RIP HRH Elizabeth II - 16 September 2022

I'm late in posting this, but I did want to post a thought or two here on the passing of Queen Elizabeth II.

It will seem very odd the next time we're in London. We've gotten quite used to strolling past Buckingham Palace and seeing the warm glow of the Queen's telly in the window, wondering just what she was watching. Might it have been The Great British Baking Show? Perhaps The Repair Shop? (that would have my vote) One assumes that even the royals have to pay their TV license fee in order to watch, so it's good to know they were there with the hoi polloi (I know that has a double definite article, it's simply standard usage.)

The other oddity will be seeing something like CR III on the gates rather than ER II. As we have a friend whose initials are E.E.R-R. we always construed this as having the 2 distribute over the E and R, making E2R2 or EERR. Now all we'll have is a Star Wars reference: C3PO (Charles III, Palace Occupant).

Seriously, Elizabeth had been queen for the entirety of my life, and she really seemed to be the ideal monarch: one who cared about her Nation and her People; one who actively engaged with her subjects as well as the important matters of the day, and with loyalty, grace, and honour. She will be missed. One can only hope the king will be better than I fear he will.

The Queen is dead, long live the King.