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Queen Elizabeth II

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3 minutes ago, Davey Jones' Locker said:

Still only ranked 43rd on the all-time longest reigning monarchs table:  

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_longest-reigning_monarchs

Interestingly, if you don't count the years the monarch spent in childhood, Elisabeth is at 2nd place, behind the recently departed King of Thailand.

 

For some reason, only very few monarchs become nonagenarians. At the moment, I can only think of Ramesses II (roughly 90 years old) and German Emperor Wilhelm (92).

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The Sultan of Kedah is 89 years old now, rumours of ill health, turns 90 in November.

 

Edit: Ah, King Saud died at 90, of course. So he barely made it. 

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2 hours ago, gcreptile said:

For some reason, only very few monarchs become nonagenarians. 

death-politician-stab-stabbed-knife-knif

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4 hours ago, gcreptile said:

The Sultan of Kedah is 89 years old now, rumours of ill health, turns 90 in November.

 

Edit: Ah, King Saud died at 90, of course. So he barely made it. 

You mean King Abdallah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud. King Saud bin Abdulaziz al-Saud was his elder brother, but he was ousted from the throne and died young-ish.

 

And about monarchs not becoming nonagenarians: these days most of them abdicate when they get really old. Juliana of the Netherlands died at 94 but abdicated 24 yeary prior to that. Just like Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, still alive at 96. Michael of Romania (95) also abdicated after the Second World War, albeit it was a forced abdication.

 

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16 minutes ago, GossipGabe said:

Michael of Romania (95)

 

IMG_0306.GIF

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1 hour ago, Predictor said:

Silvia > Elizabeth ll

Hate to burst your bubble, but your "Queen" is just a Queen Consort, instead of Lizzy's much more impressive (and much more exclusive) status of Queen Regnant.

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On 2017-04-23 at 19:00, GossipGabe said:

Hate to burst your bubble, but your "Queen" is just a Queen Consort, instead of Lizzy's much more impressive (and much more exclusive) status of Queen Regnant.

 

Well, being born into royalty doesn't require any skills, it's just pure randomness by nature. Her Majesty Queen Silvia, on the other hand, slept worked her way to her status as the Queen. I think that's far more impressive, although it would've been a more Cinderella-like story if she had come from a poor family in a favela in Rio de Janeiro rather than an affluent German family in Sao Paolo...And yeah, Elizabeth has more power and all, but Her Majesty Silvia is much more wonderful and gracious and lovely and so on. For example, would Elizabeth ever hang out with Skurt? Don't think so. ;)

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Interesting story... maybe.  The Queen won't be wearing her crown and will be arriving by car, not carriage, to open the UK Parliament this year.

 

It is stated to be because of the later opening of parliament due to the general election but I wonder if they are also reducing the ceremonial aspect to make the whole thing a little briefer for the old girl now. Maybe the crown is becoming  too heavy for her noggin these days.

 

http://honey.nine.com.au/2017/04/28/09/34/queen-elizabeth-wont-wear-her-crown-this-year

 

http://people.com/royals/why-the-queen-will-not-wear-her-3-lb-crown-for-the-first-time-since-1974/

 

http://www.politico.eu/article/queen-elizabeth-to-dress-down-for-parliament-speech/

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On 2017-3-17 at 03:00, Davey Jones' Locker said:

So, thinking about it seriously, something like "Silent Sorrows in Empty Boats" by Gabriel-era Genesis would probably receive a tick:

 

1.  As per the article's guidelines, it is an instrumental.

 

2.  It has an ethereal quality (it is basically a precursor to New Age music). So it is the relatively sombre, chill out music they are looking for.

 

3.  It has an appropriate title.

 

4.  It ends on a serene note.  One can almost imagine Her Majesty on her final barge journey over the River Styx accompanied by its strains.

 

On the same Peter Gabriel note, probably one of the tracks from his "Last Temptation of Christ" soundtrack would also work, such as "The Feeling Begins".  It is another instrumental with a sombre sound.  

 

On 2017-3-17 at 03:00, Davey Jones' Locker said:

That's my  two cents' worth.

 

So they won't be playing The Housemartins' - The People Who Grinned Themselves to Death on a loop then

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJaH_fcr8Sg

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Queen Elizabeth used to have the Deathlist tag : Encrusted in barnacles, but still unsinkable. (Something like that anyway.)

 

What will King Charles have as his Deathlist tag when the time comes that he will be on the list: Tampon Spokesmodel?

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That was an interesting video, wonder if there's a reason it was recently uploaded.

 

I really hope Charles doesn't become King, but I doubt he'll abdicate after waiting for it all his life.

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On 2017. 05. 20. at 02:36, LilyForrester said:

That was an interesting video, wonder if there's a reason it was recently uploaded.

 

I really hope Charles doesn't become King, but I doubt he'll abdicate after waiting for it all his life.

I think it could depend on when the succession will actually happen.

 

If the queen happens to live for like ~10 more years and break all longevity records for monarchs, Charles would already be an elderly man (almost 80), and depending on his state of health, might not want to put up with the workload associated with being a monarch. It's also possible, though somewhat unlikely, that he'd predecease his mother (due to a sudden stroke, heart attack or cancer).

 

Regarding the top 10 video btw, item #2 feels far too speculative to me. While Australia could become a republic in the near future (though even that is far from certain), it'd seem unlikely that New Zealand and Canada would immediately follow suit. The real political power in these countries is vested in the PM and the national parliaments anyways, with the governors-general (or similar) being of secondary importance and the Queen(/King) largely confined to a ceremonial role.

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:lol: :D 

IMG_0352.JPG

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On 20/05/2017 at 01:36, LilyForrester said:

That was an interesting video, wonder if there's a reason it was recently uploaded.

 

I really hope Charles doesn't become King, but I doubt he'll abdicate after waiting for it all his life.

 

I didn't watch it all, couldn't put up with the shouty gesticulating little girl.  She did not have the air of authority about her.

 

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Looking a bit older in the face here but still able to go out for a night on the town to celebrate a friend's birthday earlier in the week:

 

4082540900000578-4520468-The_Queen_made_

 

 

 

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Renewed love of gardening. This shows she is still interested in the world, so she will be around for a while yet.  She's not doing the actual gardening herself, mind, she just has the book knowledge while her groundsmen do all the actual work for "Foreman Lizzie":  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/05/22/queen-discovers-renewed-love-gardening-91/

 

 

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14 hours ago, Davey Jones' Locker said:

Renewed love of gardening. This shows she is still interested in the world, so she will be around for a while yet.

That's an interesting take, and yes, she's in a better shape than most nonagenarians, but... I wonder what would happen if she suddenly lost one of her children or her husband of 70 years? Would that sap her of her will to live? 

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7 hours ago, GossipGabe said:

That's an interesting take, and yes, she's in a better shape than most nonagenarians, but... I wonder what would happen if she suddenly lost one of her children or her husband of 70 years? Would that sap her of her will to live? 

We have discussed that on this site a lot of times. Many of us (including me) think that if Phil goes, she will drop her bundle and go soon after herself (within 6months or so). Others think she'd keep ploughing on and make it past 100 like her mum.

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43 minutes ago, Davey Jones' Locker said:

We have discussed that on this site a lot of times. Many of us (including me) think that if Phil goes, she will drop her bundle and go soon after herself (within 6months or so). Others think she'd keep ploughing on and make it past 100 like her mum.

I don't think her death will be that dramatic. I just believe she'll go when she's 94 or 95 and in her sleep, before or after Phil.

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43 minutes ago, jackschlotter said:

I don't think her death will be that dramatic. I just believe she'll go when she's 94 or 95 and in her sleep, before or after Phil.

One way or another, we will find out the answer some time in the next ten years or so at the maximum!  

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18 hours ago, GossipGabe said:

That's an interesting take, and yes, she's in a better shape than most nonagenarians, but... I wonder what would happen if she suddenly lost one of her children or her husband of 70 years? Would that sap her of her will to live? 

She will keep on going. She takes her duties and position very seriously. Death is actually a natural part of existence. Women are good at filling their days - and the Queen has lots to do still. Everyone has loss and Deaths around them all the time. People deal with it and then continue. 

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