RIP Elizabeth II

[DrTiTus]

The Queen's dead. That's about all there is to this story.

https://twitter.com/RoyalFamily/stat...28275913121792

Happy Friday everybody.

[StN]

Well played Brian FM.

At around 05:40-ish just now, in full subtleness, they cranked out the debut single from 1973. Completely signaling their independence as a private radio station, and not adhering to the London Bridge falling protocol.

/Hmm - the clock is borked - it's 06:00 here...

[Ab]

This one gets its own thread.

[Ab]

The western world was very lucky to have her. Ends of empires are, historically, bloody powergrabs. Liz oversaw the end of the British Empire and it has been so orderly that hardly anyone has noticed.

If she was the last Queen of New Zealand and Australia, I’ll consider that a win.

[fixed_truth]

I'm surprised how many people seems to be pretty meh about it. I suppose loosely speaking interest level is positively correlated with age.

[Ab]

I live in the most English city in the southern hemisphere, and it's all anyone's talking about. With a totally unscientific survey and a sample size of fewer than 20 people, the sentiment seems to be "Oh fuck, Charles"

[[fe]]

Not all monarchs come across as class acts - but she did. RIP.
Kings with the name of Charles haven't had the best of times in the UK.

[StN]

Originally Posted by Ab

I live in the most English city in the southern hemisphere...

God Damned earthquake keeps takin' stuff from us!!!!

[Lightspeed]

RIP QEII.

[StN]

Took me way too long to work out that the colour had drained out of Google.

[Ab]

OK, so the Disunited Kingdom. Whaddya reckon; reunited and strengthened by shared grief? or weakened as the glue that held it together disappears?

Just realised... Elizabeth's first Prime Minister was Winston Churchill. Her last was (checks notes) Liz Truss. The UK is not what it was.

[Lightspeed]

It's amazing how the Queen kept up her duties right until the end. It's like she got the new PM sorted out and decided that was enough of all that.

We will have to see what Charles is about. The UK and Europe are about to enter a dark winter, if there was a time for leadership it is now.

[Lightspeed]

[blynk]

Originally Posted by fixed_truth

I'm surprised how many people seems to be pretty meh about it. I suppose loosely speaking interest level is positively correlated with age.

Definitely age will have a big part of it.
Usually I will listen to one of the talkback radios on my drive in to work. Today I changed it to music.

She was a queen, lived long etc etc. But she was old, everyone knew it was coming, and it's not going to have a direct impact on my life, so Meh.

Yes, feel sorry for her family, like with any loss. But I am not going to sit here crying about someone that has nothing (emotionally) to do with me.

[_indigo1]

https://www.1news.co.nz/2022/09/09/n...-in-june-2023/

She's gone. Quick, change the locks . . .

[Ab]

PR off to a good start

https://twitter.com/BBCLauraKT/statu...71047892459523

https://twitter.com/theactualemma/st...689664/video/1

[_Incubus_]

I think the initial speeches from the new King were great, think the sharing of the privy council session with the world for the first time was great.

Loved the mourner who blanked Megan the most.

[DrTiTus]

We've all grown up with the Queen - she just existed when we were born, and it has always been that way.

As I watched the pomp and ceremony of Charles, I began to wonder: "What happens if a small child points out that he has no clothes?". Not literally of course, but it did make me question what happens if people just .. reject the new King/monarchy in general.

I'm not expecting it to actually happen - because people are too busy struggling to worry about why the world is set up like it is - but considering the current spotlight on inequality and fairness and rights and freedoms etc, it did feel out of place to watch a guy that no one particularly likes inherit the entire Commonwealth because "Mummy" (as he refers to her) died.

I'm not a royalist, so I just wonder how people think who do consider themselves royalists, or loyal to the monarchy. If people have disdain for trust fund kids who inherit millions/billions and do nothing but live the high life in the public eye, why is it different when it's a head of state?

[xor]

No idea, didn't give a fuck when she died. Blame my negligible Irish ancestry for the apathy but my kids didn't give a fuck either.

I don't see much of a future for them in AUS/NZ IMO.

[fixed_truth]

Public holiday on the 26th, long weekend. I wonder if Seymour will politicize it.

[Ab]

I think having a foreign leader as your head of state is a silly idea, and I think a requirement, in the 21st century, that your head of state be the head of a church is offensive. Fuck monarchs appointed by their gods.

But. We have to have the Crown around for Te Tiriti to mean anything. It’s a contract. We don’t get to cut ties with the other party in the contract. It would mean that it gets away with all the times it breached the contract. We have to operate in partnership with the Crown in order to sue it for being a shit partner.

[fixed_truth]

Originally Posted by Ab

But. We have to have the Crown around for Te Tiriti to mean anything. It’s a contract. We don’t get to cut ties with the other party in the contract. It would mean that it gets away with all the times it breached the contract. We have to operate in partnership with the Crown in order to sue it for being a shit partner.

New Zealand Republic are adamant that it would make no difference to Te Tiriti

[Lightspeed]

Yeah, but there is a whole different set of interests that would say otherwise.

This is one of those cases where the status quo is awfully convenient. Anything else we've got is a shit-show.

[[fe]]

…the obligations of the Treaty would be inherited by the New Zealand Government…

The answer is to have a clear clause in any republic legislation that clarifies this so that there is no doubt

That simple - just like brexit.

[Ab]

Some interesting commentary on the treaty/republic issue in the second half of this Gone by Lunchtime episode:

https://overcast.fm/+Gq3lfiOx0

[DrTiTus]

Originally Posted by DrTiTus

it did make me question what happens if people just .. reject the new King/monarchy in general.

It appears I'm not alone - #NotMyKing

[StN]

I know its bad form to post Reddit links, but...

I hate this bloody thing!

The fountain pen cops it.

[_Incubus_]

Originally Posted by StN

I know its bad form to post Reddit links, but...

I hate this bloody thing!

The fountain pen cops it.

Love it, I'd be pissed off if a pen jizzed ink all over me as well. Think it shows he's a normal person as well.

[StN]

A normal person, who just had his Mum die, who should be retired but now takes on a full time job, multiple costume changes per day, potential jetlag while staying in a single timezone and a bloody pen that jizzed ink all over.

[Ab]

You'd think the King of England could afford a decent fountain pen.

[Cyberbob]

I wonder how aware he is that every word, every hand gesture, will be judged and scrutinized so heavily for months before it's out of the news cycles.

[StN]

Well there was that one time when he walked into a pub as a kid and they asked him what he'd have and he said a cherry brandy that I remember from primary school...


Or did I dream it?

/edit - Nope.

[Ab]

Australia: there will be a minute silence at all sporting events this weekend

Australia’s women’s Aussie rules players: yeah, nah

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-09-...aflw/101443846

[_Incubus_]

Originally Posted by Ab

Australia: there will be a minute silence at all sporting events this weekend

Australia’s women’s Aussie rules players: yeah, nah

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-09-...aflw/101443846

How disrespectful...oh wait it's an ABC story..

[Lightspeed]

BBC isn't televising the changing of the candles during the Queen's time lying-in-state.

It's fascinating, all the people walking past, having their moment.

[xor]

https://twitter.com/comradesipho/sta...351170/photo/1

Got a chuckle out of me. There's a lot of people with the knives out for ol' mate Charlie. I don't see the monarchy being a thing in another 5 years.

[_Incubus_]

The funeral was incredible last night, sat up very late to take in all the spectacle.

In typical Aussie ignorance Liz Truss wasn't recognized by the commentators and was announced as 'An ordinary English person'.

[Lightspeed]

Spectacle is what a monarchy is about. It's not the powerful myth it is by accident.

It's all very... odd really. Compelling tho.

[blynk]

Originally Posted by Lightspeed

It's all very... odd really. Compelling tho.

Not for me. I have not felt compelled at all this week.
With the exception of clicking on 2 articles. One about a spider, and one about a dropped piece of paper.

[Redneck]

A co-worker took the day off yesterday so he could stay up the entire night before to see it. My eyes rolled so hard they almost spun around backwards.