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Today is one of those rare days when I will remember where I was when I got the news. I have had great respect for Queen Elizabeth II since before my teens, and that respect has only grown over the years. I was fortunate to see her and Prince Phillip in person during our American Bicentennial year in 1976. I was traveling to Pennsylvania with my parents and sister. Somewhere along the way, possibly near Washington D.C., the Queen and her husband were helping to plant a memorial tree. I saw her from a distance putting a shovel of dirt on the tree. Then I ran to the exit where she was going to be driving out. She and Phillip were in a limo with an open top. They were standing up and waving to the crowd as they made their exit. I pointed my camera to get a good picture. I was looking through the viewfinder until they were within about 20 feet of me. I could see them so clearly, and the Queen seemed to be looking right at me. I pressed the button to take the picture. I was so happy as they passed by. A moment later, I looked down at my camera and saw to my horror that I had forgotten to remove the lens cover. I had snapped a photo of blackness! Over the years I have wished many times that I had that picture, including today. Farewell Queen Elizabeth and best of luck to King Charles!
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I found out when I booted my computer yesterday- it was a headline square in my 'Start' menu. I think it's appropriate that I minced & euphemized my cussword: Oh fart.
She had been fading for awhile- a full life to be celebrated. For once something is taking over the news and chatter that isn't a horror.
My maternal grandmother was born in England and was quite the monarchist. (She died the end of 2013)
On the subject of horrors I had hoped that this would drown out the official gibbering about a killing spree that started Sunday, with the final suspect stopped Wednesday. Local news still had the majority of it the killer yesterday, dang it. (A pair of brothers who had bloodily demonstrated that they were very willing to use a knife (10 dead, 18 injured) held half the province in fear and lockdown for half a week. You don't need a gun to accomplish that.)-
Queen Elizabeth did indeed live a full and remarkable life worthy of celebration. Her dedication and service to others is what I admire most about her.
Sorry for the horror. My condolences for the victims. South of the CanAm border, we have mass shootings almost every day. I wish we had sensible gun laws down here!
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There has been a lot of talk about Scottish politics by commentators on multiple news shows, specifically about whether Scotland will continue as a part of Great Britain. Scotland had a referendum on independence a few years ago, but it did not pass. Since then, the independence movement has gained some steam. Judging from the emphasis on Scotland the past few days with respect to Queen Elizabeth's funeral and King Charles' (and extended family) presence and multiple speeches in Scotland, so far, it would seem that the British royal family is pulling out all the stops on trying to keep Scotland in the fold. There has even been talk that Queen Elizabeth made a deliberate choice to die in Scotland for the same reason. I don't know what will happen, but I think that Scottish people should be able to choose what is best for themselves.Comment
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Today, I watched part of the funeral ceremony for Queen Elizabeth. One thing that caught my attention were the pall bearers (referred to as "bearers of pall" by the commentator) who carried the Queen's coffin up the stairs into Windsor Castle. I noticed the royal crown, orb, and scepter on top of the coffin and wondered what would happen if the orb were to suddenly roll off and bounce down the stairs? But, after a moment, I realized that practical minded royal funeral planners probably thought about this and devised some way to secure the orb to the top of the coffin.
Overall, I thought the various aspects of Queen Elizabeth's funeral proceedings were very well done in the days since her passing. The British really know how to execute royal events with flair and precision! King Charles, for the most part, did quite well. However, I think the pressure and stress of the past ten days got to be just too much at least once. The minor incident dubbed "pengate", in which Charles nearly cursed while wiping ink off his hand, showed that he still has some work to do on his occasionally petulant side.Comment
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