The Return of the King

Not me, although I am back from holiday.  But while I was gone, we got a King again, one with unhealthy looking swollen fingers, a hatred of fountain pens, and a somewhat urgent need for a better PR agent (one who is brave enough to tell him that cameras and mics pick up every grimace and complaint.)  

I'm no great fan of the royal family, and ignore most of the news about them.  I do find the (largely Right wing media driven) hatred of Meghan Markle utterly ridiculous, though.   I mean, why do people bother paying attention to her at all?

The most interesting thing about the funeral arrangements to date is how everyone (well, nearly everyone) has resisted the urge to grab the imperial crown and (at least) put it on their own head for a second, before being tackled by 20 coppers.  (Some of those on guard around the coffin have looked rather old for the job, though, and might break a hip in the fracas.)   Alternatively, I would have liked to see a heavy duty drone zoom in on it with a hook while it was being paraded on the street, for it to be dropped off in a villain's lair nearby.  (Maybe an abandoned Underground station, of which there are several.  If it were a Batman movie, that's how it would have gone down.)

Anyway, on a slightly more serious note, my initial thoughts on the death of the Queen was that it felt symbolically like the true end of the 20th century.   I mean, while there are lots of world figures around who have done much of their work in the tail end of that century, including of course Joe Biden, Queen Elizabeth started her "career" so far back in the last century it really felt she was more truly embodied within that period than any other leader still hanging around. 

I haven't noticed anyone else saying this, but in the millions of words spilt on the topic, it might not be an original thought.   

Anyway, the funeral's later today.  I guess I'll watch some of it live, just in case something unexpected happens.