Queen Elizabeth 2

[Arn]

Looking very much like her reign is due to end imminently.

All her children and grandchildren have been summoned to Balmoral where she has been staying.

Her Drs have released a statement suggesting they are very "concerned" about her health.

The BBC has interrupted and suspended all normal programming on BBC1 and the presenters are now sporting black ties.

I suspect the announcement is imminent.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-62836057

[Nik]

It's interesting watching the coverage. Obviously they're trying to balance the newsworthiness of the goings on with the human reality of this being a person with a family who's probably near the end of her life. Nobody can come right out and say what I think they're all dancing around(that we wouldn't be getting the statements we were getting if there was a real chance of recovery) and so we're sort of getting a lot of nothing while they wait for something they all seem to know is coming.

[Arn]

There's quite a strong theory going round that chances are the inevitable has already happened and they're just awaiting the arrival of all the family members for the announcement.

Not sure I buy into that one, but it is definitely as you say a sense of inevitability.

It's an interesting watch as we obviously haven't ever had this level of media coverage of such an event either.

[LittleHockeyFan]

not a fan of the Royal family per se, but I do have a lot of affection and respect for the Queen.  I suppose it's inevitable that she'll pass eventually but it'll be a sad day when it does happen.

[bustaheims]

Going to be very weird having a new head of the royal family. Will be the first change in many people's lifetimes.

[herman]

https://twitter.com/BBCBreaking/status/1567928789551792128

[Deebo]

Im surprised at how sad this has made me.

[Arn]

https://twitter.com/nhl/status/1567939030460792834

[Nik]

Im surprised at how sad this has made me.

Maybe it's not quite the same but I do find it making me think of a lot of things in my own life and the connections to her. My grandfather, who's been gone for more than 20 years, used to always note she was born two weeks after him. My grandmother, who's been gone for 5, was of English stock and was fairly big on the monarchy, still held a grudge against her uncle for the abdication and so on.

This is a major generational change a clear severance from a lot of links to our past, even if you're not directly invested much in the monarchy.

[Arn]

Im surprised at how sad this has made me.

I think whether you're in favour or against monarchies as heads of state, she was actually quite a strong, dignified woman who kind of managed to transcend that debate. The fact that she has been around for basically the full lives of everyone we all know also have it that sense of continuity.

It's a historic moment to live through and experience too, especially as someone living in and very closely associated with the United Kingdom.

[Arn]

Im surprised at how sad this has made me.

Maybe it's not quite the same but I do find it making me think of a lot of things in my own life and the connections to her. My grandfather, who's been gone for more than 20 years, used to always note she was born two weeks after him. My grandmother, who's been gone for 5, was of English stock and was fairly big on the monarchy, still held a grudge against her uncle for the abdication and so on.

This is a major generational change a clear severance from a lot of links to our past, even if you're not directly invested much in the monarchy.

I missed this writing my reply above, but yeah I think this is a lot of it too. She served in world war 2. The British Empire and British power and influence was still a thing when she took the throne but has waned over the course of her reign.

She presided over the Commonwealth which was a thing she kind of drove as a bit of a replacement of the Empire.

I can see a lot of that stuff really fully and more rapidly disappearing and passing into the history books with her passing.

It's a literal end of an era and the start of a potentially less stable era.

[Nik]

I missed this writing my reply above, but yeah I think this is a lot of it too. She served in world war 2. The British Empire and British power and influence was still a thing when she took the throne but has waned over the course of her reign.

She presided over the Commonwealth which was a thing she kind of drove as a bit of a replacement of the Empire.

I can see a lot of that stuff really fully and more rapidly disappearing and passing into the history books with her passing.

It's a literal end of an era and the start of a potentially less stable era.

Even just directly, given the age breakdown in the vote in the Scotland's independence referendum you wonder how many older voters voted to stay because of a sort of nostalgia for the Empire days that she represented. You wonder if Charles, being substantially less popular, might have even the opposite effect. Obviously the NI situation is different but there too if a border poll does come up.

[Deebo]

It's a historic moment to live through and experience too, especially as someone living in and very closely associated with the United Kingdom.

Though I never lived in the UK, I am an overeseas citizen by way of my dad living there for 13 years. My mom ended up there as a refugee in 1972. We had lots of family there so I have been there 8 times now I think.

[Wendel's Fist]

Im surprised at how sad this has made me.

I feel the same. I guess it has to do with someone being around since the day your were born and suddenly being gone, leaving a void, whether you knew them personally or not.

You also have to respect someone who took on that much responsibility at such a young age and did it for 70 years. I wouldn't want it.

Plus, for Canadians, she's been on our money all of our lives. How weird would it be to suddenly have Charles' face on all of our coins?

Sad day.

[herman]

She presided over the Commonwealth which was a thing she kind of drove as a bit of a replacement of the Empire.

Just putting a nice 'civilized' façade over centuries of colonial atrocities, plundering, and reshaping history into the WASP image.