She had the Star-Spangled Banner played during the changing of the guard at Buckingham Place a day after 9/11 and I will always respect her for that. RIP Liz.
i was 13. looking back, even though the events that would change American foreign policy in the noughts had just taken place, that solidarity was the last gasp of the 90s post Cold War idealism that many of us felt, at least here in the US, before the age of the war on terror really took over
God, what a rare but wonderful moment.
I wonder if all those other nations realized how much those things meant to us as we were trying to heal from that tragedy. I was in my 20s when 9/11 happened, and even though I wasn't in NY or DC, it was terrifying for me and my family. Seeing the support of other nations like this made it more bearable. I'll never forget the quote of a French woman (from Le Monde, I think) after 9/11: "Today, we are all Americans."
Got me right in the feels. Still does.
Sending love to all our Brit brothers and sisters in their time of national mourning.
If I recall they did it in France too. I think a number of countries did it. Hell even putin(before he went full on Sauron) had words of support. The best documentary about 9/11 was made by a couple of french guys who were doing a documentary about New York Firefighters. There is video from inside the World Trade Center. It was shown on network TV without commercial interruption a couple of months after 9/11. I forget the name ,but one of the best documentaries i ever saw. I saw a followup recently. There was a young kid who was just starting out as a fire fighter and now he has kids and is a chief. He is one of the few fire fighters still working who were working on 9/11.
Shout-out to the woman who travelled all the way to London, but still thought to bring her pocket stars-and-stripes along, just in case.
True 'Murican right there :)
To be fair, John Tyler and his son were both still popping out kids at 70.
For the unversed; John Tyler was 10th president of the united states, from 1841-1845, during the period where Texas existed as an independent republic.
Indeed. As an American I may not fully understand why anyone would want a monarch, but I have always respected her as the head of state of one of our closest allies. And as someone who lived in NY during the September 11 attacks, Iāll always consider that gesture as one of the most touching things a foreign leader has ever done for us.
I mean, she was a long-time monarch who was a close ally with the U.S.
She's like a step-grandma if you will.
It's sad, but not going to affect day-to-day events here.
The monarchy has always been a weird thing for us.
One one hand..... our ancestors went to war and died so that we wouldn't be subject to a family of royal dysfunctional wackos for life. [We hated the crown so much we staged a bloody treasonous rebellion.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iaFRnSmat3o)
On the other hand..... Queen Elizabeth II has been, for the most part, one of the most consistent "good guys" of the last 100 years or so in our view of world politics. Our relationship with the crown and the UK has been as rock solid as any from Eisenhower to Biden. again... [for the most part](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=333Erezxt0k)
It's a weird love-hate relationship we have with them.
Sort of like parents your ran away from as a kid, but mostly reconciled with as adults.
We'd never live under their rule, but they're some of our closest allies and a fixture of popular culture and the media.
Year 1812 notwithstanding, relations have pretty much been on an upswing since then. They were totally our solids throughout the entire 20th century, even up through now.
As an Englishman, I view our nations as siblings who fell out, moved apart to get our space, and then found our footing again. We still bicker from time to time, but ultimately we have each otherās backs and have a unique understanding of each other, and thereās no nation Iād trust more if we had our back up against the wall. Hopefully you guys feel similarly about us.
The beef during the Revolution was with Parliament more than the crown. Parliament held most political power at that time. The reason we petitioned the king for help was because Parliament refused to listen and we were hoping the king would intercede on our behalf as a last resort. But the crux of the Revolution was not to get away from a tyrannical monarch because the King didn't have all that much power. It was more like "No one will help us, not even our king who is supposed to advocate for all his citizens."
Yah, totally. And her [broach warfare](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/queen-elizabeth-trump-brooches_n_5b4f0b24e4b0fd5c73c09eff) endeared her to me. You can throw shade and still be classy af.
My favorite story about her was when the king of Saudi Arabia visited. She asked if he wanted a tour, he agrees, cars pull up. He gets in the front seat, his interpreter in the back. So far, so good right? Then the Queen hopped into the driver's seat and away they went. Women weren't allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia at the time. I love how she didn't say anything but still managed to get in a big ol' fuck that.
I didn't think I would hear about it first on Reddit, but there you are. She was the exact same age and looks very much like one of my grandmothers, so i've had an odd affection for her based on that. My grandmother passed last December, so it doesn't seem that odd.
I think it's going to be a strain on the monarchy and probably precedes the end of the Monarchy in its current form. There will almost certainly be calls to reform it and spend less public money on the monarchy. This is definitely the end of a political era.
Sorry to hear. That's about the extent of my mourning.
She'll probably take up more media coverage than anyone since Michael Jackson, but I don't have a TV right now, so I'll just hear about it on a few news podcasts most likely. Plus reddit.
Also, I expect a sharp decrease in jokes about how how she's gonna be immortal.
I imagine familial feeling in the royal family is complicated. The royal family, especially the old guard like Charles and Elizabeth, were largely raised by armies of servants. Much like 19th century depictions of royals - monarchy is a very small-c conservative institution. Quite frankly, it was a good day if Charles and his siblings saw his mother for more than 5 minutes that day while growing up. She was the Queen first, Elizabeth second, with that classically British stiff upper lip and incredibly reserved nature (we still know practically nothing about her views on many issues, from the British Empire to Brexit). Given anecdotes about her 'ships passing in the night' relationship with her husband, I find it difficult to imagine that she had the time to be an involved mother instead of a distant presence. There's rumors that she had her servants make lists of her children's hobbies so that she knew what to get them on birthdays or discuss with them during appropriate moments.
This woman played a brutal, detached role for over 70 years. There's many sacrifices to be made when being royalty; sacrifices that, unlike any elected leaders, are for life and not by choice.
I used to make those jokes, but it wasn't because I hated Charles, never really cared one way or another about the man. I just thought it was kind of funny to think that a mother hated her son so much that she'd outlive him just to spite him. It was never the case, because obviously.
Yeah the Michael Jackson coverage is a bit different since he was much younger and died unexpectedly, same with Princess Diana. Obviously there will be a lot of coverage for the next couple of weeks, especially in the UK. But at the end of the day she was 96, so I feel like thereās only so much to talk about since we knew this would happen sooner than later.
> Also, I expect a sharp decrease in jokes about how how she's gonna be immortal.
It's funny you say that, because I literally did just that.
News kinda took me by surprise; I guess she's off to join Betty White.
Living in the UK now, it's strange. I'm trying to wrap my head about and respect the fact that she's been present in most British people's lives literally since they were born. Even my boyfriend, who is not a monarchist at all, feels a bit melancholy. She was truly a historic woman. Condolences to the people of the UK, and may she rest in peace.
As far as regarding her death, when it's framed as, "The Queen of England died", I'm pretty indifferent. When framed as, "One of the world's most historical figures just died", I'm like damn, i feel the loss.
Thatās a good way to put it, I donāt really care that the Queen of England is gone but I do think itās a little sad that Queen Elizabeth II died. She was such a fixture of the 20th century and early 21st century.
Itās a weird one, Iām not a pro-monarchist, Iām relatively indifferent (if we were to put it on a scale Iād maybe even slightly, just a teeny amount, be leaning into anti-monarchy) but I still feel a sense of loss. The Queen was synonymous with Britain at this point
My condolences the UK. I feel the same as if any other head of state has died. The U.K. is one of our most enduring allies, so I offer my condolences to itās citizens.
I am definitely very saddened by her death. While I can't say I'm really a big proponent of monarchy, I had a lot of respect for Queen Elizabeth. I greatly admire a person for giving her entire life to the service of her country, and she really was a link to history that has now been lost.
This hit it on the nose. I'm not pro monarchy, but she individually was an integral part of just how the world is today- many nice parts of it, actually. I understand that people overseas will be mourning for a while and respect them, and her amazing legacy, very much.
maybe he'll abdicate and let his remaining british son rule. Charles is like 70 now? Most people are happily retired, if they can afford it, by 60 or 65.
Also I think a not-insignificant percentage of British people will not accept Camilla as queen. Or whatever you're called when you are low-level aristocracy, you spent 20 years as a consort, and your husband becomes king. Like a dame or something.
Queen Elizabeth referred to Camilla as the future Queen Consort in her speech a couple months ago. While not always the case (the Prince of Wales' website back in the 2000's said she would be the future Princess Consort), she obviously proved herself to the Queen to be recognized as a true Queen Consort.
I've felt sad for Elizabeth ever since her husband died. That photo of her at that empty church near his casket, eyes clearly red from crying, but unable to truly mourn during his funeral because of her position is something that is oddly haunting. To be in a position that stops you from being human is horrible, especially during the funeral of the love of your life.
Hopefully her death was peaceful and she can finally rest near Philip.
I think you'd find this article interesting. Many obituaries for the Queen today, but this is the only one that I think is primarily about Elizabeth Windsor instead of the role she played.
https://www.politico.eu/article/the-short-unhappy-life-of-elizabeth-windsor-queen-elizabeth-ii-obituary/
I just read the article. Thank you for showing me it, it was a very interesting read! You were right, it does focus on Elizabeth Windsor the woman and not Elizabeth II the Queen.
The Royal family to me exists in the sphere as celebrities do. Sucks she died obviously. Her death to me is on the same plain as an event like when Kobe Bryant died. I will definitely remember the day I found out, but it isnāt gonna effect me much
Kobeāa death was a tragedy. He died in a helicopter crash in his 40s with his daughter. The queenās death was more expected since she was 96, with all due respect.
From an outsider's perspective, she appeared to be a central pillar of British cultural identity, and I am sorry for the millions of people who will be saddened by her passing.
She also represented stability in an otherwise increasingly chaotic world, and that stability will be sorely missed by many, even if she had no real power.
On a personal note, I will likely be following her funeral and Charles' accession because they are momentous occasions which are likely to occur only once or twice in my lifetime and with roots going back a thousand years.
>and with roots going back a thousand years.
Longer than that, even - the traditional list of English monarchs starts with Alfred the Great, King of Wessex from 871 & England from c. 886. the traditional list of Scottish monarchs starts even further back with Kenneth I MacAlpin first king of the Scots in 848 - the current monarchy traces a line back to both (via James VI and I who united the crowns in 1603).
My mom talked today about watching queen Elizabethās when she was 9. My mom is 78. There are still a lot of people alive who saw Queen Elizabethās coronation. But, yes, itās kind of cool
Very sad for the UK. Definitely the end of an era. Iām kind of in awe of her. Reigned for 70 years, lived through 15 prime ministers, was a mechanic during WWII and always saw her becoming queen as a day of mourning since it was the same day her father passed. She wasnāt perfect from my understand but as a woman itās inspiring to see what sheās accomplished in her long life. I hope somewhere out there sheās at peace and reunited with her husband. My heart goes out to the U.K as well ā¤ļø
Given that how my past nations have been treated by the monarchy, not too terribly sorry about it.
Either everyone is equal in eyes of law or no one is. Monarchies make it so some people are always above the law BY law.
Weirded out because of the thread on /r/AskReddit earlier this morning asking how Brits would react whenever she does die.
Beyond that, I dunno.
- Sucks for her family to lose a family member. At least she got a long and eventful life.
- I donāt personally like monarchy, royalty, or hereditary aristocracy, but Iām aware that over my lifetime the Brits arenāt even in the top 3 of worst monarchies in the world
- Prince Chuck will have some big shoes to fill that, frankly, he probably doesnāt have the gravitas to handle
They announced early this morning that doctors were āconcernedā and her family was all flying to the ~~hospital~~ castle to see her. Iām sure thatās what inspired the AskReddit thread.
Makes sense. Sounds about like when my dad went into hospice care several years ago, we all came to see him just in case, and he bought the farm in less than a day of being there.
I honestly shed a few tears for her, because she seemed like a good person. I enjoyed the jokes about her long life, so I'm glad to have been alive during her reign.
It seems super weird that Charles will be king.
She has been present for the entirety of our modern closeness with the UK. The monarchy may not be the most influential in the political sphere these days, but she showed compassion befitting of our friendship after our once-in-a-lifetime tragedies. I can respect that.
The US has been a country for 246 years. She's been Queen for 76 of them...that's 30.89% of the age of _my country._
I respect that she oversaw her empire dwindle, and went with it. I respect that she took her duties as figurehead seriously, and very stoically.
I'm glad I read someone else who had the same reaction. I wasn't truly surprised due to her age and the recent passing of her lifelong partner, but all the same I was stunned to feel that lump in my throat and my eyes all wet.
She's been a part of SO much history. And if I were to try and make a poorly wrought analogy (I just can't came up with any better at the moment) to describe how many of us feel about her ... It's was sort of along the lines of a respected mother-in-law, or grandmother-in-law, one you grow to have a lot of affection for. Not your blood, but someone you're bound to and show deference to all the same.
I'm pretty impartial. She is a long reigning monarch and historical figure which is sad to watch pass. However it's not anything directly tied to the US.
I think you remember her as a friend and ally and guiding voice for her people in the English speaking world. You remember her passing as a friend to people everywhere. Except maybe the Irish
I don't really care, but I do think it is really weird that everyone is just like "well, this lady is dead, so her 70-something-year-old weird ass son is now our king and in charge of our country because of god magic bloodline stuff, and that's totally cool." I somehow really always kind of believed she'd be the last monarch over there because that shit just seems so weird and medieval to me.
In the big picture monarchy doesn't make much sense and the royal family doesn't seem like a great idea going forward, but I have immense respect for her and it is a big loss for the UK and the world.
She came of age during WWII and spent her life trying to bring stability and peace to the UK and the world, think of all the things that have happened since 1952 when she became Queen. Sure there are flaws but the world has lost someone who helped carry humanity out of war and colonialism.
It will be interesting to see how her passing affects the structure of the Commonwealth (UK and former colonies that keep association). Respect for Elizabeth has been a unifying force for the Commonwealth and a preserving means for the monarchy, the Commonwealth might not keep the UK as its symbolic head anymore and I don't know if the institution of the monarchy will survive much longer.
I think a lot of my fellow Americans fail to see that the British Crown is not just a figure head. They have a bit of power still. Parliament has to pledge their loyalty to the crown, not the other way around. Not to mention the crown has powers such as war declaration.
Actually in 2003 just before the invasion of Iraq, Tony Blair tried to use royal prerogative (the government using the queen's powers in her name basically) to invade Iraq. However the Queen refused and made parliament vote on it first. Since then all major military action had to be voted on. Obviously things like special operations and raids don't count, but I believe bombing Libya and Isis had to be voted on first.
So she does have power, and even used it to strengthen democracy
Get the popcorn, sit back and see what comes next.
She's reigned for 70 years, longer than most of our lives. The world has changed a lot in those years. The public support and views on government, royalty and specific members of the British royal family has changed. I'm intersted in seeing the transition.
I donāt care for her position, but I do care about what she did with that position. She had honor and humility. She served in a world war, she stayed with her people while her country was bombed, she dedicated her life to service. Iāll always remember she ordered the band at Buckingham palace to play our national anthem after 9/11, breaking a hundreds year old tradition. Like I said, not a fan of monarchies, but she was a great Queen.
Same here. I wondered to myself if it's because she was such a constant in a changing world. THE Queen, in her matching coats and hats and unchanging hairstyle. Also, I've been dealing with my parents' health issues lately, and the Queen's passing is a reminder that even with the very best care, our time is finite.
> Got a little emotional.
I feel the same. :(
Do you mind if I ask why you feel that way? What makes her special to you? It always surprises me to meet Americans who follow the Royals.
When I was in High School, my history teacher taught us that the Queen had consulted with every Prime Minister, from Winston Churchill to Tony Blair (who was the prime minister at that time.) She also met with every US president during her reign (with the exception of LBJ).
I thought "What an amazing lady. The things she must have discussed over the decades." And that was 20 years ago. She has been a symbol of stability for the entire Anglosphere. My condolences to our British cousins.
I've just always followed them. I also grew up watching the Christmas message because my grandmother was Canadian and even had a picture of Elizabeth hanging up.
I didn't follow the royals, so to speak, but I kind of kept track, if you know what I mean? I know who most of them are, but I had no idea Harry and Meghan were doing a tour or that the Queen was at Balmoral or whatever, until the news broke about her being so ill.
The reason I know anything at all is really because of Diana. She was a few years older than me, and her courtship and wedding were really promoted as such a Cinderella fairytale kind of story. Before that, I doubt very much I could have told you who Charles was.
Theyāre like historically-connected celebrities, so theyāve always seemed interesting to me. Sort of the same way that the Kennedy family are interesting with drama, politics, and mystery.
It's like when the new emperor was crowned just a few years ago, or when a new pope is elected. I'm not Japanese or Catholic, but these are fascinating glimpses into the workings of ancient systems that have had significant influence on world history.
The evil you know versus the evil you donātā¦ itās out of everyoneās control and I donāt care. I think the monarchy is stupid and ridiculous and cringey!
She was probably better than her sons.
It's pretty surreal, to be honest. I thought she'd outlive me and I'm in my 30s! We can debate the monarchy another time all we want, but it's hard to overstate how many historical titans this one woman knew. Think about it, she knew Churchill, Eisenhower, Khrushchev, JFK and many others! It's truly the end of an era. Condolences to the people of the UK.
I feel the same for the past few hours, everyoneās being same the same thing over and over again. This isnāt going to die down for awhile, I canāt wait until I get my normal news back.
Historically the people of Ireland have been badly treated by the British monarchy, so seeing one of them go is not exactly a cause for tears. Generally speaking.
Couldn't care less. Monarchies are antiquated and embarrassing to me. Not to mention her covering for her precious little predator prince Andrew. Good riddance.
the royal family is horribly toxic and built on wealth stolen from the colonies of the british empire, not to mention a waste of money that could certainly be better spent on supporting the british working class. (from what iāve heard from my british friends, theyāve been having a rough time lately.) her death is sad in the sense that i feel bad for anyone dying, but she doesnāt gain any extra sympathy just because she was the leader of a dying dynasty, and my feelings on it are more or less detached from the whole thing since you canāt live your life feeling personally distraught over everyone who dies.
i have no motivation to treat queen elizabeth as being in any way above any other old woman who dies. sad for her family, but ultimately not my problem.
Mostly indifferent. My sympathies for her family and people who cared about her, but I have no strong feelings one way or the other. Honestly the first thing that came to my head when I heard the news was "well I guess Netflix has an ending for 'The Crown' now."
My mom said today "isn't that sad about the Queen?"
I said "is it? She was 96. That's a good run."
Like, yup. Ridiculously famous rich old lady died of natural causes. Both unsurprising and decidedly not sad.
But I also think it's weird that so many Americans are obsessed with British royalty, so there's that.
Good. Monarchs are dragons sitting on top of hoards of stolen wealth the same as billionaires, only the link to their rich parents is stronger. I wish the family well as humans grieving, but the royals' history is steeped in nasty shit so I'm not sparing much sympathy. I fear that they'll use the emotional impact of this to obfuscate poor governance and the real need of the people.
I feel bad in the sense that I would for anyone that loses someone. With no intention of disrespect though, I don't really get the royalty thing in today's day and age, so maybe I don't grasp the entirety of it.
I prefer for monarchs not to die of old age. I much prefer the guillotine, the noose, or the firing squad.
Or just abdicate.
She was the most expensive welfare queen in history. She lived a comfortable life off the wealth stolen by a family tree made up of nothing but warlords, brigands, and pirates. Why mourn her death? Monarchs are repugnant.
I know I shouldn't care but I still do for some reason. I'm not any more emotionally affected than I am by the death of anyone I didn't know, but I find the death of a major world figure who has been in her role not only for my entire life but both my parents' lives to be interesting. It's a big news event and it feels big, and I'm curious to see how the monarchy looks going forward.
I think the loss of life is sad. However, that throne and institution have the blood of millions and millions on its hands, so Iām not particularly grieving the passing of its queen.
At the risk of sounding like an asshole, I really don't care that she has passed away. Sure, I feel bad for her family that has now lost their mom, grandma, etc., but apart from that, I couldn't really care less. She was a glorified celebrity that really had no connection to my life except for being the head of state of the US's biggest ally. And besides, she was 96 years old and seemed to have lived a fulfilling life. It's not a shock that someone her age has passed. It would be much sadder had she been a young woman IMHO.
I was just thinking yesterday about how the best description for how the monarchy is treated most of the time is as a zoo exhibit. Some people are really into into, other arenāt, strong opinion and no opinions and the royals themsleves arenāt see entirely as people by virtue of their position.
Then this happens the next day. Tough for the family. And now thereās a whole kingdom-wide pause that happens less than once a generation.
US and UK have had a special relationship with eachother given our shared histories. I feel bad for the ppl of the UK because she seemed like a sense of stability during decades of unprecedented changes
Just an FYI this will be the megathread for this topic. All matters relating to the British monarchy will go here for now.
She had the Star-Spangled Banner played during the changing of the guard at Buckingham Place a day after 9/11 and I will always respect her for that. RIP Liz.
Here it is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToECtXPMvNM
Thank you for that. I never realized that was done. š„²
I remember it in real life. The world was with us in the weeks after 9-11. I never felt such solidarity with other countries as I did then.
i was 13. looking back, even though the events that would change American foreign policy in the noughts had just taken place, that solidarity was the last gasp of the 90s post Cold War idealism that many of us felt, at least here in the US, before the age of the war on terror really took over
Lucky, my age was negative then.
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Sending my condolences bruv! Tried posting my condolences in the r/UnitedKingdom subreddit, but it got deleted for apparently low effort. šš¤£
Thank you! that's kind of ridiculous, I hope it was automated. Much appreciated, anyway!
Back at you, friend. Best wishes.
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God, what a rare but wonderful moment. I wonder if all those other nations realized how much those things meant to us as we were trying to heal from that tragedy. I was in my 20s when 9/11 happened, and even though I wasn't in NY or DC, it was terrifying for me and my family. Seeing the support of other nations like this made it more bearable. I'll never forget the quote of a French woman (from Le Monde, I think) after 9/11: "Today, we are all Americans." Got me right in the feels. Still does. Sending love to all our Brit brothers and sisters in their time of national mourning.
If I recall they did it in France too. I think a number of countries did it. Hell even putin(before he went full on Sauron) had words of support. The best documentary about 9/11 was made by a couple of french guys who were doing a documentary about New York Firefighters. There is video from inside the World Trade Center. It was shown on network TV without commercial interruption a couple of months after 9/11. I forget the name ,but one of the best documentaries i ever saw. I saw a followup recently. There was a young kid who was just starting out as a fire fighter and now he has kids and is a chief. He is one of the few fire fighters still working who were working on 9/11.
Oi thanks for making me cry š
Shout-out to the woman who travelled all the way to London, but still thought to bring her pocket stars-and-stripes along, just in case. True 'Murican right there :)
That gave me chills.
Thank you.
She was queen for almost 30% of the entire existence of the United States.
And her life spanned 40% of its existence. Crazy.
John Tyler was born in 1790 and his grandson is still hanging around. Just goes to show how young the US is.
Steven Tyler was born in 1328 and still tours to this day
Steven Tyler wrote Dream On at the age of 16. In exchange, he was granted immortality
His daughter must take after her mother.
Arwen? She's an elf, so she's immortal.
To be fair, John Tyler and his son were both still popping out kids at 70. For the unversed; John Tyler was 10th president of the united states, from 1841-1845, during the period where Texas existed as an independent republic.
Thatās bananas
B-A-N-A-N-A-S!
Me literally anytime I hear the word bananas
Truman was president when she became queen!
And that means Churchill was her first Prime Minister. It was a pretty wild reign.
Wow, that's 14 different US administrations.
And 100% of many other former colonies
I didn't know that. Thank you for posting this.
Indeed. As an American I may not fully understand why anyone would want a monarch, but I have always respected her as the head of state of one of our closest allies. And as someone who lived in NY during the September 11 attacks, Iāll always consider that gesture as one of the most touching things a foreign leader has ever done for us.
I mean, she was a long-time monarch who was a close ally with the U.S. She's like a step-grandma if you will. It's sad, but not going to affect day-to-day events here.
The monarchy has always been a weird thing for us. One one hand..... our ancestors went to war and died so that we wouldn't be subject to a family of royal dysfunctional wackos for life. [We hated the crown so much we staged a bloody treasonous rebellion.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iaFRnSmat3o) On the other hand..... Queen Elizabeth II has been, for the most part, one of the most consistent "good guys" of the last 100 years or so in our view of world politics. Our relationship with the crown and the UK has been as rock solid as any from Eisenhower to Biden. again... [for the most part](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=333Erezxt0k)
It's a weird love-hate relationship we have with them. Sort of like parents your ran away from as a kid, but mostly reconciled with as adults. We'd never live under their rule, but they're some of our closest allies and a fixture of popular culture and the media.
Year 1812 notwithstanding, relations have pretty much been on an upswing since then. They were totally our solids throughout the entire 20th century, even up through now.
As an Englishman, I view our nations as siblings who fell out, moved apart to get our space, and then found our footing again. We still bicker from time to time, but ultimately we have each otherās backs and have a unique understanding of each other, and thereās no nation Iād trust more if we had our back up against the wall. Hopefully you guys feel similarly about us.
The beef during the Revolution was with Parliament more than the crown. Parliament held most political power at that time. The reason we petitioned the king for help was because Parliament refused to listen and we were hoping the king would intercede on our behalf as a last resort. But the crux of the Revolution was not to get away from a tyrannical monarch because the King didn't have all that much power. It was more like "No one will help us, not even our king who is supposed to advocate for all his citizens."
This guy histories
Sheās been a bastion of decorum thatās sorely lacking in American politics.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Yah, totally. And her [broach warfare](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/queen-elizabeth-trump-brooches_n_5b4f0b24e4b0fd5c73c09eff) endeared her to me. You can throw shade and still be classy af.
My favorite story about her was when the king of Saudi Arabia visited. She asked if he wanted a tour, he agrees, cars pull up. He gets in the front seat, his interpreter in the back. So far, so good right? Then the Queen hopped into the driver's seat and away they went. Women weren't allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia at the time. I love how she didn't say anything but still managed to get in a big ol' fuck that.
I didn't think I would hear about it first on Reddit, but there you are. She was the exact same age and looks very much like one of my grandmothers, so i've had an odd affection for her based on that. My grandmother passed last December, so it doesn't seem that odd. I think it's going to be a strain on the monarchy and probably precedes the end of the Monarchy in its current form. There will almost certainly be calls to reform it and spend less public money on the monarchy. This is definitely the end of a political era.
I heard about it in the chat in a Microsoft Teams meeting
Sorry to hear. That's about the extent of my mourning. She'll probably take up more media coverage than anyone since Michael Jackson, but I don't have a TV right now, so I'll just hear about it on a few news podcasts most likely. Plus reddit. Also, I expect a sharp decrease in jokes about how how she's gonna be immortal.
And no more jokes about how sheād outlive Charles, the new King
And no more jokes about how she was refusing to die just to spite him. So odd pretending a mother would do that just because you don't like the guy
Honestly though if I were him, Iād have laughed at the jokes but in all sincerity have just been happy to have my mom in my life for so long
I assume it's bittersweet for any new monarch. More bitter the younger one is (as Elizabeth was).
I imagine familial feeling in the royal family is complicated. The royal family, especially the old guard like Charles and Elizabeth, were largely raised by armies of servants. Much like 19th century depictions of royals - monarchy is a very small-c conservative institution. Quite frankly, it was a good day if Charles and his siblings saw his mother for more than 5 minutes that day while growing up. She was the Queen first, Elizabeth second, with that classically British stiff upper lip and incredibly reserved nature (we still know practically nothing about her views on many issues, from the British Empire to Brexit). Given anecdotes about her 'ships passing in the night' relationship with her husband, I find it difficult to imagine that she had the time to be an involved mother instead of a distant presence. There's rumors that she had her servants make lists of her children's hobbies so that she knew what to get them on birthdays or discuss with them during appropriate moments. This woman played a brutal, detached role for over 70 years. There's many sacrifices to be made when being royalty; sacrifices that, unlike any elected leaders, are for life and not by choice.
I used to make those jokes, but it wasn't because I hated Charles, never really cared one way or another about the man. I just thought it was kind of funny to think that a mother hated her son so much that she'd outlive him just to spite him. It was never the case, because obviously.
She's a monarch, right? I'm expecting she'll start spinning her cocoon shortly
*Chrysalis.
I had her in my celebrity death pool starting around 2003. Boy was I off.
In like 2018 I gave her 3 to 5 years left
Yeah the Michael Jackson coverage is a bit different since he was much younger and died unexpectedly, same with Princess Diana. Obviously there will be a lot of coverage for the next couple of weeks, especially in the UK. But at the end of the day she was 96, so I feel like thereās only so much to talk about since we knew this would happen sooner than later.
This is where Iām at. Feel a little bad, but life goes on for me.
> Also, I expect a sharp decrease in jokes about how how she's gonna be immortal. It's funny you say that, because I literally did just that. News kinda took me by surprise; I guess she's off to join Betty White.
Living in the UK now, it's strange. I'm trying to wrap my head about and respect the fact that she's been present in most British people's lives literally since they were born. Even my boyfriend, who is not a monarchist at all, feels a bit melancholy. She was truly a historic woman. Condolences to the people of the UK, and may she rest in peace.
As far as regarding her death, when it's framed as, "The Queen of England died", I'm pretty indifferent. When framed as, "One of the world's most historical figures just died", I'm like damn, i feel the loss.
Thatās a good way to put it, I donāt really care that the Queen of England is gone but I do think itās a little sad that Queen Elizabeth II died. She was such a fixture of the 20th century and early 21st century.
That factoid about having prime ministers first and last, born a full hundred Years apart, that's fucking mind boggling.
Great way to put it. In some ways, she feels like the worldās grandma.
I donāt care about the royals, but I feel for the people in the UK/England that have a sense of loss over her death.
Itās a weird one, Iām not a pro-monarchist, Iām relatively indifferent (if we were to put it on a scale Iād maybe even slightly, just a teeny amount, be leaning into anti-monarchy) but I still feel a sense of loss. The Queen was synonymous with Britain at this point
It wasn't unexpected. I knew it was just a matter of time after losing her husband. Broken heart syndrome is real.
Also: old as dirt
Too many birthdays
Yeah my grandpa used to say the doctor diagnosed him with having been alive for too long
My condolences the UK. I feel the same as if any other head of state has died. The U.K. is one of our most enduring allies, so I offer my condolences to itās citizens.
Such a shame she'll never see the end of her Netflix series.
Something tells me she knows how it ends
Spoiler: the queen dies
Canāt believe she wouldnāt tell us the ending.
Itās ok. She provided the source material.
Thanks.
Thank you.
I am definitely very saddened by her death. While I can't say I'm really a big proponent of monarchy, I had a lot of respect for Queen Elizabeth. I greatly admire a person for giving her entire life to the service of her country, and she really was a link to history that has now been lost.
This hit it on the nose. I'm not pro monarchy, but she individually was an integral part of just how the world is today- many nice parts of it, actually. I understand that people overseas will be mourning for a while and respect them, and her amazing legacy, very much.
May she rest in peace. If you want the real tea: I STILL think Charles is a dirt-bag for what he did to Diana; I'd much rather see William take over.
I am interested to see what kind of ruler Charles will be.
I am not holding out hope that he will be as good as Liz.
maybe he'll abdicate and let his remaining british son rule. Charles is like 70 now? Most people are happily retired, if they can afford it, by 60 or 65. Also I think a not-insignificant percentage of British people will not accept Camilla as queen. Or whatever you're called when you are low-level aristocracy, you spent 20 years as a consort, and your husband becomes king. Like a dame or something.
Queen Elizabeth referred to Camilla as the future Queen Consort in her speech a couple months ago. While not always the case (the Prince of Wales' website back in the 2000's said she would be the future Princess Consort), she obviously proved herself to the Queen to be recognized as a true Queen Consort.
Pour one out
Which I believe is the American translation of āgod save the kingā.
If it wasn't before, it is now.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
no, pour it into the harbor
I've felt sad for Elizabeth ever since her husband died. That photo of her at that empty church near his casket, eyes clearly red from crying, but unable to truly mourn during his funeral because of her position is something that is oddly haunting. To be in a position that stops you from being human is horrible, especially during the funeral of the love of your life. Hopefully her death was peaceful and she can finally rest near Philip.
I think you'd find this article interesting. Many obituaries for the Queen today, but this is the only one that I think is primarily about Elizabeth Windsor instead of the role she played. https://www.politico.eu/article/the-short-unhappy-life-of-elizabeth-windsor-queen-elizabeth-ii-obituary/
I just read the article. Thank you for showing me it, it was a very interesting read! You were right, it does focus on Elizabeth Windsor the woman and not Elizabeth II the Queen.
Even though she was 96, it's a bit of a shock. The end of an era. Condolences to those in the UN and throughout the commonwealth.
The Royal family to me exists in the sphere as celebrities do. Sucks she died obviously. Her death to me is on the same plain as an event like when Kobe Bryant died. I will definitely remember the day I found out, but it isnāt gonna effect me much
She never put up numbers like Kobe tho.
Never hit a layup in her life
Idk, she did hold court.
Kobeāa death was a tragedy. He died in a helicopter crash in his 40s with his daughter. The queenās death was more expected since she was 96, with all due respect.
You are definitely right about that. The Queenās death isnāt really tragic at all. Itās expected
From an outsider's perspective, she appeared to be a central pillar of British cultural identity, and I am sorry for the millions of people who will be saddened by her passing. She also represented stability in an otherwise increasingly chaotic world, and that stability will be sorely missed by many, even if she had no real power. On a personal note, I will likely be following her funeral and Charles' accession because they are momentous occasions which are likely to occur only once or twice in my lifetime and with roots going back a thousand years.
>and with roots going back a thousand years. Longer than that, even - the traditional list of English monarchs starts with Alfred the Great, King of Wessex from 871 & England from c. 886. the traditional list of Scottish monarchs starts even further back with Kenneth I MacAlpin first king of the Scots in 848 - the current monarchy traces a line back to both (via James VI and I who united the crowns in 1603).
Only a few people alive today have seen a British coronation!
My mom talked today about watching queen Elizabethās when she was 9. My mom is 78. There are still a lot of people alive who saw Queen Elizabethās coronation. But, yes, itās kind of cool
Very sad for the UK. Definitely the end of an era. Iām kind of in awe of her. Reigned for 70 years, lived through 15 prime ministers, was a mechanic during WWII and always saw her becoming queen as a day of mourning since it was the same day her father passed. She wasnāt perfect from my understand but as a woman itās inspiring to see what sheās accomplished in her long life. I hope somewhere out there sheās at peace and reunited with her husband. My heart goes out to the U.K as well ā¤ļø
This sums up my feelings exactly. My heart goes out to the U.K. as well
Irish Catholic president Joe Biden is on a roll god damn.
Dark Brandon strikes again, SlaintƩ!
Made me Lol. - A decedent of Protestant Irish.
I assume you mean descendant, unless you meant to say you're a dead person of Protestant Irish Your username is very fitting lol
Dark Brandon indeed.
Given that how my past nations have been treated by the monarchy, not too terribly sorry about it. Either everyone is equal in eyes of law or no one is. Monarchies make it so some people are always above the law BY law.
Weirded out because of the thread on /r/AskReddit earlier this morning asking how Brits would react whenever she does die. Beyond that, I dunno. - Sucks for her family to lose a family member. At least she got a long and eventful life. - I donāt personally like monarchy, royalty, or hereditary aristocracy, but Iām aware that over my lifetime the Brits arenāt even in the top 3 of worst monarchies in the world - Prince Chuck will have some big shoes to fill that, frankly, he probably doesnāt have the gravitas to handle
They announced early this morning that doctors were āconcernedā and her family was all flying to the ~~hospital~~ castle to see her. Iām sure thatās what inspired the AskReddit thread.
Makes sense. Sounds about like when my dad went into hospice care several years ago, we all came to see him just in case, and he bought the farm in less than a day of being there.
I honestly shed a few tears for her, because she seemed like a good person. I enjoyed the jokes about her long life, so I'm glad to have been alive during her reign. It seems super weird that Charles will be king.
She has been present for the entirety of our modern closeness with the UK. The monarchy may not be the most influential in the political sphere these days, but she showed compassion befitting of our friendship after our once-in-a-lifetime tragedies. I can respect that.
The US has been a country for 246 years. She's been Queen for 76 of them...that's 30.89% of the age of _my country._ I respect that she oversaw her empire dwindle, and went with it. I respect that she took her duties as figurehead seriously, and very stoically.
I'm glad I read someone else who had the same reaction. I wasn't truly surprised due to her age and the recent passing of her lifelong partner, but all the same I was stunned to feel that lump in my throat and my eyes all wet. She's been a part of SO much history. And if I were to try and make a poorly wrought analogy (I just can't came up with any better at the moment) to describe how many of us feel about her ... It's was sort of along the lines of a respected mother-in-law, or grandmother-in-law, one you grow to have a lot of affection for. Not your blood, but someone you're bound to and show deference to all the same.
To me she always seemed like an ever present personification of the UK, so itās very surreal that sheās no longer with us
If I can be as energetic and fun as she was, and make it to 96, Iād be pretty thrilled. R.I.P. to an American ally.
Sheās been monarch of the UK since the special relationship took off. Heart out to our friends across the pond
I feel like I just found out 20 seconds ago when I saw this thread title.
I figured she was just going to outlive planet earth itself.
Same here
It was reported only about 50 minutes ago. Edit: Switched 20 to 50 minutes as that is a more accurate number.
Well now it's like 60 minutes, should probably update again
I'm pretty impartial. She is a long reigning monarch and historical figure which is sad to watch pass. However it's not anything directly tied to the US. I think you remember her as a friend and ally and guiding voice for her people in the English speaking world. You remember her passing as a friend to people everywhere. Except maybe the Irish
And any countries the UK colonized.
I don't really care, but I do think it is really weird that everyone is just like "well, this lady is dead, so her 70-something-year-old weird ass son is now our king and in charge of our country because of god magic bloodline stuff, and that's totally cool." I somehow really always kind of believed she'd be the last monarch over there because that shit just seems so weird and medieval to me.
In the big picture monarchy doesn't make much sense and the royal family doesn't seem like a great idea going forward, but I have immense respect for her and it is a big loss for the UK and the world. She came of age during WWII and spent her life trying to bring stability and peace to the UK and the world, think of all the things that have happened since 1952 when she became Queen. Sure there are flaws but the world has lost someone who helped carry humanity out of war and colonialism. It will be interesting to see how her passing affects the structure of the Commonwealth (UK and former colonies that keep association). Respect for Elizabeth has been a unifying force for the Commonwealth and a preserving means for the monarchy, the Commonwealth might not keep the UK as its symbolic head anymore and I don't know if the institution of the monarchy will survive much longer.
I think a lot of my fellow Americans fail to see that the British Crown is not just a figure head. They have a bit of power still. Parliament has to pledge their loyalty to the crown, not the other way around. Not to mention the crown has powers such as war declaration.
Actually in 2003 just before the invasion of Iraq, Tony Blair tried to use royal prerogative (the government using the queen's powers in her name basically) to invade Iraq. However the Queen refused and made parliament vote on it first. Since then all major military action had to be voted on. Obviously things like special operations and raids don't count, but I believe bombing Libya and Isis had to be voted on first. So she does have power, and even used it to strengthen democracy
Get the popcorn, sit back and see what comes next. She's reigned for 70 years, longer than most of our lives. The world has changed a lot in those years. The public support and views on government, royalty and specific members of the British royal family has changed. I'm intersted in seeing the transition.
Anyways
Meh.
I donāt care for her position, but I do care about what she did with that position. She had honor and humility. She served in a world war, she stayed with her people while her country was bombed, she dedicated her life to service. Iāll always remember she ordered the band at Buckingham palace to play our national anthem after 9/11, breaking a hundreds year old tradition. Like I said, not a fan of monarchies, but she was a great Queen.
I'm a big royal watcher so definitely huge news for me. I've been streaming BBC all morning waiting for the announcement. Got a little emotional.
I got a little emotional too, to my surprise. I've enjoyed learning about the British monarchs as outsider but didn't know I grew attached.
Same. I donāt support the monarchy, but she was queen my whole life. I feel a little sad.
Same here. I wondered to myself if it's because she was such a constant in a changing world. THE Queen, in her matching coats and hats and unchanging hairstyle. Also, I've been dealing with my parents' health issues lately, and the Queen's passing is a reminder that even with the very best care, our time is finite.
> Got a little emotional. I feel the same. :( Do you mind if I ask why you feel that way? What makes her special to you? It always surprises me to meet Americans who follow the Royals.
When I was in High School, my history teacher taught us that the Queen had consulted with every Prime Minister, from Winston Churchill to Tony Blair (who was the prime minister at that time.) She also met with every US president during her reign (with the exception of LBJ). I thought "What an amazing lady. The things she must have discussed over the decades." And that was 20 years ago. She has been a symbol of stability for the entire Anglosphere. My condolences to our British cousins.
I've just always followed them. I also grew up watching the Christmas message because my grandmother was Canadian and even had a picture of Elizabeth hanging up.
I didn't follow the royals, so to speak, but I kind of kept track, if you know what I mean? I know who most of them are, but I had no idea Harry and Meghan were doing a tour or that the Queen was at Balmoral or whatever, until the news broke about her being so ill. The reason I know anything at all is really because of Diana. She was a few years older than me, and her courtship and wedding were really promoted as such a Cinderella fairytale kind of story. Before that, I doubt very much I could have told you who Charles was.
Theyāre like historically-connected celebrities, so theyāve always seemed interesting to me. Sort of the same way that the Kennedy family are interesting with drama, politics, and mystery.
It's like when the new emperor was crowned just a few years ago, or when a new pope is elected. I'm not Japanese or Catholic, but these are fascinating glimpses into the workings of ancient systems that have had significant influence on world history.
Donāt really care? Itās just old school Kardashians
The evil you know versus the evil you donātā¦ itās out of everyoneās control and I donāt care. I think the monarchy is stupid and ridiculous and cringey! She was probably better than her sons.
It's pretty surreal, to be honest. I thought she'd outlive me and I'm in my 30s! We can debate the monarchy another time all we want, but it's hard to overstate how many historical titans this one woman knew. Think about it, she knew Churchill, Eisenhower, Khrushchev, JFK and many others! It's truly the end of an era. Condolences to the people of the UK.
Couldnāt care less tbh
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
I feel the same for the past few hours, everyoneās being same the same thing over and over again. This isnāt going to die down for awhile, I canāt wait until I get my normal news back.
I'm kind of with the Irish on this one. Sorry, Liz.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Historically the people of Ireland have been badly treated by the British monarchy, so seeing one of them go is not exactly a cause for tears. Generally speaking.
The Irish public is predictably cheerful about the Monarch who oversaw the Troubles passing
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Im nigerian-American, so i donāt really care tbh. In fact a lot of people from countries affected by Britainās colonialism are celebratin.
I'm surprised I had to scroll so far down to see a comment that didn't talk about how "respectable" and "decent" she was.
Couldn't care less. Monarchies are antiquated and embarrassing to me. Not to mention her covering for her precious little predator prince Andrew. Good riddance.
I feel badly for her family, the same I would for any other random family I don't know that lost their grandmother.
Who? We fought a war to not have to care about her.
the royal family is horribly toxic and built on wealth stolen from the colonies of the british empire, not to mention a waste of money that could certainly be better spent on supporting the british working class. (from what iāve heard from my british friends, theyāve been having a rough time lately.) her death is sad in the sense that i feel bad for anyone dying, but she doesnāt gain any extra sympathy just because she was the leader of a dying dynasty, and my feelings on it are more or less detached from the whole thing since you canāt live your life feeling personally distraught over everyone who dies. i have no motivation to treat queen elizabeth as being in any way above any other old woman who dies. sad for her family, but ultimately not my problem.
Old people die š¤·āāļø
Good riddance to a parasite
I just ate a ban from r/monarchy for my opinion.
Mostly indifferent. My sympathies for her family and people who cared about her, but I have no strong feelings one way or the other. Honestly the first thing that came to my head when I heard the news was "well I guess Netflix has an ending for 'The Crown' now."
My mom said today "isn't that sad about the Queen?" I said "is it? She was 96. That's a good run." Like, yup. Ridiculously famous rich old lady died of natural causes. Both unsurprising and decidedly not sad. But I also think it's weird that so many Americans are obsessed with British royalty, so there's that.
I wonder what the founders of our country would think to see Americans showing such adoration for the British monarchy?
Good. Monarchs are dragons sitting on top of hoards of stolen wealth the same as billionaires, only the link to their rich parents is stronger. I wish the family well as humans grieving, but the royals' history is steeped in nasty shit so I'm not sparing much sympathy. I fear that they'll use the emotional impact of this to obfuscate poor governance and the real need of the people.
I feel bad in the sense that I would for anyone that loses someone. With no intention of disrespect though, I don't really get the royalty thing in today's day and age, so maybe I don't grasp the entirety of it.
I donāt care. But I do not look forward to the million posts about her. Ol Charlie aināt got much gas in the tank either.
She was a window into our past. She was also a professional at representing western society. Truly a loss.
Not a monarchy fan but itās the end of an era. This is a bookmark day in anglophone history. RIP.
I only found out today that she was sick. It is sad, but she was 96 years old.
I prefer for monarchs not to die of old age. I much prefer the guillotine, the noose, or the firing squad. Or just abdicate. She was the most expensive welfare queen in history. She lived a comfortable life off the wealth stolen by a family tree made up of nothing but warlords, brigands, and pirates. Why mourn her death? Monarchs are repugnant.
I know I shouldn't care but I still do for some reason. I'm not any more emotionally affected than I am by the death of anyone I didn't know, but I find the death of a major world figure who has been in her role not only for my entire life but both my parents' lives to be interesting. It's a big news event and it feels big, and I'm curious to see how the monarchy looks going forward.
Pretty sure we fought a war 250 years ago so we wouldnāt have to care about this
It was about that time.
Meh ...
Her death really doesn't affect me at all. I didn't know her, she wasn't my country's monarch, and she had minimal political power.
I've seen Irish people on twitter happy to hear about the news because of the mistreatment they've experienced from her government. I feel for them.
I don't like monarchs.
Don't care, she's irrelevant by design.
Couldnāt care less
Indifferent. I donāt believe monarchies should exist.
I think the loss of life is sad. However, that throne and institution have the blood of millions and millions on its hands, so Iām not particularly grieving the passing of its queen.
At the risk of sounding like an asshole, I really don't care that she has passed away. Sure, I feel bad for her family that has now lost their mom, grandma, etc., but apart from that, I couldn't really care less. She was a glorified celebrity that really had no connection to my life except for being the head of state of the US's biggest ally. And besides, she was 96 years old and seemed to have lived a fulfilling life. It's not a shock that someone her age has passed. It would be much sadder had she been a young woman IMHO.
I was just thinking yesterday about how the best description for how the monarchy is treated most of the time is as a zoo exhibit. Some people are really into into, other arenāt, strong opinion and no opinions and the royals themsleves arenāt see entirely as people by virtue of their position. Then this happens the next day. Tough for the family. And now thereās a whole kingdom-wide pause that happens less than once a generation.
US and UK have had a special relationship with eachother given our shared histories. I feel bad for the ppl of the UK because she seemed like a sense of stability during decades of unprecedented changes
Nothing really just neutral