before which he would have been notified of – it’s not like he was making it in time to say last goodbyes. What I’m more curious about was why wasn’t he on the same plane to Scotland that the rest of the senior royals were – his choice or theirs? And perhaps the answer was he was still in Germany or too far away from the airport they were leaving from to travel with them which is also very possible.
Harry just got there to Balmoral at 8pm Balmoral time, so I’m sure they wanted to the make the announcement before that so it could make the evening news etc.
Yes and Harry actually did fly to Aberdeen airport – he got in a car at Aberdeen airport to travel to Balmoral (same thing that William/Andrew/Edward/Sophie did). I wonder if he couldn’t make that first flight and/or there was a different reason he wasn’t on the flight with the others.
That’s possible but I’m iffy on it. It still would have made BBC at 10 and other programs. It’s not like pre-social media and pre-internet when you had to make a certain timeslot, period, before next day. And I don’t know about leaks. They clearly kept her death secret for most of the day, I don’t think a couple of hours would have made that difference. But that’s me.
I agree. I think only Charles and Anne were by her side. Everyone else arrived after.
She must have been in the throes of death if not already dead when the first announcement was made. Information was embargoed. All kinds of messages about getting ready were being sent around.
So…on to whether HRHs Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet get to keep their titles that they technically have now…
I think the Queen dies earlier today and they waited for the family to be there to announce it and kiss Charles’s ring.
Now the real drama begins….
As I’ve said before, I will mourn the queen as she mourned Diana.
OK
Ditto.
Does that mean you’re going arrange for her coffin to be solemnly carted around London? Lower the flags to half staff? Put on a giant-ass royal funeral? Give a speech on the telly? Diana was mourned publicly, in a big way.
I know many will make drama about Harry not visiting Balmoral before the Queen died and that he’ll regret it. I disagree. Both Harry and Meghan went out of their way to spend quality time with her twice this year and brought their children. I’m sure his final moments with her were lovely.
Hopefully they were and not the sparse 15 minutes the BM claimed.
Hearing that the Queen died didn’t really give me that emotional gut punch that others are getting. But hearing the phrase “King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla” did for some reason. Like I guess a subconscious and not at all logical part of my brain thought that the Queen would go on being the Queen even though she’s dead. She would just be the dead Queen, the Queen of England would be a dead person. And like, I know that’s not how it works at all, but I think maybe the quickness of the transition is what got me. The second she died, he became King. The person who will have a funeral and be buried isn’t actually “the Queen,” you know?
So, Charles has the top job and Camilla is Queen.
William and Kate are now Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and now have access to the immense wealth that comes with the Duchy. I’m assuming that gives Charles even less control over William now that he has access to his own pot of money as the Heir Apparent.
Most importantly, Archie and Lilibet are now HRH Prince Archie and HRH Princess Lilibet much to the chagrin of the racists in the family and the country. It will be interesting to see if Charles makes any attempts to strip them of their titles.
I would actually be pretty shocked if Charles stripped Archie and Lillibet of titles – even he has to realize that would play very badly – but I can definitely see him stripping Harry and Meghan of theirs – is that even possible for him to do?
It would take an act of parliament, and once he opens that pandora’s box, it would be hard to go back. Who gets a title? only working royals? Okay so Duke of York loses his. Actually wait, almost everyone loses their titles except for the working royals? You have to promise to never criticize the monarch? It would just be a huge mess and the Duke of Northumberland is not letting Charles come for his title. Or whoever.
The consensus in previous discussion on this topic was that it is possible but that it would open a huge Pandora’s box if they were to strip Harry and Meghan of their titles so they were unlikely to try it.
Charles won’t strip anyone of their titles. That would be an utter shit way to start his reign.
Charles cannot take away Harry’s ducal title without Parliament. Charles CAN (but most likely won’t) take away the “HRH” title, as that is given/taken away at the monarch’s whim.
Ok got it, thanks for the info. I agree I don’t think anyone’s titles will be stripped then.
Siobhan, One of the issues of stripping the duke & duchess title is that Meghan would be called Princess Meghan (I know, it should be Princess Henry). I just don’t think the brf wants that to happen although many people are already doing that.
Plus, I want to hear how Parliament would explain why the Duke of Windsor kept his HRH and title. You remember? The Nazi collaborator? Yeah, there’s a can of worms they don’t want to open. They would need to if they went in that direction, because too many of us remember WWII.
Charles won’t strip them of their titles, but I have no doubt there will be a lot of courtiers and comms people who don’t want Archie and Lili to be HRHs.
Thankfully, Harry and Meghan are likely to prefer the kids remain styled with regular first and last names. I hope Meghan makes them squirm for a bit while she ponders it, but royal names just don’t make sense on American kids.
I won’t be shocked and I don’t really care at this point. They do not deserve Harry and his family. Harry and Meghan will carry on and I will still be their fan.
Congrats to Prince Archie and Princess Lili. I hope they get to keep those.
????
I’d actually be shocked if Charles and that “family” allowed Harry’s children to get a title. It’s quite possible that they retroactively changed the rules and kept it quiet. I’m sure that the BM would (for once) have kept quiet about it because it would look suspicious, and they don’t mind protecting the BRF. If I’m wrong, I’ll gladly admit it but from what I’ve seen of these people, I don’t think so.
The death of the Queen means that Archie is now technically a prince and Lilibet is a princess. Charles would have to issue a Letters Patent revoking Archie’s and Lili’s right to be a prince and princess, the other members of the “family” have nothing to do with it. And I don’t think that’s top of his to-do list now that he is monarch. It would be VERY bad optics if he did.
Charles strikes me as one of the more strategically smarter Royals (although that is no contest).
I cannot see him stripping the first biracial family members of their titles. I can see him closing the door so their children don’t get titles – but given the fragility of the UK, the union and the commonwealth it would be a terrible own goal and horrible optically.
I can actually see Chuck wanting to pull H&M closer to get some of that star power.
May there be Corgis and tiaras in heaven.
I hope she was welcomed by all her corgis on the other side! May she rest in peace.
I think the last estimate was 30-someodd corgis during her lifetime? One heck of a Welcome Wagon…pulled by corgis, laden with ice and gin.
That sounds amazing 🙂
I read about her first corgi, Susan. She loved Susan so much she snuck her into the wedding carriage. Queen Elizabeth deserves to be with Susan again.
I don’t admire the Royal Family but I admire her for her life of service and deification to her role, she worked right up until the end.
Ah this is sad.
I was in court (via zoom) just before the announcement of her death. The court registrars in Ontario close court by saying “long live the Queen”. I commented to the registrar that it was likely the last time she would say that and then the news broke. It was eerie.
Not sad – she had a long live and she died peacefully – but it is certainly the end of an era. And, quite frankly, I hope the end of the entire institution soon too. The monarchy, the UK – the more symbols of colonizer power that go away, the better. And I hope Prince Andrew is kicked out for good. I’m just going to enjoy the gossip and political intrigue that follows all of this.
Agree wholeheartedly.
Yep, feel the same. And so who inherits the golden piano? Charles? Can it be melted down to help the cost of living crisis?
It’s gilded wood, so no, no melting it down.
I think since it was a gift from the piano maker to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert primarily so the piano maker could show off to the aristocracy of Europe how amazing they were at making awesome pianos (very effective advertising strategy back then) that it is officially considered a possession of “The Crown” and not a personal family heirloom. Sooo, officially, it is passed on to the next monarch when the current one dies, but realistically speaking it belongs to the UK government and it has more value as an historical artifact than as a source of materials.
Although the ivory and ebony keys might fetch a bit, and I suppose it is POSSIBLE to scrape the gold off of the wood…hrm, might be something to revisit in a year or two if the ‘things getting worse’ doesn’t stop.
RIP the Queen. Not always a fan of actions and reactions since Harry & Meghan, but the lady is a work force and has kept her promise to dedicate her life to her country till the end. Bravo for your reign.
Seconded. I don’t like her behavior (somewhat) in the last few years regarding certain people, but I respect her dedication.
Geez, I wish they’d let them take a photo of the two Lilibets though. That was so mean and catty to do, and now they never can.
Mean and catty? I’m sure the Sussexes took several photos of the Queen with Lilibet and Archie for their OWN PERSONAL COLLECTION but certainly not about to share with the whole world. You know how intensely private they are.
My impression of the whole situation was that they weren’t allowed to take photos at all, by whoever was around the queen, for fear they might show photos online.
Like, I’d like to hope they at least were allowed to take private ones, but it didn’t sound like that?
No matter what stage of my life, The Queen has always been there. She was a beacon, an icon. I will miss her.
Rest in peace, Your Majesty.
RIP QEII – am sure Phil, Margaret and her parents were waiting with a large Dubonuet for her.
I think King Charles III will be a much better King than anyone thinks – he just needs to sort the family drama out first but thats a conversation to have another day as things are going to start getting very interesting on that front.
I think she passed early afternoon and they were waiting for the family and other heads of gov for the commonwealth to be notified before announcing it. I read her body will return to London tomorrow along with the new King and Queen Consort with her funeral in about 10 days time.
You are probably right regarding Charles being King, but I think for many people the anticipated issues with his reign had more to do with the circumstances surrounding it than anything Charles himself would do or not do.
Like, in order for him to be King we first had to have Queenie die, and there is the simple fact that the monarchy in general is unpopular, has been for quite some time, and that the one consistent bit of popularity the monarchy had (before H&M made it big) was Queenie herself. Add in the events of the last…six? Seven years? And the fact that the one who will come after Charles has been starting to look even WORSE than Charles for the last five years or so?
Yeah, Charles himself is the least of Charles’s issues.
I do believe that Canada should leave the Commonwealth but I am sad at the Queen’s passing.
I’m sure rapist Andrew is thanking his lucky stars that before she died, the Queen settled the sexual abuse payoff to Virginia Roberts Giuffre. I doubt Charles would have been as charitable. I would bet, though, that the Queen will leave a huge chunk of her private estate to her favourite son so he can continue to lord his inherited position and privilege over the rest of us peasants.
Please read “And What Do You Do? What The Royal Family Don’t Want You To Know”, by Norman Baker. That book was an eyeopener for me.
They can’t. I am a Canadian and as I understand it, it would have to be a total reset of government if we gave up the monarchy, which no one would want atm.
Canadian here — it would be an near impossible task to manage each province’s referendum and the 30+ separate treaties our First Nations’ peoples have with the crown. It would take a total rewrite of our constitution and a lengthy search for a Canadian “regent”. Not gonna happen.
“My whole life whether it be long or short…” and she meant it. Sincere condolences to her family.
Sad to hear that the Queen is gone. Like many others, she has been a presence my whole life. Heartfelt sympathy to Harry for the loss of his grandmother. He left no doubt of his loyalty, love, and respect for her. I’m sure he felt her support.
Now is time to end the monarchy. Elizabeth was worthy but the remaining lot are worthless. There cannot be a monarchy if we are to progress as a society
To our UK/Commonwealth commentors & writers, I can’t imagine how you’re feeling.
I’m nearly 50 and it feels like a very strange historic day. QEII has always been here, during my lifetime, and now she isn’t. I expected her to live until at least 100.
I send my best wishes to everyone who is mourning today. And to Elizabeth II, RIP and long live the Queen.
Co-sign! I’m almost 50 and she’d been Queen nearly a quarter century when I was born.
This. I wouldn’t say I’m sad, but I feel the momentousness strongly.
Now that she’s passed, Will Charles reset or will they continue on as usual? I’m sick of people attacking the Sussexes. The Queen lived a long life, and there is a new monarch.
King Chuck III has a ruthless streak which am sure will make itself known in due course – I hope for his sake that he deals with the leaks and counter press briefings being made by other factions in the family, he needs to unify them under him otherwise he might be the last British Monarch.
Now that he has the top job and will be supported by his own courtiers, the coming months will be interesting esp with regards to the Sussex’s. I think we might be surprised by the moves he makes there.
Charles has been in control the past two years. The attacks won’t relent.
I didn’t expect to cry at the news of her passing, but here we are. The RF isn’t without its faults (obviously) but I have always admired the Queen’s dedication to her duty. I can’t wrap my head around the fact that Charles is King and Camilla Queen Consort though. I was a tween when Diana died and it upset me for a long time…and then I found myself married to a cheater and I gained even more dislike for Charles. Such a weird day with mixed emotions. I was really looking forward to her Christmas speech this year…I needed it after the terrible year I’ve had. I do wish Charles the best in his reign. The Queen is dead! Long live the King!
People can scold me and tell me “now is not the time,” but I still have suspicions that those around her did not have her best interests in mind. A woman her age should not have been exposed to Covid. But, wearing N95 masks and socially distancing would have made her look weak, and appearances are all that matters. A woman her age should be allowed to use a wheelchair for comfort, but that would make her look weak, and looks are all that matters. Was it the queen making those decisions? I guess we’ll never know. But on the other hand, I suppose a monarch is SOLELY about appearance and symbolism, so maybe that was the right call, otherwise why have a monarch?
She has repeatedly told the public she never recovered from getting COVID this winter. It absolutely hastened her death. It was completely irresponsible and if this family didn’t feel so compelled to play act the government’s wishes it wouldn’t have happened.
I agree with you totally. Very irresponsible of them (the firm ) to give covid to her. She would’ve lasted until 100 or more with the exercise, lifestyle and wealth she possessed.
I’ve witnessed some elderly people and especially ones who are really up there in age and have pre-existing conditions treat Covid a lot differently than was recommended, i.e. they had the attitude that they lived a long life and if THIS should kill them, so be it. I’m not saying it’s right but there’s nothing you can do when old people get stubborn.
Rest in peace Betty. I didn’t expect her to go today.
Let the fireworks begin. I winder if Harry will delay his book?
Have there been any updates on the timing for the books release ?
I doubt it. His publisher doesn’t follow royal rules. In fact, I think it’s better that his memoir is coming after the Queen’s death, after her funeral and after the official mourning period. And I’m sure Harry didn’t say anything bad about HER in his book.
Did, did CNN just refer to William as Prince Harry’s brother? I think it was awkwardly worded because they were commenting on Harry’s arrival at Balmoral, but let’s face it, CNN was reporting on the American prince. It was not so long ago that even an American network would not have prioritized reporting on Harry over William.
@BettyRose, I’m so glad someone else noticed that!! I did a double-take when I heard it. And I have to admit I laughed, so thank you to whoever it was that said it for bringing a bit of levity to this day.
(I mean, to most Americans, that’s really who he is now. “Harry’s brother.”)
I will say this, being the 2nd son of the king is a hell of a lot different from being one of many grandchildren of the monarch. Just saying. It’s back to William and Harry. I hope both Harry and Meghan are getting love and support because people will turn their grief and anger in them. My heart goes out to them and them only. As for Charles, this is now his show to run so let’s see if he stays self-pitying and resentful or get to reshaping things because he doesn’t have much time.
Rip. Almost a century. it’s a good long life.
Condolences to the family. It is family even with long years.
Does anyone know when the funeral is likely to be? I’m just wondering whether William will still come to USA on September 21. (I can see both ways — it’s an excuse to cancel a visit that was not likely to be popular; or, with the queen’s death William may enjoy displaced sympathy and warm thoughts and have a short-term boost to his popularity, which would made him even more likely to visit).
The funeral of a reigning monarch is typically 10 – 12 days after their death. She will lie in state at Holyroodhouse Palace in Edinburgh for a couple of days then to London where she will lie in state at Buckingham Palace before the funeral.
I think she is going to lie in state at St Giles Cathedral on the Royal Mile rather than the Palace of HolyroodHouse. I think there will also be a virgil of Princes there as well.
I saw a schedule for the next ten days. There are several events but I believe the official service is Saturday, moving the coffin back to London on Sunday, and on Monday they will have the Westminster procession. I could be wrong though, as I was reading it as “Day 1, Day 2,” etc and having to figure out the days of the week.
I will be in London this Monday, for several days, for a first time visit. I certainly never expected THIS!
Popular or not, the trip is unnecessary. Now that William is next in line, Charles may have some duties he’d want William to assume at home.
R.I.P. Queen Elizabeth.
When I saw William driving, with A, Edward, Sophie I knew time was short.
It jarred me to see William at the wheel, until I realized he was driving because A, Edward has lost their Mother.
For those of us with little family left, every death or loss hits close to home.
My condolences and sympathy to her family and others in her life who loved her.
My best wishes to the people in the countries who have lost their Head of State and as you navigate what comes next.
I cannot say God save the King since I don’t think there should be one, but until hereditary rule is abolished, I wish Charles wisdom and humility as he steps into his new role. May he rule with compassion, grace, and a firm resolve to making himself (and all who would come after) redundant.
Well said.
A lot of good and bad happened on the queen’s watch. The US media is bringing up the good and bad. She’s one for the history books. May she rest in peace.
Now King Charles III. I wonder how he will deal with the Sussexes. Harry was in the car to Balmoral and he was a mess. If Charles were smart he cleans up KP’s mess with the Sussexes after the mourning period. Andrew has a lot to worry about now. His mother is gone and no longer around to shield him.
Harry got there an hour after the announcement of her death, I assume they will all come back to London/Windsor tomorrow.
The truth is she will be remembered for her longevity and Diana and not much else. History happened around her but she was never truly involved in it nor was she involved in change movements. What we do know from leaks and private papers is that she was a nationalist right wing reactionary.
She is iconic solely because of her longevity – just like Queen Victoria. That’s it.
The two longest reigning monarchs, both very traditionalist women. Victoria reigned at the height of the empire,while Elizabeth saw it’s sunset. A friend in Australia, who is quite upset, feels like they should be a republic now. Next steps are true independence of the Commonwealth. There will be a honeymoon period for Charles III ( he must be secretly relieved he’s finally made it), but it will either just plod along to William, or the government may start demanding concessions. TBD.
I am old and the Queen was the one figure I knew of in my life who was alive (all my older family members died a long time ago). My thoughts are a bit incoherent but here they go:
A). Well done, Ma’am. You greeted a prime minister just the day before you died. You went out working.
B). The Queen had so much good will from the public because she started so young, because she dedicated her life to the job, and because she was brave and pretty.
c) As Helen Mirren said, “I’m a Queenist, not a Monarchist”. I feel that way. My best hope for the future is that King Charles III will work hard on the logistics of dismantling the Monarchy OR of making it more like the ones in Denmark, Spain, the Netherlands, etc.
d). When I hear “God Save the King” for the first time, I’m likely to burst into tears.
e). There was a lovely period in from the 1970’s up until the annis horribilus and to a lesser extent until the deaths of Diana, Margaret, and the Queen Mum when the royals were so CAMPY and fun to observe.
Perfect observations. I’ve actually felt that Charles might be ok, might even prefer, himself to be the last king. I know that he can’t make that determination himself, but I feel that he would welcome the idea of himself as the last monarch and maybe set himself and the role of the monarchy under his rule such that it’s more likely – there’s also something about that idea that would likely appeal to whatever narcissistic tendencies he might have. He also seems to be somewhat of a realist and he must know the winds are blowing that direction whether he’s onboard or not. I imagine several of the royal residences will become full time museums without royals ever in residence as an almost immediate start. I actually think William would likely be relieved if Charles were the last monarch as well. There will never be a King George.
I’m going to go back upthread to read more comments, so if this is redundant I apologize. I just want to note that currently the top 3 trending stories on Twitter are the Queen (of course), Harry and Andrew. Guess who doesn’t give a rip about oh so popular in the US Willy??!!??
I mentioned upthread that CNN sort of referred to William as Harry’s brother when commenting on Harry’s arrival at Balmoral. It does feel like Harry is being viewed as an American royal by American outlets. I could be projecting though.
I said in another thread, early this morning my local news station said Prince Harry and Meaghan Markle are on their way to Balmoral, along with most of the other royal family members. That shows we don’t consider William our Prince, but we do Harry.
She was a racist classist elite who let decades of her subjects suffer up to and including now. I used to love her. But after decades seeing the blatant racism and what she did to Meghan and the Sussex family, the disabled poor and indigenous worldwide never mind Princess Diana with no restitution offered I think she deserves to burn in hell over and over again. Or whatever she deserves whom am I to judge but someone with a poor opinion of white suprémist institutions
Thank you. Well said. Truth needs to be told and everytime is always the right time for it.
You said a whole word. Exactly. Africans were slain and terrorized on her watch or in her name, jewels stolen and never returned, land stolen and never returned. So I mean it is what it is 😕
I’m very much indifferent to Q Elizabeth II, she was the queen of the UK for the majority of my life, I live in the US and am in my late 20’s I never forgot finding out about her disabled cousins and was shocked at how they were locked away and none of them came to visit those cousins! I think that is what turned me off from her, like how can you treat disabled people like that
I’m not surprised she passed (I’d been calling it for a few weeks she wouldn’t live to see the end of September) and while I wasn’t really a QEII fan, I can appreciate her long service and dedication to the United Kingdom and to the Commonwealth. She witnessed so much significant history and change during the 20th century and she lived a very interesting, full, and chaotic life. My condolences to the BRF, especially Harry who I’m glad got to be in the UK when it happened if not at her bedside. There will be a lot of drama once the dust settles but I hope the BRF can come together for once and not be petty (William and Kate, looking at you both).
What happened between the photo with the new PM and today? Do you think she had a fall? Or a heart attack or stroke? I know she was 96 but it still seems like it happened fast, considering she was on her feet just 48 hours before. My own mom was 95 when she died last year and her passing took a few days.
Maybe it was a Weekend At Bernie’s situation? (No seriously, QEII’s hands were mottled in those photos with the new PM, like her body was already shutting down).
To me, her hands looked like they were bruised from regular use of a drip that was probably placed there.
My guess is she’d been having TIAs (a transient ischaemic or “mini stroke” which is caused by a temporary disruption in the blood supply to part of the brain) and finally suffered the big one. They usually presage a much bigger stroke.
Maybe she was holding on long enough to ensure that the giant knob otherwise known as Boris Johnson would have no part in her state funeral. Her final gift to her people.
I hope we find out sometime. This did all seem kinda sudden.
I am amused she got ONE more PM in under the wire, as it were.
It only seems sudden, to me, because Andrew wasn’t there, at the end of a summer where he has propped himself up to be her constant companion. The fact he had to fly in has me side-eying the hell out of him, even more than usual.
I think it can happen that quickly especially at that age. My grandmother (90) decided she was ready to go in early august, she went off her meds and died 2 days later. I think sometimes the only thing keeping your body going is your mind, and when you decide to leave your body can shut down very quickly.
I think she has been essentially in a hospice situation for weeks or months. I think people in her family knew she had some serious health problems – beyond “mobility issues” that weren’t disclosed to the public and that she didn’t have very long. The fact that Charles was making daily visits to her for weeks which is highly unusual for him is telling. Still, the fact that Andrew wasn’t there tells me that the end came faster than the family thought it would.
Other family could keep in video contact with her if she was up to it. I know Harry has been doing that for a long time, so she could see her grandchildren as they grew, I imagine the others have been similarly connected.
Ain’t modern technology grand? All we had in my extreme youth was snailmail letters, telegrams, and an occasional very brief and very expensive long-distance phone call.
“Her eldest son Charles, 73, automatically becomes king of the United Kingdom and the head of state of 14 other realms including Australia, Canada and New Zealand.”
I love how they only name the white realms. (Though not Northern Ireland.)
Say good-bye to your prized realms in 5…4…3…2…
@ThatsNotOkay
I don’t disagree with you, but Canada, NZ, and Australia are specifically named because only in those “realms” 🙄 is the monarch *automatically* the Head of State, even during transition. In many of the other Commonwealth countries, legislation or a full referendum is required to confirm the new monarch as Head of State. In some, their constitution explicitly says *The Queen* is Head of State, so that would require a full legislative amendment.
But yes, the undertones are there.
Northern Ireland is part of the UK.
You’re right, so ignore that part!
“‘Her eldest son Charles, 73, automatically becomes king of the United Kingdom…'”. @thatsnotokay, I mentioned to a neighbor a little while ago that the Queen had passed away and her first comment was: oh, so William is going to be king now?! There really are people out there who think the succession is going to skip a generation! 😂
My husband asked me the same thing and he was born in South Africa. His mother’s family lived in England for a while.
Also there are people here (probably who get their royal news through breakfast TV here) who genuinely think that it’s a shame it’s not William and ‘he does good stuff for mental health through the FA cup’ unquote.
I’m just shaking my head.
As an Australian Two things spring to mind. What will happen with our currency because her image is on the back of our coins. Secondly will this bring forward another referendum on whether Australia should be become a republic?
As an American, everyone on our money is long deceased. I don’t think there’s going to be rush to change the images on your coins. But, that would be interesting.
There’s deceased PMs on our bills but it’s QE2 on the back of every coin and bill. It’s been updated over the years as she aged.
I read (I think it was on the ABC) that they’re going to wait on the referendum until Albo’s second term (please God).
Also was so relieved that it was Albo and not Smirko delivering the tribute to Her Maj,
I wonder how long the Commonwealth will last now. It seems there have been rumblings elsewhere besides Australia.
They’ll have to put Charles on our money, like they will in the UK. It’s not like the US where it’s only historical figures, we have the image of the reigning monarch on one side of all our money. Personally it makes me glad I’m mostly cash-free!
Obviously money with the Queen’s face will still be valid but eventually it will be Charles. I do think we’ll become a republic but not in the next referendum. There will be nostalgia and goodwill for the Queen, plus a lot of votes from people who are just shy of change because we’re not sure what an Australia without a monarch and the governor general looks like so want to keep things as they are. Scotland is likely to change at the first opportunity. Maybe in a decade or so we will, but definitely not for a while.
It’s been difficult to figure out when the funeral will be. According to one source, The Guardian in 2017 reported that the funeral would be 9 days following TQ’s death. If that’s true, it would be on Saturday, September 17. There was a comment that when her coffin left Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall, William and Harry would be walking behind. That’s supposedly on Wednesday, September 14. World leader begin arriving on Thursday, September 15. That’s what I’ve been able to find. I have no idea if this is correct or not.
AFAIK there’s a 10-day mourning period, and at some point in that period there’s a funeral and a coronation. Seems like there’s a bit of travel for the coffin to different points in the realm. Skimmed The Guardian article “The Queen’s funeral: what we can expect over the next 10 days.” Wonder how this will affect PW’s efforts to take over USA and UN next week for his Earthspit prize.
No matter what you think of the monarchy, she was a woman who was thrust into a responsibility, and spent her life trying to fulfill those responsibilities. Rest in Peace, Queen Elizabeth.
It’s hard to imagine a world without the queen in it. I’m glad for her that she was able to perform some of her duties until close to the end and that she died in her favorite place. Rest in peace Queen Elizabeth. Long live King Charles. May he reign with compassion, generosity, and dignity.
So many emotions. Sadness and disbelief mostly. She was a constant in so many lives, though few of us met her or even saw her in person. She was such a seemingly immortal symbol that it will be difficult to picture the UK without her. I hope her journey was peaceful and that she was greeted with open arms by her departed loved ones, especially her beloved father and the handsome Navy officer she fell in love with.
😢
May she Rest In Peace after a wonderfully long life. I’m certainly not a monarchist, but I respect her devotion and work up until the very end.
The fail has already gone bonkers online….all about H&M. Good grief.
And yet, here you are! Stay classy!
I wouldn’t consider this a tragedy. She lived a long, full life of wealth and comfort. It’s sad for her family, but plenty among us don’t get to die peacefully at age 96. That’s a privilege for any of us to achieve. More than anything, it’ll have interesting implications for where the monarchy goes next.
I 100% agree. She lived a long life of tremendous privilege. She never had to worry about childcare or paying a mortgage; her days were filled with expensive outfits and luxury travel to ribbon-cutting events. I really don’t care about what happens to her in the afterlife. But, I find it hard to muster tears for her and her ‘service.’
She had a long run and was at the top of society. It’s the end of an era but not sad. What I’m hoping is with her gone, as the shield, these people will back off the Sussexes and the other royals will be more accountable. It is a bloated institution and who knows how Charles will do. I don’t think these people will change for the better but maybe they’ll just settle down and fade into the background of civic life.
Well of all the random coincidences, I think I’ll be in London for the funeral!
I’ll be in London from Monday to Thursday, so it seems like a pretty historic time!
My heart, as always, is with all indigenous and black and brown folks impacted by the royal family’s imperialism. That’s it.
The pearly gates opened and Diana was there and took her arm and walked her to her loved ones ………
@Wendy lol no 😂
If anything Di would dropkick Betty down to hell
It would be her husband, parents and sister imo who would meet her imo
Her parents would greet her
I do not think so
The Fail reported Charles and Anne were at her bedside when she died. Harry, William , Andrew, Edward and Sophie didn’t make it in time.
Queen Elizabeth did the best she could in some pretty unprecedented times and let’s remember she wasn’t really supposed to be queen when she was born but she handled it all as best she could. She modernized the monarchy as best she could. She did the best she could as a mother and wife under extraordinary circumstances. She saw her nation through trying times as best as she could. She carried on as best she could. We can decide later on if her best was enough but I will choose to genuinely believe she was a good woman who just tried her very best.
It’s the end of an era. She’s the last connection with the WWII generation. She was out there doing her bit as a car mechanic during the war.
She got blindsided when her dad died so young and she had to become Queen before her children were grown. Monkey wrench (oops, spanner) in the works, so to speak. She certainly died with her boots on, though.
She represented stability and steadfastness. It’s the end of an era for England. I hope Charles can bring peace and closure to his family and his country.
What bothers me is the spin of the great c an c love story spin plus one network talking about Charles being Diana widower which was not the case since there was a divorce
I am staunchly anti-monarchy but this truly is the end of an era. There’s going to be enormous upheaval, and it’s wild how many people have only ever known the Queen as their monarch. My parents do remember back to when George VI was king but they were very small children and my mum said she can’t remember a time when her face wasn’t on our currency. My dad does, but only because he’s originally from England.
I live in a commonwealth nation and it’s going to be bizarre having Charles’ mug on our money. I saw the Queen once when she did a drive-by of my primary school and it was such a big deal for us.
The upheaval will come with things both big and small. The small: the changes to our currency, and changing from ‘God Save The Queen’ to ‘God Save The King’. The big: Countries like mine and Scotland, who are on the precipice of becoming republics, losing all the goodwill votes to retain the monarchy. Scotland is entirely dependent on goodwill towards the Queen. My country is also to a large degree but probably won’t hit the tipping point for another decade. Finally Northern Ireland might be able to gain independence.
It’s almost certainly the last time England will ever have a Queen. I really do believe the monarchy will die during William’s time.