Lucas

Sounds awful. I’m just a bit perplexed by the whole thing with the queues. I’d understand it more if you could actually see her, but you’re just walking past a coffin. I understand being there to witness the procession and things like that, just not queueing to walk past a coffin.

Nobody bothered to tell me my morning / mourning joke was bad

At least they didn't extend the morning menu to 5pm.

Well the action shows how serious the offence was taken. Things in writing are taken much more seriously from a legal/moral/social point of view. But I don't really know that much about the incident other than the headline. Only thing I didn't quite agree with the club saying was that some random (even if a fan) referencing them had somehow made the club guilty by association and that's why he got a ban. Edit = To clarify, not really sure why the club felt they were guilty, not why he got a ban.

Something will always upset someone. It's about intent for me. For something as universally bad as that I'd rather they weren't engaged or just told that's not funny rather than going down the road of punishment* *Unless certain groups are specifically targeted. Will say though I don't really know much beyond the headline of the story to make much of a judgement other than the guy is obviously an idiot at best.

Seen a few tears as well on the news, and that is something I really don't understand.

Yep. Too many times I heard the story about how some American who met the Queen asked the Queen if she'd met the Queen up in Balmoral. And the news mostly just asking random people why are they in London.

@Peter G beat me to it

Someone asked a steward where would they start the queue, so the steward told them and that person has since been on TV saying they are going to stay there and wait. I wonder how that works though. What if they need the toilet?

Except he won't really, if he lives long enough. If we go through this again when Charles dies, Andrew isn't going to make an appearance then either? Really?

I don't know, pretty weird for those at the Accession council to just not actually question anything and wave it through as a mere formality. I mean, that's the very definition of subjects. A lot of the pomp and circumstance with all these ceremonies have a lot of quite hideously outdated stuff in them. Though it is fascinating to witness from a constitutional point of view, probably won't get many more chances to witness an actual change of Head of State. Until we end up being able to vote for one of course. Something a lot of monarchists seem to want, to have some sort of say which member of the Royal Family should be monarch

Charles has had it easy so far, a bit of sympathy bounce but he has spoken well and it helps to have a supportive media behind him at the moment. What will be a bit strange for me to bear is that if he is outspoken on some issues still, I might well find myself agreeing with him, while at the same time not really liking him taking a political stance

Sounds like they are breaking the law to me.

I agreed with everything you had to say except this. It's a majority, but I wouldn't say vast majority at all, unless you're from the Brexiteer school of convincing majorities. Some good polls here. Especially that Charles doesn't have the approval of most at all, which is alarming when there is at least a majority in favour of the monarchy. https://yougov.co.uk/topics/politics/explore/institution/The_British_Monarchy?content=trackers Most of the monarchy's popularity will be invested in, and in deference to, HM QEII. So what we're seeing over the last week or two is quite right. I'd go as far as saying she's been, and can seen as, the Mother of the Nation since the post war period, which means the vast majority of the country have never known anything else. It's far from certain how support for the monarchy goes from here, but if people want to grieve or celebrate QEII, I don't have a problem with that.

I feel quite conflicted really even as a republican. I'm not so sure it's smart to be "protesting" at this time, and having met some people at Republic.org conferences in the past, you do get some real loudmouths even at those. There are some strange people about. It seems lacking in class a bit making the protests personal, when the real questions and issues are about the institution as a whole and they are always relevant, not just now because we are going through a change over in Monarch. For some of them, I think they do run the risk of being hit for heckling and so on, and I think it would probably be smarter for them to organise peacefully their disapproval, so it doesn't look like some of the clips I've seen - randoms in a crowd shouting and holding up signs. OTOH, I think people should have a right to protest and make their voices heard whatever the time, in an ideal world. Makes me uneasy that some are being moved on. The royals are weird, dangerous even for a bunch of reasons (unelected, undemocratic, and then the personal reasons on top of that), but I'd like to think the arguments are compelling enough without having to get into personal dislikes of the individuals. They've lost a mother and a grandmother when all said and done - so personally I'd agree with the Australians that there is a better time for it. Clearly they are swayed enough by the constitutional arguments to not get too personal over it, and I don't see why republicans here can't either.

Bit scummy to be lying if that's the case tbh.

Bit of a shambles isn't it? How are fans supposed to plan or not if they are just waiting for clubs to be told by police if its going forward or not?

Yeah me too. The 24/7 nature of the news about her death, and most of the news just asking subjects who are they and where they’ve come from and why are they there is far too much. So much going on just not being reported and we’ve not had a government really since June. Having said that I’m not surprised at all this. Had a taste of it with Phillip.

Very good thread, hard to disagree and I think he made some valid and fair points about the institution, and the political attachment the Tories are trying to make with this.

It absolutely is problematic, but this is not really a surprise to be rounded up at this time, causing a public disturbance (I'm just presuming that is what he was arrested for). Emotions are running high and there's clearly an establishment move to make things seem as positive for the monarchy as possible. I don't think its fair he has been arrested, and I don't agree with him being arrested, but I can completely see why. Definitely hasn't been helped at all since the Home Office have done so much to try and clamp down on protesting in public.

As much as I sympathize and I agree - the Australians are going about this the best way. This is really not the best time. Republican focus and sentiment really needs to step away from the personal and more onto the progressive, democratic arguments against the Monarchy if it's ever going to win over and persuade those it needs to make change happen.

Remember reading somewhere that a lot of national anthems have the same tune but different lyrics or whathaveyou.

Yeah, but, I have a hard time accepting people embracing Charles as King. It will take a long time for the change to feel normal, especially culturally. Given his age by then we might be on to King William V.

I'm wondering though if the monarchy can honestly recover. I'm sure it will survive, but impossible shoes to fill and it's an institution not fit for today's world. I hope Charles III does continue to be outspoken as he is, on one hand I can't disagree with some things he says and on the other I'd really want us to form a republic.

If there’s vaguely related stuff I get it, or possibly the top story. But it’s every story. And that’s not good, because it allows for important news and info to fly under the radar. Perfect time to bury bad news.