Brexit and the waning days of the United Kingdom

[Sheilbh]

Yeah, with a constitutional monarch I am not sure what the right balance is on personal medical privacy vs informing the nation. Like others, I have been fairly suspicious that something more serious than "personal mobility issues" are what has led to her withdrawing so much from the public eye. Some form of cancer (that she likely would not accept extremely aggressive treatment for, given the prognosis), isn't out of the possibility.

Because they have so zealously refused to give any information up to this point, the fact they are disclosing that she is so unwell is being treated as all but a confirmed imminent death. If that isn't the case, and this is just a bout of moderate ill health, I would say the messaging has been pretty shoddy to give this impression.

They basically don't say anything unless they have to - for example she didn't go to the last Memorial Sunday service and that's the sort of absence that needs an explanation.

But a formal statement like this, gathering the rest of the royal family, BBC presenters in black or dark ties, barriers up at Balmoral etc indicate that they're informing the media that it's serious (at best).

Slightly interesting the Guardian flagged in that London Bridge article that the plan is different if the Queen dies in Scotland, looks like she's basically first mourned as a Queen of Scots:

The most elaborate plans are for what happens if she passes away at Balmoral, where she spends three months of the year. This will trigger an initial wave of Scottish ritual. First, the Queen's body will lie at rest in her smallest palace, at Holyroodhouse, in Edinburgh, where she is traditionally guarded by the Royal Company of Archers, who wear eagle feathers in their bonnets. Then the coffin will be carried up the Royal Mile to St Giles's cathedral, for a service of reception, before being put on board the Royal Train at Waverley station for a sad progress down the east coast mainline. Crowds are expected at level crossings and on station platforms the length of the country – from Musselburgh and Thirsk in the north, to Peterborough and Hatfield in the south – to throw flowers on the passing train. (Another locomotive will follow behind, to clear debris from the tracks.) "It's actually very complicated," one transport official told me.

[crazy canuck]

So how does it work? Do we have to pledge allegiance to our new leige and lord Charles? 

It does not matter all that much anymore, it is all ceremonial at this point - at least in Canada, even more so in Australia.

[HVC]

So how does it work? Do we have to pledge allegiance to our new leige and lord Charles? 

It does not matter all that much anymore, it is all ceremonial at this point - at least in Canada, even more so in Australia.

Hmm... can we still make Viper pledge? It'd be good for him


In all seriousness though, it's a shame I like the queen.

[Sheilbh]

It does not matter all that much anymore, it is all ceremonial at this point - at least in Canada, even more so in Australia.

Isn't it ceremonial everywhere - I thought that was the point of a constitutional monarchy?

However much I enjoyed people tweeting that the Queen had absolute power in the gap between Johnson and Truss, only for constitutional lawyers to correct them that she technically has pretty absolute power all the time as PM's are delegated from the crown or technically on the advice of the PM

[Jacob]

Can some enterprising mod create a new thread?  This seems too important (and effects more of the world than just the UK) to leave it in the Brexit thread.

Go ahead and start the thread. I may merge posts over later if I have a chance, but that shouldn't start you from starting a thread right now.

[Tamas]

Would the US stock market care about her death? There was an uncharacteristic nosedive like 10 minutes ago, maybe they already know.

[Valmy]

Would the US stock market care about her death? There was an uncharacteristic nosedive like 10 minutes ago, maybe they already know.

Why would the death of the Queen impact anything? Unless investors just like to pull their money out whenever anything newsworthy happens.

[OttoVonBismarck]

It's possible it would mean trading closes for the day on the LSE, maybe some market timers working some edge case there.

[PJL]

I think we're getting an announcement any minute now saying she had died, or at least her condition has worsened.

[Barrister]

I think we're getting an announcement any minute now saying she had died, or at least her condition has worsened.

There are apparently very elaborate plans to have the news announced simultaneously in all countries where she is the Head of State or has some other symbolic role.  So there will be a delay once she passes before we find out, but the news should be inescapable once it is announced.

[The Minsky Moment]

Someone on a work call just said they were relieved Johnson was gone because he'd make it all about him one way or another - and it seems hard to disagree.

Looks like the Queen was doing OK before having to meet Britain's first PM known for openly and stridently advocating republicanism.

[The Minsky Moment]

Would the US stock market care about her death? There was an uncharacteristic nosedive like 10 minutes ago, maybe they already know.

Time to go long on companies with cutting edge cosmetic ear reduction technology.

[Maladict]

Can some enterprising mod create a new thread?  This seems too important (and effects more of the world than just the UK) to leave it in the Brexit thread.

Go ahead and start the thread. I may merge posts over later if I have a chance, but that shouldn't start you from starting a thread right now.

https://languish.org/forums/index.php/topic,16493.0.html

[Maladict]

RIP Lizzy

[The Larch]

And she's gone.