Any Republicans feeling baffled about their own response to the death of the Queen?

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I describe myself as a pragmatic Republican as I would like to see hereditary monarchy slowly phased down over a duration and proper objective time spent on getting the right model in to replace the Head of State. Definitely not an "off with their heads" now type Republican.

I also know that the alternative is not necessarily going to be automatically better so careful thought is needed.

However I'm 100% against a hereditary monarchy and I'm also an atheist so the whole belief system that they are anointed is meaningless to me. On a cynical level this whole well planned tour and proclamations of "King" Charles with no room or space to question anything could be seen as a state-led exercise in national gaslighting....

But................. I've been glued to the news, I've cried on a number of occasions, or had tears in my eyes, and have felt it (for some reason) deeply poignant that she died in her favourite place and her coffin has made that beautiful journey through Scotland.

I respected the Queen - who wouldn't. She showed dedication and committed to to her country and to what she believed until the day she died and sacrificed her whole life to it when she could have chosen to be a lady of leisure.

But despite respecting her, I never expected to feel so deeply sad. I'm so sad considering she was a grand old age. I'm so sad she lost Phillip and seemed to decline so much, and of course how she followed the rules at his funeral. I'm so sad her son (Andrew) turned out to be such a dick and caused her pain, and that she might never have known how much people respected her. I felt sad seeing her coffin leaving Scotland and thinking she'll never go there again.

Why do I feel so sad? Is it possible to be a Republican and feel this way? Does this make me a Royalist or just a human?

Responses from other Republicans please?

Just means you are an empathic human surely?

Nope. I respected Elizabeth Windsor as a person, and for her service to the country, but I don’t feel vicarious grief for people I never met, and that includes her.
I’m also fairly cynical about how the media set out to manipulate public sentiment to fit their own narrative (‘a nation in mourning’) and to further their own interests, (the BBC campaigning to keep the license tax) so I have ignored most of it, and will continue to do so.

(I am not a Republican though so perhaps my opinion doesn't count 🤔)

You just sound like a nice, empathetic human

Dont feel it or understand it all. 🤷‍♀️

Utterly baffled and tired of it all. Thankfully no one at work is talking about it - I work in a job helping people in really desperate situations. The don’t have the luxury of time to worry about this stuff.

I could have written this OP. I cant explain it

Hmmmm. I can't relate to those feelings at all. I am not interested at all and have watched no tv. Have you recently lost someone? The queen always made me think of my nan.

I don't feel sad.
But I am glued to it all. I love history.
Seeing it being played out is interesting to me.
The only thing,so far to get me in an emotional way was the police out riders, bowing their heads.
People will be sad and mourn.
I will watch it all.
I don't agree with the monarchy.
But I understand that others do.

Just to be a pedant, we (the UK) are in a period of national mourning. Its just protocol.

I get what you mean about the media but they are reporting on a historical event, it wouldnt be possible not to do that. I also do expect to be able to access all the proceedings on BBC (Im watching a lot of it on catch up)

I think a lot of the emotion comes from the fact that it holds up a mirror to our own mortality. And it's a reminder of the things and people that we love but take for granted on a daily basis. It's a reminder of beauty in the world, of human connection. And that's moving.

Whether you like royalty or not, it's a big end of an era moment. And she seemed to be a very dedicated, principled person / not many other heads of state in the world would fall into that category. So yes, I know what you mean.

I feel the same as you, op. I didn't expect to feel sad, or to take much of an interest in the proceedings, but I've surprised myself.

@InconstantMoon yes I think so. I have also found it quite profound reflecting on her sheer discipline and dedication. I heard a quote from her saying (paraphrasing) "I just get up everyday and try my best, and try to make each day as good as I can".

I felt very sad on Thursday and Friday. Since then, no... My dad died 3 years ago and my mum is in a nursing home (all absolutely glued to the coverage) and my husband died 4 years ago. So I feel I do know what grief feels like and this wasn't exactly grief... more like a painful nostalgia for lost times.

Also a pain seeing those last pictures, she looked very frail and was perhaps propped up with drugs and fluids to get through the transition of power. Made me wonder what we do when inevitably we get a monarch who suffers from dementia, or a brain tumour, or some other chronic disease affecting cognition. I thought about that too when Johnson was clearly recovering from being in ICU and really wasn't himself for quite a few months. The inability to say that anyone in power is too ill to continue at present.

I find the hereditary transfer of power incredibly odd. I'm also made aware of how rare it seems to be to feel any of this. Another source of sadness.

Yep. Also I think it's a link to my grandmother who died many years ago but who idolised the Queen.

I'm a republican and I don't feel sad, other than the normal human sadness you feel at the death of a familiar figure, but I am fascinated by it all, particularly by the mechanisms of inheritance and so forth that have kicked into place. I will probably watch some of the funeral as no monarch has died in my lifetime. There is a certain automatic sadness you feel if you see images of adult children standing around their parent's coffin, or people mourning someone they love. It is sad and it makes me think of my own mother, who is about 10 years younger than the queen was.

Yes I have been feeling the same way. In my head despite my thoughts on the concept of monarchy, she was the absolute pinnacle of a person who dedicated her life to others and for that I adored her BUT I have always known this feeling would not stretch beyond her and as she has now passed I feel deeply sad but now very resolute in my thoughts on the future of the monarchy.

The Queen had a much better life than almost anyone. Her sacrifices were not that extreme compared with sacrifices I see ordinary people make for each other. She sustained the monarchy, yes, but only for her own lifetime.

Of course, she symbolised so much more than herself. She represents a whole generation, and so her passing is the passing of time. It's weighty.

We were lucky that our hereditary monarch was an impressive woman- my opinion of her changed when she shook Martin McGuinness' hand. I disliked him intensely (my Mum was Irish) but I thought if she could do it, we could all go that bit further for NI peace process.
Those last pictures of her reminded me of my Mum's last days. I felt personal grief that I thought had softened with time. I felt sympathy for her family who would be feeling her loss.
That's it. We need an elected non-executive president like they have in Ireland.

No, I didnt and don't respect the Queen. I'll be thoroughly relieved when all this genuflecting bullshit is over.

I think of myself as a committed democrat, which means that in many ways a monarchy should be abhorrent. But the truth is that they actually have very little if any power at all. With respect to the governance of the nation we have far more pressing issues, our voting process, press power, party funding, reform of the house of lords, regional government, the single market, the customs union etc etc. And, I definitely don't want anymore two term politicians involved.

The monarchy isn't perfect but it isn't the biggest issue we face as a nation or nations.

@YourLipsMyLipsApocalypse you and me both! I’m unsure what I’m respecting?

History innit.

I feel the same in every way! It's so odd. I feel like my intellect is at war with some sort of subliminal programming I've been subject to for my whole life.

I totally agree with you Op. I'm not a fan of hereditary monarchy and I think that on the whole this family that is bestowed upon us is deeply dysfunctional. But I have a lot of respect for the Queen, as a person, for her duty, her work, her stoicism, her keen humour and curiosity, and I am very sad for her family, especially Anne and Sophie. Probably because I can relate to (my interpretation of) their grief more than that of the others. I watched the procession tonight and felt a huge pang of sadness for her passing, and how strangely alone her coffin looked as it passed through the streets tonight.