The Queen is Dead. Long live the King.

[Kulindahr]

A very moving ceremony today as the Queen's coffin was moved from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall. Very regal and polished. The British are excellent at such things.

A great deal of British ceremony was developed to portray the balance of power between crown and nobles, between crown and church, and between crown and Parliament, plus between the different ranks of nobles and between the Lords and the Commons in Parliament. When you use ceremony to act out the relationships between all facets of government, so that ceremony essentially serves to describe those relationships, and also provides continuity because it changes only a little, you get very good at it.

It would be interesting to compare this procession with the one when the last reigning royal died.

 

[NotHardUp1]

There is a symmetry in the 400,000 subjects standing in queue for 14 hours to pay homage, as the Queen spent 96 years keenly attuned to her duty.

Think what you may of monarchy, her duty is due the return respect that so many feel compelled to pay, their duty.

It is all very poetic.

 

[belamyi]

There is a symmetry in the 400,000 subjects standing in queue for 14 hours to pay homage, as the Queen spent 96 years keenly attuned to her duty.

Think what you may of monarchy, her duty is due the return respect that so many feel compelled to pay, their duty.

It is all very There is indeed poetry and symmetry involved in all this business

There is poetry and symmetry indeed involved in the business of paying more respect to some symbolic human stump who had no real factual political power, responsibility and accountability, than in all those constantly elected to constantly slack off their duty.

 

[fabulouslyghetto]

A great deal of British ceremony was developed to portray the balance of power between crown and nobles, between crown and church, and between crown and Parliament, plus between the different ranks of nobles and between the Lords and the Commons in Parliament. When you use ceremony to act out the relationships between all facets of government, so that ceremony essentially serves to describe those relationships, and also provides continuity because it changes only a little, you get very good at it.

It would be interesting to compare this procession with the one when the last reigning royal died.

No portrayal of the relationship between the crown and the African and Caribbean islands they ruled? I couldn't imagine why.

 

[belamyi]

There is poetry and symmetry indeed involved in the business of paying more respect to some symbolic human stump who had no real factual political power, responsibility and accountability, than in all those constantly elected to constantly slack off their duty.

"Than TO all those"... damn editings...

 

[Essex Boy]

The BBC's live stream of the lying-in-state:

A very moving ceremony today as the Queen's coffin was moved from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall. Very regal and polished. The British are excellent at such things.

I've watched all the coffin-hauling ceremonies so far and there's a "clockwork" quality to them that I find oddly fascinating. It's like watching a huge, well-oiled grandfather clock slowly running its course. I can't say the same for the pre-funeral prayer services they've been having, with boring old bishops droning on and choirs chanting those monotonous psalms. I'm sure the actual funeral will be more enjoyable. And it is meant to be enjoyed, after all the whole thing is theatre of a sort.

It would be interesting to compare this procession with the one when the last reigning royal died.

Here's the whole lot going back to Victoria. I watched them this morning. The difference in the tone of the commentary in the two most recent ones says much about the "spirit of the age". In 1936 war was looming, in 1952 they were losing the empire and rebuilding Britain. These funerals were all held at Windsor, next week's is at the Abbey.


George VI, 1952

George V, 1936

Edward VII, 1920
Dog lovers--look out for the late king's little fox terrier following the coffin. You see him just after 7 mins. It'll bring a tear to your eye.

Queen Victoria, 1901
Watch the scrum surrounding the coffin from about 11:30! It's chaotic compared to the precision balancing act we've been witnessing this week.

 

[belamyi]

No portrayal of the relationship between the crown and the African and Caribbean islands they ruled? I couldn't imagine why.

You should have been an "American" back in 1992, hearing Spaniards sell "The Conquest" as "The Encounter Between Two Worlds" ... or when they now still say that they are better off after having been civilized [and Christianized]... just consider how prosperous are ALL the Spanish-speaking lands: the ones that are not rottenly miserable, at least look more shabby than "developed" (like Uruguay), or enjoy some sort of happy limbo, like Costa Rica, where "civilization" as we enjoy elsewhere (from militarization and runaway capitalism down) is more receding than flourishing.

 

[belamyi]

The BBC's live stream of the lying-in-state:

I've watched all the coffin-hauling ceremonies so far and there's a "clockwork" quality to them that I find oddly fascinating. It's like watching a huge, well-oiled grandfather clock slowly running its course. I can't say the same for the pre-funeral prayer services they've been having, with boring old bishops droning on and choirs chanting those monotonous psalms. I'm sure the actual funeral will be more enjoyable. And it is meant to be enjoyed, after all the whole thing is theatre of a sort.



Here's the whole lot going back to Victoria. I watched them this morning. The difference in the tone of the commentary in the two most recent ones says much about the "spirit of the age". In 1936 war was looming, in 1952 they were losing the empire and rebuilding Britain. These funerals were all held at Windsor, next week's is at the Abbey.


George VI, 1952

George V, 1936

Edward VII, 1920
Dog lovers--look out for the late king's little fox terrier following the coffin. You see him just after 7 mins. It'll bring a tear to your eye.

Queen Victoria, 1901
Watch the scrum surrounding the coffin from about 11:30! It's chaotic compared to the precision balancing act we've been witnessing this week.

Loving the 1936 fashions and people with their uralt cell phones taking videos of the coffin with the reverse focus mode

 

[Essex Boy]

No portrayal of the relationship between the crown and the African and Caribbean islands they ruled? I couldn't imagine why.

On the way there:

The procession will be led by the pipes and drums of the Scottish and Irish regiments, members of the Royal Air Force and the Gurkhas.

On the way back:

The procession, led by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, will be made up of seven groups, each with its own band. Members of the armed services from the UK and the Commonwealth, the police and the NHS will also be involved.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-60617519

 

[eddielee]

I wonder how well London will handle the massive crowd that will gather for the funeral. You will have a lot of world leaders and dignitaries, so security will have to be very high. Without a doubt, this will be the largest funeral England has ever had, and possibly the World. I will certainly be watching.

 

[belamyi]

I wonder how well London will handle the massive crowd that will gather for the funeral. You will have a lot of world leaders and dignitaries, so security will have to be very high. Without a doubt, this will be the largest funeral England has ever had, and possibly the World. I will certainly be watching.

Yes, nothing to compare with John Paul II's, for example.

 

[Essex Boy]

Anyone else following the live stream of the vigil and find it mesmerising? The Queen's sons and daughter have taken a turn. The Princess Royal looks darned fetching in that naval cocked hat and trousers, like she's got a breeches part in a Handel opera. They entered the hall at about 8:45 pm BST if you're interested and want to rewind it.

 

[NotHardUp1]

I've watched all the coffin-hauling ceremonies so far and there's a "clockwork" quality to them that I find oddly fascinating. It's like watching a huge, well-oiled grandfather clock slowly running its course.

As well they should.
The burial of kings is not just a centuries-old shared tradition, but ancient.

I remember reading a 9gag thread last week about Alexander's observance of Hephaestion's death, and how extreme that observance was, and he was only the king's lover.

It is justifiablly mesmerizing, as it calls upon the cooperative nature of community to observe the social structure, just like in an anthill or a beehive.

 

[m1thousand]

Harry gets to wear his military uniform at the funeral because of backlash when he was not going to be allowed to wear it

 

[belamyi]

 

[fabulouslyghetto]

Harry gets to wear his military uniform at the funeral because of backlash when he was not going to be allowed to wear it

which is of course stronger than the backlash he gets for being a child predator. because of course.

 

[fabulouslyghetto]

PS: which one of yall was busted for incident exposure? i know some of yall are into that weird voyeuristic shit. i'm gonna go see who hasn't been online since the precession.

it's perfectly on-brand for the royal family though, all this wealth and security for the elite while the poor audience is getting groped cuz there's no security for them.

 

[Essex Boy]

Harry gets to wear his military uniform at the funeral because of backlash when he was not going to be allowed to wear it

Good for him. Prince Edward served in the Marines for about five minutes in 1987 but he's entitled to wear a camp-as-Christmas dress uniform loaded with military bling like the Archduke of Blingblingia.

The king has given a speech to the Welsh parliament in Welsh.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-62915136
That got me wondering whether the late Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark (known in Australia as Phil the Greek), spoke Greek or Danish. Here's a piece about the Royals' language skills. It's quite surprising: https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/prince-philip-languages.html/

 

[fabulouslyghetto]

don't be silent bish, stolen african blood diamond for your thoughts?

 

[belamyi]

^ Oh, I had first thought of a "DRAMA" gif concerning the uniform drama, but then decided...