It is weird to have a King

[purplecat]

In general, I'm not really in favour of monarchy, but in the priority ordered list of things I think ought to changed about UK society it ranks fairly low so, if asked, I always said I didn't care enough to have much of an opinion about it.

Still, it's weird to have a King.

Comments

[vivdunstan]

It feels very weird. Like most people in the UK I’ve only ever known a Queen. It’s very very weird having a bloke in the role and hearing the word King! Even if as a historian it’s hardly a surprise ;)

I’m also very much not a royalist, so I’m finding the whole automatic God Save The King response from some people very weird and feeling wrong so soon after the Queen died.

I think she did a grand job though. Still not a royalist!

Here in Dundee the cortège is going through the city tomorrow afternoon on its way to Edinburgh. All the main city buses are shutting down for 2 hours. The council and university have been looking for volunteer stewards. It’s all rather bizarre.

[purplecat]

I'm finding some of the twitter discourse a bit discombobulating and I can't quite decide if I'm very naive about the extent to which the royal family has any real power, or if many twitter commentators - particularly from overseas, vastly over-estimate their power. A little from column A and a little form column B, I suspect. They have a lot of influence even if not much practically useable power.

I'm sad at the level of its sad when someone dies, and someone I'd been aware of all my life. I find it hard to assess how good a job she did. Keeping one's opinions to oneself in public is a much under-rated skill, as is managing not to significantly rock the boat for 70 years but there's a sense in which she merely kept the tides of history at bay without finding a way for the monarchy to go forward once her time passed. Apres moi le deluge and all that.

[fred_mouse]

Youngest and I were discussing this in the car today, with the conclusion that we would rather have Queen Charles than King Charles, and can't we just require that that be How Things are Done, so that things like The Queen's Birthday don't have to be redone.

[purplecat]

I endorse this idea.

[liadt]

It is weird having Charles being referred to as 'The King', it's like he's changed his name. Then all the coins and stamps will be the next strange thing. I supposed we'll get used to it. Strange also to think I won't see another Queen in my lifetime (barring anything dramatic).

The tourist board must be very sad to see her go.

[purplecat]

As one of my PGR students pointed out today. James Bond will have to change since he can no longer be on Her Majesty's Service. Mind Blown!

[liadt]

So is mine! This is more serious than stamps.