Worst timing ever!
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I have a hazy recollection from some several years back of there being a future fiction miniseries where this basically happened. (The only thing I distinctly recall was a scene near the beginning with Charles at the funeral for the Queen letting out an exasperated, “finally!”) I also seem to recall a life-immitating-art plotline that depicted Prince Harry renouncing his position and becoming a commoner. I didn’t pay much attention beyond all that since none of that stuff ever really interested me.
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Was it this?
ETA: or maybe this?
Fun fact: that featured Big Suze from Peep Show, who in real life is a legit royal, albeit a very minor one.
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This meme needs an update. It’s been Three Buck Chuck for about a decade now!
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Yes… and no. I have no doubt that Elizabeth was, from the moment she was born, impressed with a sense of obligation and responsibility, and pressured to meet (and exceed) expectations for her role as future monarch. I won’t say it would have been impossible for her to quit, but it would have been incredibly difficult for her to break away from it all, and she’d have to face condemnation and hatred for the rest of her life for it. It’s not a good set of options, and I can feel a little sympathy for that.
This, basically. It’s complicated. I think it’s okay to acknowledge she did some good things in her role as Queen, but she also upheld policies that hurt her citizens, and shielded her family members who preyed on children, and it’s proper to condemn that, and her, for doing it.
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I saw this The Onion article earlier today and thought it was just another weird satirical piece.
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So, will they bury the corgis with her?
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This popped up on the WhatsApp group for my local craft beer place:
I was about to reply ‘too soon?’ - but really? This is not unexpected. She had a good 96 years, and was in good form up until pretty recently. She worked hard at what she saw was a duty, not excusing some of the awfulness linked with the monarchy but overall she wasn’t like some of our more recent political leaders…
My son messaged me to say “My main concern is David Attenborough is the same age … Can’t let him shake Liz Truss’ hand! That’s what it was!”
I think he’s right. Having to authenticate the Poundshop cosplay Thatcher to the role of PM had Liz saying “OK, that’s it, I’m outta here!!!”
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Oh god, he’s right! Now that would actually affect me.
Tbf, he probably hates Truss’ guts. But so did Brenda, quite possibly, and she still had to shake her hand.
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Sure, but pressure to meet social expectations is hardly the same as “slavery.” And it wasn’t exactly unheard of for a monarch to abdicate the throne—Elizabeth’s own uncle King Edward VIII did exactly that just 16 years before she became Queen.
(Also FWIW: the need to be a good queen wasn’t impressed upon her “from the moment she was born” since she didn’t become the heir apparent until after the aforementioned abdication)
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When I was in public high school (Washington State, USA, mid-1960s) we had to take a class somewhat aspirationally called “Contemporary World Problems.” Our teacher was obsessed with the British monarchy. She talked about them constantly and made us memorize the line of succession to the throne to the tenth place (it was on the final test). I never knew why she thought the royal family was so important–she was not the sort to abide anybody asking “why.”
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Land Rover mechanic dead at 96.
@KathyPartdeux beat me to it. Bears repeating, though. I’m very much anti-monarchy, but being that it’s well beyond my control, Liz seems about as good as you get.
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For absolutely no good reason I was really rooting for her to out-reign Louis XIV.
In any case, even though I knew it would be the case, the sudden deference to King Charles really brings home the strange nature of the monarchy. He’s not chosen, he just is. And now they’ll be minting chuck bucks in many commonwealth countries. In the words of a reluctant subject, “Supreme executive power derives from a mandate from the masses, not from some farcical aquatic ceremony.”
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I agree with your post, but this one part needs to be corrected a bit!
When she was born, she was merely the first child of the second son in line for the throne. She was still a child when her uncle abdicated, which put her father on the throne unexpectedly, which changed her position from just being a princess her whole life to being the monarch-in-waiting.
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If this is the sort of eulogy she deserves, and I believe it probably is, then why do we bother with them?
Surely it’s time to knock it on the head?
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I understand, and I agree, it wasn’t the same as slavery. I’m sorry.
But I do acknowledge how hard it would have been for Liz to turn her back on everything that was drummed into her since her birth-- she was literally raised to rule, and the pressure must have been immense. It would have been better if she’d chosen to use her power to create a more equitable system… but she didn’t.
Edit to add: @chgoliz is right, I wasn’t aware of that. It does put a slightly different spin on things.
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Well, from age ten or so anyway.
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See? Whenever I don’t read ahead before responding…
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