To think these plans for the Queen's death are a bit OTT?

[SneakyGremlins]

I won't link it unless asked as it's a DM article [thblush]

But included in the plans apparently is ten days of national mourning - and radio stations have a list on standby of "sad, respectful" songs to play during this time?

I quite like the Queen but if I put the radio on I expect pop music not sad depressing stuff

AIBU?

Love the thought of her pulling a sickie so she doesn't have to meet trump. If that doesn't work maybe she could pretend not to speak English :o

goose
Thought you were working - why were you reading a book?

@Battleax maybe Xenia could donate her island for the purpose? 😂

Well I don’t think she’s done more for her country than anyone else given there are people who have actually died...

But in fairness it’s not just her actual workload you’ve got to look at, by all accounts she’s very much lived her life by what she thinks it’s been her duty to - I’m totally basing this on things I’ve read, but there are many sources that all agree that she’d have been happier just living on a country estate raising her children surrounded by dogs and horses and that there are many choices she made in her personal life that she would have made differently if she hadn’t felt that she was obligated to do certain things as Queen.

Yes she’s hugely priveleged, but that’s come with little control over her life... and I’m not sure her heirs will give the same amount of dedication to it.

Battleax maybe Xenia could donate her island for the purpose? 😂

😁

As for "pulling a sickie" to avoid meeting Trump ... if she can manage a full state visit from Ceaucescu of Romania and Hirohito of Japan - not to mention shaking the hand of Martin McGuinness - , I really don't think she'll have too many problems with him

As for "pulling a sickie" to avoid meeting Trump ... if she can manage a full state visit from Ceaucescu of Romania and Hirohito of Japan - not to mention shaking the hand of Martin McGuinness - , I really don't think she'll have too many problems with him

The Donald and Philip can compare racist jokes and misogyny

True enough, Thor

I only hope they keep Charles out of his way; considering the tantrum he threw over the Chinese, I wouldn't want to bet on how he'd handle this

*Nelson Mandela, a terrorist spent 27 years in prison then 6 years serving his country. No where near the Queens 65 years service.

Nye Bevan was an MP for 31 years, still nothing on the Queen.*

Only apartheid supporters (and Thatcher) would regard Mandela as a terrorist and you can't blame him for the fact that he was imprisoned by a racist and repressive regime.

And the question asked wasn't about length of service, it was about achievement. I'd say both of the above achieved far more for their countries than Betty Battenberg.

Nye Bevan ensured access to pensions and healthcare for everyone, which has played a massive role in reducing suffering and premature death.

Mandela was not only the much-loved president of the first truly free South Africa and Nobel peace prize winner (jointly with De Klerk) but through the establishment of truth and reconciliation hearings set an effective model for dealing with the aftermath of conflict and reducing the risk of peace failing.

No knocking the Queen as a person, if you have to have a monarch I doubt if you'd find one much better, but if you get one that's rubbish there's fuck all you can do about it. At least with an elected head of state you have some say in the matter and can get rid if they don't cut it.

I'll add reading to the list of "hard work" she does.

Along with going to the races, reading out a speech in parliament once a year, going to state banquets, handing out medals and Maundy money and opening a few things.

Yes, I reckon I could manage that. Might even have time to launch the odd ship during my busy schedule.

The Donald and Philip can compare racist jokes and misogyny

Not sure how that would work. Phil makes racist comments, The Donald IS a racist joke.

Regardless of differing views on the Monarchy, anyone who doesn't appreciate her dedication and hard work - still going at 92 - is very blinkered imho. Sarcasm being the lowest form of wit and all that......

My Mum died at 90 - same work ethic and determination, but I wouldn't have wanted her trailing around the country to keep people happy in her latter years. HM has no real choice.

I'll fess up to not reading the full thread but if anyone is interested I've been through national mourning in another country. There we had 90 days of quite intense mourning - expected to wear black, radio very sombre, tv only transmitting in black and white, shops altering window displays and music and no parties (there was talk of cancelling Christmas but it was allowed to go ahead just subdued - I dont think we'd even consider doing that over here). After this mourning continued for a further 9 months! Some people did start to wear colours again but not all. Books of condolence were still available and there were many state events to commemorate the old king.

Even with all of this there were no official days off at all! Things carried on as they always had just in a subdued manner. In black. Lots of black.

I had a job once where I had responsibility for Margaret Thatcher’s funeral plan foisted upon me. I was never entirely sure why but I was very relieved to have moved on before she pegged it.

TBH I am a little uneasy, these days, about how things will go when the old bag dies. What with the resurgence of fascism worldwide - I think that, while the vast majority of people will be thinking, well, that's a bit sad, she had a good innings, did a good job etc, those who are indifferent to the whole business may find themselves obliged to pretend to care and those who, you know, look a bit foreign and don't appear to be prostrate with grief might find themselves in some danger from the knuckledragging scumbags.

What sort of person are you to refer to a 92 year old woman, who has always done her best - and certainly done you no harm - as an 'old bag'.

No-one's obliged to care - nor indeed be civil - just know that I could never be so nasty about someone without sound reason.

Old bag? That's quite unpleasant.

Facebook will implode

Meh, I'll still have Spotify, the nation's radio stations are welcome to be sombre and respectful but I don't have to listen to it.

I'm a republican and think the silliness that is hereditary monarchy should die with the Queen, but she will die as head of state having held that role for a minimum of 66 years, so it would be weird if a big fuss wasn't made about it.

My Mum died at 90 - same work ethic and determination, but I wouldn't have wanted her trailing around the country to keep people happy in her latter years. HM has no real choice.

Surely you don really think she trails round the country to keep people happy? Do people really think that?
Call me cynical but i'd say she "trails round the country" (quite rarely) as part of her duties in order to justify £365 million of public money going her way every year. Because that is the true cost of the monarchy when you include all the many extras. I mean she has to do something to justify their huge cost....

As for her having no choice, absolute nonsense, she could hand the reins over to Charles anytime she wants, no one would begrudge her that. She doesn't because her whole purpose in life is to keep the monarchy going, she knows that Charles could weaken it. All this "sense of duty" to the country because she's still "working" is ridiculous. The royal family have always been self serving, the monarchy has to look efficient in order to survive.

Hmmm yes poor Queenie must be just awful living in a guilded cage have people doing yr laundry cooking yr meals going around the world staying in all the top places eating the best food wearing clothes made to measure popping out to see yr horses owning loads of land have people pick up her corgi's poo. Poor old Queenie must be so terrible that she can't go out in public. And she works SO hard too. She must host lots of afternoon teas for the tourists that supposedly travel over to see her-they come for the buildings as someone else said-think tourists realise they wont actually see any of the royal family. Everyone in this country that works and pays tax actually pays for her lifestyle. Feel so sorry for the poor cow.

She doesn't really have a particularly luxurious life though. She is quite abstemious and careful and as far as I am concerned she should never abidicate. Most of our monarchs have rightly carried on until the end. we live in a country thankfully where you don't have to live or appreciate the Queen but I certainly think she's handled things very well and works hard and is a useful stabilising influence over the country and is very popular.

She doesn't really have a luxurious life? what because she's not knocking back champagne every night? Did you ever see the inside of Brittania, because if that wasn't luxury i don't know what is. But apart from that, her life is as luxurious as a 92 year old would like it to be. This "thriftiness" that we hear about because she goes round switching lights off, what good does that do any of us, she's not saving the country anything. Is she handing back what she saves by doing this? She's certainly "thrifty" with her staff though, she's notoriously mean with wages, but then many fools love the prestige of working for them.

How exactly does she work hard? is it fuck hard work what she does. She certainly won't be tired from it anyway....and i'd love to know what this "stabilising" influence she has on the country is. I've never seen sight or sound if it.

I can't think of a single way that my life would be impacted when the queen pops her clogs

There's always a lot of talk about her working so hard at her age; she could have retired years ago, but instead has left poor old Charlie cooling his heels while he awaits his moment in the sun.

we live in a country thankfully where you don't have to live or appreciate the Queen

First you call for weeding out republicans, now you don't want us to live? You are one scary royalist