Well that's it then she's dead

 

I like this photo, it looks like a servant is tugging on the string to make her talk

Today Elizabeth II died aged 96, I found out when a 70s music marathon on a local tv station was interrupted, the song was all by myself if you're curious. I'd expected more emotion really, I have been spending much of the afternoon waiting for announcement by trying to wind up royalists on twitter, but even the level of sycophancy has been muted. At least that's how it appears to me, time will tell whether this is an important sign of the times or whether the patriotic machine needed some time to kick into gear.

I know when Philip died I avoided tv and talk radio like the plague for a week, record complaints over the officially mandated mourning period shows this wasn't an isolated experience. Checking back in an hour later all five national channels have round the clock tributes posing as news broadcasts but the extra channels on the freeview remain unsullied. 

Well I hope this'll be the final mortal wound that ends the institution. The monarchy has been rotting away for some time, I've lost count over the years how many people who differentiated their positive feelings for the queen from their growing indifference or in the case of the sleazier ones open contempt for the rest. The overseas commonwealth nations that have the monarch as the head of state are shrinking in number and Charles has done nothing to endear himself despite nearly a years head start. I kinda hope they do go through with their planned compulsory mourning with no sport and comedy and constant solemn sessions, it'll be hell for a week or two but it'll kill a lot of the lingering good feelings.

If this is the beginning of the end I'll take it, but I'm a little annoyed it went the whimper route and we didn't get a bang like this.