Death of the Queen

Should have it's own thread.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-61585886

Something so conceivable still seems strange. One of if not the last public figure who felt estimable. Of another age.



Ma'am.

Perhaps a cliche, but we will truly never see the likes of her again. HM embodied values rarely seen in public life today.

That is to say nothing of the remarkable longevity of the Queen's reign. Entire generations who never knew another Sovereign.

An immense loss for Britain and the Commonwealth.

GSTK

It's certainly going to be odd seeing Charles (eventually) on the money and stamps.

Crazy to think Queen Elizabeth was already on the throne when Casino Royale was published. Every Fleming and non-Fleming novel, every EON film to date etc. etc. was made during her reign.

I've had this strange vision in my head since her death, one that almost makes me wish I knew how to edit video trickery. It's based on the concluding scene in ALL THAT JAZZ, where Roy Scheider, in the afterlife, is being moved down a track toward a mysterious glowing blonde, finally revealed to be the Death character played by Jessica Lange that he has flirted with in his imagination for the whole picture.

I'm seeing the Queen in Scheider's position, tracking down toward the mysterious backlit figure ... who is revealed to be Diana, with a grin that strikes a balance between the vicious/victorious look Lange gives Scheider and the look Diana herself gave sfx guy John Richardson right before Prince Charles did his little off-camera rocket launch for a Bond, I think it was TLD.

It's almost dreamlike in its intensity and the repetition, because it flashes to mine a few times daily.

Not sure why, as I've never had any interest in royalty of any country (Richard Harris' big speech about how nobody could ever pull the trigger on royalty in UNFORGIVEN is one of that film's only moments that leaves me utterly befuddled), and my only interest in these people arose out of when SPOOKS flirted with the idea that Harry was involved in Diana's death.

There's a strong chance of it all happening again in the next 10 - 15 years or so, what with Charles being 73.

Barring some sort of unexpected death though it will be quite a long time before there is another "young" monarch like her and ensuing long reign.

CJB wrote:

Crazy to think Queen Elizabeth was already on the throne when Casino Royale was published. Every Fleming and non-Fleming novel, every EON film to date etc. etc. was made during her reign.

Yes. Not that it is a huge deal but it will be somewhat strange to have Bond working for King and Country. There was something classic and chivalric in him having a Queen.

"The longest running reader of intelligence reports"

Never thought of it that way.

Think of having knowledge of top secret material going back to the 50s! At some point she would have tipped over into having more secrets stashed in her head than the spymasters giving her the reports.

Somerset wrote:

Not that it is a huge deal but it will be somewhat strange to have Bond working for King and Country. There was something classic and chivalric in him having a Queen.

Interestingly, Bond said he shagged Fiona Volpe "for King and Country" in TB.

I suppose suggesting he did the deed on behalf of a female monarch would be unseemly.

Somerset wrote:

"The longest running reader of intelligence reports"

Never thought of it that way.

Indeed! Nice tribute.