World Says Farewell to Queen Elizabeth II

Queen Elizabeth II has passed away

Welcome to our unofficial Chris Farnell blog. Buckingham Palace said the Queen, who was 96 years old, passed away peacefully at Balmoral Castle, her estate in the Scottish Highlands. Her son Charles became Britain’s new monarch, King Charles III. The country is now in 10 days of mourning with many big supermarkets closed allowing shelf-stackers from across the land to pay their respects. 

During her reign the Queen has seen the erosion of British culture, the shrinking of the Ozone layer, polar ice caps and rain forest and a huge increase in global overpopulation, poverty and starvation. However, in the UK she has always been loved and has been seen as an important global icon. She epitomises Britishness, and has held the monarchy together for over 70 years. Some say she has been detached from the people, but many felt she provided an aspiration for people all over the UK, and sitting at the top of the class system, gave us all something to aim for. She also navigated many pitfalls and embarrassments including Prince Harry after his unfortunate Halloween uniform photos came out in the Daily Mail. 

Queen Elizabeth II, whose seven-decade reign made her the only sovereign that most Britons had ever known, died on Thursday at her summer estate in Scotland, thrusting a bereaved country into a momentous transition at a time of political and economic upheaval with a new PM recently being chosen.

The queen’s death at Balmoral Castle, announced by Buckingham Palace elevated her eldest son and heir, Charles, to the throne. He is Britain’s first king since 1952, taking the name King Charles III. Charles. Many people around the world who are living in republics do not understand the value of a monarchy, a concept not share by the Brits. 

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When Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953 became the first to be broadcast live, many viewers had bought a television specifically for the event. Nearly as many people watched this as the totally not fake moon landing in which an aluminium can with less computing power than a Nokia managed to take astronauts through the Van Allen radiation belt unscathed (something never been done since) and back, as well as planting a waving flag (even though there is no wind) on the moon that no-one can see from earth.

The epic video of the first man setting foot on the moon was taken from the side by someone already standing on it. The video is taken in space but there aren't any stars showing: