Queen Elizabeth II has died

The Queen died yesterday afternoon, September 8th 2022. It was a surprise and yet not a surprise. A surprise because I really had thought that she might live to be 100; after all her mother lived until she was 101. On the other hand she was 96 years old, at which age I think you can decline very quickly, and I get the impression that Prince Philip’s death last year affected her deeply; she had certainly lost weight and looked much more frail over the last year. 

I felt very sad about the news and as well as feeling sorry for her family, there is a sense of history about her death; like everyone else under 70, I have only had one monarch in my lifetime. She was still working only two days before she died, standing to greet the new Prime Minister, Liz Truss. She had a big smile and was dressed very smartly but the backs of her hands were all bruised in the way of old age. As she promised when she was a young woman, she dedicated her whole life to the service of the country. It seemed as if she would always be there.

The memories of yesterday that will stay with me:

The announcement from the Queen’s doctors at lunchtime that they were “concerned for Her Majesty’s health, and the news that the Queen’s children were all heading to Balmoral. 

The television footage from shortly before the public announcement of a note about the Queen’s health being passed around the front benches of the House of Commons, the looks of concern on the faces of the MPs as they realised the gravity of the situation and the Speaker expressing his best wishes to the Queen and her family.

The announcement of the Queen’s death at on BBC1 at 6.30 p.m. by Huw Edwards, wearing his black tie. By this time I sort of expected it, but it still felt like a bit of a shock. 

And then today when I was in Glasgow, all of the electronic billboards had pictures of the Queen instead of the usual advertising and the Bowling Club flag was flying at half mast. Heather and I were at the much postponed (because of Covid) David Essex concert, and when he paid tribute to the Queen everybody applauded him. It truly is the end of an era.