Meinung 1st anniversary of the Queen's death
"I often forget that we have a King"Our author, born and raised in England, could not imagine life without the "nation's grandma". Now a year has passed since the Queen's death. Not everyone has really internalized it.
Did you hear about the Queen?", "Poor Queen", "RIP Lizzy". Various WhatsApp messages were popping up on my screen. It was 8th September 2022. Yes, I had heard. How could I not have heard? I was in my hometown of Sheffield, after having just celebrated my school friend's wedding.
It all happened at once. Buckingham Palace announced that the Queen had fallen very ill. It is not often that Buckingham Palace announces something so personal about the Queen's wellbeing. Speculation arose when the royal family travelled to Balmoral. And then the news broke.
"What will happen now?" and "What's next?" were questions that my Spanish husband curiously asked me, and to which I had no answers. His royal family had changed roles whilst the Spanish King was still living. The situation in Britain was new to both of us.
It was announced that the public could pay their respect and say their farewells to the Queen. For me, it was impossible to get to London. Complete chaos. London was filled with what seemed to be the whole of England. Queues had formed of up to two days of waiting. I followed the news from my living room. Most of the TV channels were covering the Queen anyway. My mother and I were glued to the television. This was history unfolding in front of our eyes. There were throwbacks, memorable moments, and the Paddington Bear sketch on repeat. Images showed Charles meeting crowds and people shouting "God Save the King". That's when it struck me. We now have a new sovereign. Not a second has passed by and Charles had taken the throne. This is going to take some time getting used to. Elizabeth II. was "my queen" for 32 years, after all.
Time flies. It has been a year since the Queen passed away, and I often forget that we have a King. When I talk about the monarch, I still say "the Queen" instead of "the King". I have to correct myself. Listening to the Lionesses sing the national anthem at the FIFA Women's World Cup final (yes, my husband constantly reminds me of the result ...), it sounded like something was missing. The vowel stress from "i" to "ee" sounded too short.
The same goes for the stamps. Instead of buying a book of 12 stamps with the queen's face, the stamps now show the profile of Charles. Postage stamps could be renewed relatively quickly, however coins and notes seem to be taking longer to exchange. Maybe that's the confusion? An acquaintance of mine recently had to apply for a new British passport. We were rather surprised to find that it still said "In the Name of Her Majesty" on the inside cover. Apparently, the authorities have to use up all the passports that have already been printed. Probably cost-cutting measures. Better for the environment, I guess.
However, it will probably take forever for the famous red post boxes to show "CIII R" instead of "EII R". Scattered around England, there are still letterboxes marked "VR" from Queen Victoria's time. They never bothered to change the symbol.
Things take time, and there are also efforts to keep the Queen remembered and also present. To mark what would be her 100 th birthday, plans have been unveiled for a memorial in 2026. The Touquet-Paris-Plage airport in France will even been named after her. And thanks to Fergie's Instagram account, we got an update on the Queen's beloved corgis, Muick and Sandy. Wherever the Queen was, her corgis would be running along her side.
There is also the Royal Calendar, which traditionally continues in the Queen's spirit. King Charles and the Queen Consort Camilla have just spent the summer at Balmoral. The King celebrated his official birthday just like the Queen, not forgetting to include the grand parade known as "Trooping the Colour". Christmases will probably continue at Sandringham. And I still remembered to tune into "His" Royal Highness's Christmas speech last December. The traditions continue, but the monarchy seems to have become slimmer and more modern, although pomp and ceremony still play a role.
And speaking of traditions, it was not so long ago that we had to come to terms with the fact with Daniel Craig announcing that he would no longer be playing James Bond, on her Majesty's Secret Service. Who knows who the next Bond will be. Just like any other change, things take time getting used to.