This fell sergeant, death,
Is strict in his arrest.
– Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Act 5 Scene 2
Queen Elizabeth II is dead. 😢 
Aged 96, about 1 year after my own Grandma died (aged 89), the country’s Grandma has passed away.
I didn’t expect to write this so soon after her Platinum Jubilee, which celebrated her 70 year reign. She was a stable mathematical constant in the UK, for most of my grandparents, parents and my own lives. We have not known a time when π was not 3.1415926535... and when there was not a Queen in England. She ruled in peace (for England) and presided over its reconstruction from the ashes of WWII through the dissolution of the British Empire to the world leader Britain is today.
Many British will be understated or ambivalent to Her Majesty’s passing, but this marks an important transition, though whether for better or for worse, time will tell. I’m nervous. Her successor Prince King Charles III has been an activist for various pet projects, which does not bode well - Queen Elizabeth II was well-loved for her neutrality and not interfering in government. Personally, I would prefer Prince William as successor.
The British Pound Sterling £ will change print, as will all the postal stamps, Royal Mail logos, and any other branding dependent on the Crown. The coins will also be restruck with the new king’s head. A pity, as the economy is currently in a shambles and we’re on to (likely incompetent) Tory Prime Minister #3 in recent years. So here’s hoping the new King interferes little and abdicates soon.
God save the queen.
.jpg){kind=icon}
