Cataclysmic. Seismic. A momentous event. You would think the world had ended ten days ago. The death of HM Queen Elizabeth II catapulted the United Kingdom into a parallel universe from which it is unlikely to return until later this month, if at all. The pomp and pageantry has gone into overdrive. The BBC has gone full North Korea. Even supposed independent journalists are wheeling around to accommodate the new order.
We have become collectively lost in the fairytale fantasy of our queen. In the final analysis, this exists solely to propagate the extreme elite. Within the fantasy, there exists a supreme being (in this instance the Christian God) who somehow appointed the Royals to do their ‘job’ of ruling over the population. Spoiler alert: there is no link between the late queen and the Holy Father of the Christian Church. Other than that the former apparently prayed regularly to the latter.
Was the Queen appointed by God?
The connection with the Church gives a mysticism to the position of monarch which undeniably strengthens it. However, many people who don’t have any time for God, still had time for the Queen. This is what makes the monarchy all the more remarkable. If there is no God-given right to rule, then where does the monarchy get its power from?
The answer is bound up with the history, institutions and decision-making individuals. The person with the ‘Crown’ is just the figurehead. Hundreds, maybe thousands of people in positions of power have great stakes in the system that propagates the monarchy. Loosely, the UK establishment. Whilst the government is supposed to be independent from the monarch the systems are clearly linked. The head of the government meets weekly with the monarch for example. For small talk and tea? I doubt it.
Arise Sir Charles
I wonder will Charles come to be seen in the same light as the late Queen in the perhaps two decades till his death. My gut feeling is that he will not. Yet I have no crystal ball. Perhaps he will be a benevolent and inspirational leader. Although, the propaganda machine would have to work extremely hard. Already there are videos emerging of the new King proving to be ill tempered and dismissive. More questionable than these brief clips is his reinstating of Prince Andrew to royal duties.
The version of normality that returns to the UK to break the spell may be as welcome as a wet fish to the face. Up until September 8th this year there had been a collective panic creeping across the nation. The fear of unmanageable energy bills, skyrocketing petrol and food prices and a new Prime Minister with about as much charisma as a disowned prosthetic limb. Not to mention the raw sewage seeping into rivers and around the UK coastline.
Are you having a laugh?
The funniest thing I saw on the internet this week (of mourning) was a tweet saying ‘UK florists since Thursday:’ over a scene from Scarface about raking in drug money. It made me laugh at the placement and timing. Yet the amount spent on flowers these last few days is not the most ridiculous manifestation here in fantasy land. That has to be the scale of the ‘queue’.
Sometimes one needs a third person perspective on society. Well, the best third person would be curious visitors from another planet looking down from their passing spaceship. I can imagine the aliens looking on in disbelief. Their pale, wide eyes growing wider watching the spectacle of the queue. This phenomena where the human beings down on planet Earth give up twelve hours of their lives to see a box in a large room. The Queen for her part may not even be in the box. Just imagine.
My take on this
The Queen’s death is sad as it represents the loss of a ‘spiritual’ leader. Many people felt she spoke for them, and to them, throughout her long life. Personally, I am sad that her death will most likely not bring about the widespread social change and revitalisation this country needs. UK inequality will persist under the new King. The downward trends of the rust encrusted British empire will not be reversed by this man.
The late comedian Sean Lock pointed out that ants have a queen that is twenty times their size and lays all the eggs. The death of such a queen would be something special. No more queen, no more colony. If Queen Elizabeth II had been 100 ft tall and created all the people I would be gutted if she died. As it is, she was five foot something and only spawned the next bunch of aristocrats to enjoy a life of extreme wealth and privilege.
