, 09.08.2022 12:42 PM

RIP Her Majesty

What a truly extraordinary and exceptional human being.

This is one of those days we all remember where we were when we heard.

18 Comments

  1. Warren,

    Absolutely. Her Majesty The Queen was probably their best monarch, bar none. Her sense of duty, obligation and service was like that of no other. God Bless Her in Heaven. Of all people, she deserves a place there. Not a mean bone in her body.

  2. Steve T says:

    Agreed. I don’t like the monarchy (the concept), but I always liked the monarch. As you said, a truly extraordinary life.

    • Derek Pearce says:

      I’m with you on “don’t like the monarchy, but like the monarch.” I’ve had enormous respect for her but living in a monarchy after all is more than bit ridiculous in this day and age. I don’t know what King Charles III can do to salvage it in the wider Commonwealth (I think he’s safe at home for now). But, here’s the rub, monarchy is at the heart of our Gordian-knot Constitutional amending formula, so I don’t know how we’ll change this.

  3. Peter says:

    Today is a day so many of us had come to believe we would never see.

    R.I.P., M’am. And, in the words of Paddington Bear on your Jublilee, thank you for…for everything.

  4. Martin Dixon says:

    Like Elvis and Lennon. Easy in both of those cases. Same spot at the same bar. Here is what I thought was the most interesting stat about her longevity. There were 14 UK PMs(12 in Canada) who served under her. Winston was the first. She attended the 50th anniversary of his death.

  5. Liber et Gloriosus says:

    God save the Queen. Long live the King.

  6. Phil in London says:

    I give her huge marks for grace. Never have I been much of a monarchist but her reign’s length alone does deserve platitudes.

    I’m not so sure I’ll remember or at least not sure I’ll cherish the moment I heard, checking my newsfeed while I’m on the can.

    Parents aren’t responsible for everything a kid does but there are enough examples to suggest the gang was not well schooled on the dignified role nor the shoes they now will fill.

    In the end – her life of privilege is over and for one so blessed with all that privilege, she carried herself not just well, but rather nobly.

    RIP

    • Warren,

      As Phil alluded to so well, His Majesty The King has a strong penchant for excessive stubbornness, doing things his way and charging straight ahead into the abyss where even angels fear to tread. That may be his undoing and perhaps in relatively short order. I sincerely hope not but…just the trust thing already stinks to High Heaven.

  7. Sean says:

    It is truly astounding, unfathomable really, that at the end of her life, in the 21st Century, she left a sizable portion of the population unconvinced that a Monarchy is necessarily a bad thing. Just ponder that for a moment… consider the times she lived through… and you then realize what a giant she actually was.

  8. Sean says:

    watching Chretien and Mulroney talk about QEII tonight on the news… am I the only one fondly remembering a time that Canada was capable of producing some f#&king adults to manage our public affairs?!

    • Martin Dixon says:

      No. I was thinking the same thing watching Baird, Goodale, Chretien and Mulroney. Vs JT, who pretty well only discussed how it would impact him as one does when one is a narcissist.

      • Martin,

        I’m not known for cutting this Prime Minister much slack but I will on this one. There was a solid, genuine friendship there so his reaction is perfectly normal. It left me with an impression that if he went on, he would lose it. Obviously, he was trying to keep it together throughout his comments.

  9. Gilbert says:

    I’m not really a monarchist even though I’m on the right. To me, it seems a bit of an anachronism that Canada’s head of state is a foreign queen or king. However, I must say that the Queen performed her duties very well and was very active on the world’s stage. The length of her reign was truly remarkable.

  10. RKJ says:

    Yesterday, getting a sandwich in my local town, the woman serving (who spoke with a British accent) let me know.

    Regarding memories, I started school in an eight-grades in one-room rural Ontario school. There was, of course, a picture of the Queen above the large blackboard. To begin each day, along with a Bible reading and the Lord’s Prayer, we would sing “God Save the Queen”. All was right with the world.

  11. Robert White says:

    Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was a nice person, but her kids are rotten to the core. King Charles serves the role of nepotism well IMHO.

    As an Anglican I’m not amused that our communion now has a new leader.

    She represented her generation aptly.

    RW

    • Robert,

      Anglicans and so many others will no doubt be praying that The King will learn to be better. His speech seemed to go in that direction, so I’m not going to write him off just yet. Surely he knows that if he doesn’t perform appropriately, that will inevitably lead to a constitutional crisis and a forced abdication? I choose to remain positive.

      As for the kids, Anne and Edward are OK in my book.

      • Robert White says:

        You’re right, Ronald. Andrew is the taint in the mix and I should not tar everyone with the same brush I agree.

        You’re not an Anglican so the communion has not changed for you. It’s rough to see Queen Elizabeth II go for Anglicans believe me. She was a pillar of the church.

        The people of England called her ‘mummy’.

        RW

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