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She did have a happy ending. She was working on Tuesday, meeting with two Prime Ministers, and less than 48 hours later, she'd slipped away. No drama, no hospitals, no painfully drawn out decline, just here, and then gone. Who could ask for a better final public appearance than this?

This funeral is set to be an absolute banger:

I think what we don't know is how ill she was for around the previous 12 months. How much did she steel herself to be able to make a public appearance for an hour? She certainly lost a lot of weight over the final year. But yes overall a good way to go - nobody** would have wanted The Queen to be dribbling down her chin in a home for a couple of years not knowing who she was. ** I'm sure there will be some actually but I'm going to pretend they don't exist.

Those milestone dates for the five shortest reigning monarchs Monarch Duration Date Lady Jane Gray 9 Days 17th September 2022 Edward V 78 days 25th November 2022 Edward VIII 327 days 1st August 2023 Richard III 2 y 58 days 4th November 2024 James II* 3y 321 days 27th July 2026 *James II was deposed and driven into exile and replaced with his daughter Mary and her husband William of Orange who ruled jointly All five of these were forcibly removed from power Mary I was the first one to die on the throne from natural causes after a reign of 5 years and 122 days which would take us to January 2028

British classicist Joyce Reynolds (wiki) has died aged 103. One of her students was Dame Mary Beard (wiki). A DDP pick for 3 teams. Guaranteed to get a QO imo. A pity we can't get confirmation of the death of actress Joyce Reynolds (wiki) who is also a pick. It would probably spawn an obit somewhere, and we could have a DDP Joyce Reynolds double

Projected wait at St Giles, Edinburgh to see a box. 12 hours. As they say in these parts, get tae fuck, man.

Point of order - meeting Boris Johnson is a happy ending? Tbh I think she went the way my other gran went. Health complication in the morning, family told to come see her ASAP as she didn't have long left, only to get there and find that she'd taken a sudden turn for the worse and died while folk were on route. Happens all the time.

Norwegian ceramist Eva Børresen (Wiki) dead at 101

I was in Aberdeen yesterday. If she can get that many dour-faced, mean Aberdonians out to line the route of her cortege, I can assure you there is great public interest and sympathy for the Queen's demise. They even came out at Dundee. As for the flowers, none of us have any fucking money left. Diana died when the economy was on the up. The Queen died with a broken economy. Further more, the coverage of her death has been greater than that of Diana. More of us have access to 24-hour news. The BBC and ITV have covered it solidly. The internet, social media and even radio has been wall to wall. People are getting a bit tired of it, understandably. Even I switched channels last night because I had enough of it for one day. Doesn't mean its not something I don't care about. The Queen's death is different to Diana's in so many ways and as such, the reaction of people can never be compared.

UFC Middleweight division fighter Elias Theodorou, who won The Ultimate Fighter Nations: Canada vs. Australia, died at 34 years: https://www.mmafighting.com/platform/amp/2022/9/12/23348343/former-ufc-fighter-elias-theodorou-dies-from-cancer-at-34 He also was known as The Spartan or Cardio King.

Guessing you’ve collected this “fact” from Twitter as I’ve seen it banded round there quite a bit. Reality is there are 1000s being left every day but they’re clearing them off every 12 hours to create space. The flowers are being moved to a tribute garden at the back of the main Palace. When Diana died, the flowers were simply left to pile up.

https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1667757/Iran-Supreme-Leader-Ali-Khamenei-heath-fears-dead-cancer-regime-collapse-Ayatollah : Said to be " gravely ill on his deathbed" , suffering from "the late stages of cancer".

Sir Wes Hall is 85 today. Half of the feared Hall/Griffith bowling partnership, he began his cricketing life as a wicketkeeper/batsman, taking up bowling later. He was included in the 1957 WI squad to tour England in 1957 despite only having played one first-class match. He wasn't called upon during that tour, making his test debut the follwoing year, versus India in Bombay, despite initially being left out of that squad (coming in as a late replacement for Frank Worrall). The West Indians won te series 3-0. There immediately followed a three test series v Pakistan, where Hall became the first West Indian bowler to take a test hat-trick. He played three seasons in the Lancashire league, for Accrington CC, taking 100, 106 and 123 wickets. he also played a notable role in the 'tied test' of 1960, entrusted to bowl the final (8-ball) over, with Australia requiring six runs and the West Indians requiring three wickets (after a 134 run 7th wicket stand) , with over going 1 W . 1b 1 2W W, the final 2 wickets being run-outs as the Australians tried for the winning run (the over also included a dropped catch off the fifth ball). In his 48th test, v New Zealand, Hall was injured which prevented him from continuing bowling. and the injury prevented from playing in the following test, and was never selected again. He continued to play for Barbados until 1971, before retiring from playing. After retirement, Hall entered politics becoming the Barbados Sports and Tourism Minister. He later became an ordained minister in the Pentecostal Church. He was knighted for services to sport in 2012.

Oh, how sad that this has spoiled her Golden Jubilee. Queen Margrethe is very comparable to our Queen - except for the smoking

Personally, I actually agree!

Thriugh all the press have now said only Charles and Anne made there in time.

Campaigning did officially stop, briefly, due to Diana's road safety failure. The BBC website did exist in 1997 but the News section became more of a thing in 1998. Here's the earliest example on the Wayback Machine. Top stories - Clinton's Sex Life, space adventures, a shooting in Northern Ireland, and people taking the government to court. Could be any other day in the 90s! "A drama like Jonathan Creek isn't what you'd expect from creator of One Foot In The Grave, David Renwick." - Tell me you haven't seen One Foot without telling me you haven't seen One Foot. "Can you imagine what life will be like in the year 2010?" No, no I cannot.

American singer-songwriter Johnny Cash died on this day 19 years ago, aged 71.

Silvia Pinal, the distinguished and remarkable Mexican film, stage and television actress, one of the most famous of all time, with notable works in the films of Luis Buñuel, such as "Simon of the Desert" and "Viridiana", is 91 today. Silvia Pinal is one of the last surviving legends of the Golden Age of Mexican cinema. Rachel Ward, British-born Australian film, stage and television actress well-known for her starring role opposite Richard Chamberlain in "The Thorn Birds", one of the most popular television mini-series of all time, is 65 today. Rachel Ward is the great-granddaughter of William Ward, 2nd Earl of Dudley, who was Governor-General of Australia.

On this day exactly 10 years ago in 2012 , British tabloid journalist and broadcaster Derek Jameson died aged 82.

This is the last hurrah for Harry and Megan. There's a new king, a new structure and hierarchy and these two grifters don't fit in anywhere. After the funeral and the coronation there won't be a big set piece event for a long time. No big weddings, funerals, births or jubilees are likely for at least a decade and possibly 2 decades. 2011-23: William/Kate wedding, Harry/Meghan wedding, other weddings (Beatrice etc), Philip funeral, Queen funeral, George birth, Charlotte birth, Louis birth, Archie birth, Lilibet birth, Diamond jubilee, Platinum jubilee, Coronation 2024-34 onwards: tumbleweed 2035 onwards: Charles death, George wedding, Charlotte wedding etc I hope they have something planned to keep everyone entertained for the next 10 years

As much as QE 2 was known to everyone, I dont think she was THAT significant in history - because her role doesn't require it. She was definitely an iconic symbol, for stability, dignity, as a woman in leadership, basically like a friendly neighbour to everyone. But she never really interfered with history, because she chose not to. It makes her similar to Obama, maybe, who was/is hugely important as a symbol, whereas his legacy, except for a couple of truly significant measures, was damaged a lot by his successor. Putin, on the other hand, almost single-handedly resurrected a Russian Empire - until he, probably, ruined it all, this year. Still, symbols are extremely important as well, see the reactions to Muhammad Ali. Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney didnt change history but "touched" millions/billions of people in little ways.

She is a hit for @Perhaps, @Yvonne, @Great Uncle Bulgaria, @theoldlady, @Torva Messor, @Book, @The Old Crem, @John Key, @Bibliogryphon, @The Daredevil, @Annami, @Johnnas, @The Unknown Man, @msc and @Kenny CONGRATULATIONS ALL!!!

Bob Denver died on this day 17 years ago, aged 70. Denver's breakout role came in 1959 as the character of Maynard G. Krebs on The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis opposite the late Dwayne Hickman. The character has been described as a precursor to the hippie movement that would emerge during the following decade. A year after Dobie Gillis ended, Denver got the title role of Gilligan's Island. The character of Gilligan is portrayed as the comic relief of the series, and after it ended in 1967, and in later years, Denver would often cameo as the character in other shows such as ALF and Baywatch. Denver often smoked, and his habit led to throat cancer. Denver died of complications from surgery treating said cancer.

Hmmm, the man responsible for the end of the Cold War and the fall of the Berlin Wall, or the lady who sang "We go together like rama lama lama ka dinga da dinga dong". Yep, that's a tough one.