Merged: UK Queen dead? Dying?/Liz Mountbatten's death

[theprestige]

Originally Posted by Darat

It is so important that we all observe this period of mourning whilst we all cope with the terrible news.

Great time to send notice of possible redundancy to your staff eh Charlie boy?

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/...vice-for-queen

…..Dozens of Clarence House staff have been given notice of their redundancy as the offices of King Charles and the Queen Consort move to Buckingham Palace after the death of the Queen, the Guardian has learned.

Up to 100 employees at the King’s former official residence, including some who have worked there for decades, received notification that they could lose their jobs just as they were working round the clock to smooth his elevation to the ….throne.

Be terrible if they got an extra paid week or two.

Sounds bad when you put it that way.

On the other hand, if I were in one of two offices that were merging, I'd probably want to get some clear message from the head office about what to expect, sooner rather than later.

[Darat]

Originally Posted by theprestige

I mean, if cheesecake has been a thing for sixty years, and every day your neighbors have cheesecake for dessert, that seems like it should be plenty of time for you to get over your mad and stop obsessing about how much you hate cheesecake.

70 years.

[JoeMorgue]

I can't tell if this an internet thing or like an actual human existing in the real world thing, but there's some chatter that maybe Nintendo didn't pick the bestestests of days to announce a major, long awaited sequel to one of its most popular games of all time with the name "Tears of the Kingdom."

[3point14]

Originally Posted by JoeMorgue

Yeah but we don't pretend they are our leaders. We don't put the Kardashians above the Executive Branch.

Again I know, Trump, go ahead and get that out the way, but he's an exception, not our system of government going back to William the Conqueror.

I wasn't really thinking of it as a competition.

[The Atheist]

Originally Posted by Carrot Flower King

Per the linked article, and reports I heard on BBC radio, it's breach of the peace and offences under the Public Order Act.

Utter baloney, and I hope your judiciary is sensible enough to say so should any of the cases make it to court.

Originally Posted by Carrot Flower King

If we are applying that test, then I have a long list of folk who should be arrested, as they most definitely offend me: our ex-PM; our current PM; Chucky "I love homeopathy and why won't you do what I say?" Windsor; most of the rest of Chucky's family; money-grubbing, land-owning aristocrats, like the Duke of Northumberland; Ian "Lord of Grouse Shooting and Being a Lick Spittle, but didn't you know I was good at cricket once?" Botham; managers who spread lies and rumours about me in an effort to get me sacked...

Just sodding ridiculous, isn't it?

Way beyond ridiculous.

Originally Posted by Darat

Especially looking at the bloke in Edinburgh - the police were next to him when he was assaulted by people and they only arrested him not the people assaulting him. Beyond disgusting.

It's pretty sad when telling the truth gets you arrested but physical assault doesn't.

Originally Posted by Carrot Flower King

Apparently, as referenced in Marina Hyde's column this afternoon, the lad shouted, "Andrew, you are a sick old man!"

Which is true...

I have no issue with Andy and the 17-year-old chick. Every sane country it wouldn't have been illegal.

He should, however, be hung by his balls for cozying up to and supporting vile dictators.

https://eurasianet.org/prince-andrew...envoy-position

[Francesca R]

Originally Posted by Carrot Flower King

As I pointed out elsewhere: I paid more IHT because I had to sell the house I grew up in

You didn't pay any IHT unless you're posting from the far side of death, in which case kudos.

[Filippo Lippi]

Haven't THEY pushed up the cost of every consultation next Monday because it's now on a bank holiday after THEY'VE cut the NHS to the bone?

[Carrot Flower King]

Originally Posted by Francesca R

You didn't pay any IHT unless you're posting from the far side of death, in which case kudos.

What was that money that HMRC demanded off me after my dad died?

My dad didn't pay, as he was dead...

I'm sure they wanted me, as executor of the estate to pay them something they called inheritance tax, over which they gave me a hard time for many months...

[GlennB]

"THE UK has honoured the late Queen Elizabeth with a magnificent display of the nation’s favourite activity, queuing.

Grief-stricken Britons have come together to form massive lines shuffling silently into the night to enter a building and look at something then go home."

The Daily Mash

There are actual plans for an overnight queue of up to 5 miles, with coded wrist bands, porta-toilets, catering facilities ... wtaf?

[lionking]

Originally Posted by Darat

It is so important that we all observe this period of mourning whilst we all cope with the terrible news.

Great time to send notice of possible redundancy to your staff eh Charlie boy?

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/...vice-for-queen

…..Dozens of Clarence House staff have been given notice of their redundancy as the offices of King Charles and the Queen Consort move to Buckingham Palace after the death of the Queen, the Guardian has learned.

Up to 100 employees at the King’s former official residence, including some who have worked there for decades, received notification that they could lose their jobs just as they were working round the clock to smooth his elevation to the ….throne.

Be terrible if they got an extra paid week or two.

Prince William is now Prince of Wales. Why isn’t he moving into Clarence House and taking over the staff? I mean, he will have the same role (minimal) and money (not at all minimal) as Charles.

[GlennB]

Originally Posted by lionking

Prince William is now Prince of Wales. Why isn’t he moving into Clarence House and taking over the staff? I mean, he will have the same role (minimal) and money (not at all minimal) as Charles.

I don't think there's a ranking system for most of these houses. They have more than they can shake a stick at anyway, so maybe William+family are happy enough where they are? Dunno.

[a_unique_person]

The queen's coffin is lead lined. I leave you to draw your own conclusions.

[theprestige]

Originally Posted by lionking

Prince William is now Prince of Wales. Why isn’t he moving into Clarence House and taking over the staff? I mean, he will have the same role (minimal) and money (not at all minimal) as Charles.

He probably has his own staff already, and may want to keep them. He may also hire on some of his brother's staff, or his late mum's.

[bluesjnr]

Originally Posted by Carrot Flower King

What was that money that HMRC demanded off me after my dad died?

My dad didn't pay, as he was dead...

I'm sure they wanted me, as executor of the estate to pay them something they called inheritance tax, over which they gave me a hard time for many months...

Yes that's right, the IHT was levied on the estate, not you. Funds from the estate are used to pay the amount due.

[TragicMonkey]

Originally Posted by a_unique_person

The queen's coffin is lead lined. I leave you to draw your own conclusions.

She's not in there, and they don't want Superman to find out?

[The Atheist]

I meant to post this earlier - the insanity has got as far as Australia.

https://www.news.com.au/sport/nrl/nr...ec749db24059af

One match ban is 1/6 of the women's season, so the equivalent for a bloke would be a 4-week ban.

And this is laughable:

Quote:

Radio presenter Ray Hadley described the social media post as “perhaps the most reprehensible thing ever seen connected to rugby league”.

I happen to know for certain Ray Hadley witnessed the cowardly attack on Garry Jack and many other pieces of outright despicable thuggery in rugby league, yet a comment celebrating a woman who never said a word about the atrocities perpetrated on indigenous Australians is the worst thing ever. Way to go, Ray.

What's the punishment for pissing on Queenie's grave? I might have to put that on my bucket list.

[The Atheist]

Nice to see the old bat's death hasn't blunted the Windsors' sense of humour.

Quote:

King Charles’s staff given redundancy notice during church service for Queen

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/...vice-for-queen

[Bob001]

Originally Posted by theprestige

Sounds bad when you put it that way.

On the other hand, if I were in one of two offices that were merging, I'd probably want to get some clear message from the head office about what to expect, sooner rather than later.

Sure, but the same week the top boss died? British labor law probably says something about timely notice, but I can't imagine it requires anything like this.

[theprestige]

Originally Posted by Bob001

Sure, but the same week the top boss died? British labor law probably says something about timely notice, but I can't imagine it requires anything like this.

Uncertainty makes me anxious. I'd rather have it sorted sooner rather than later. Same week is fine with me.

[Darat]

Originally Posted by theprestige

Uncertainty makes me anxious. I'd rather have it sorted sooner rather than later. Same week is fine with me.

But they haven't sorted it. If they had then it wouldn't be as big an issue. All that they have done is sent a notice to people telling them they may be made redundant, at some time with no other details. There is no legal reason why the notifications had to be sent this week.

There is also the issue of perception, we are being told this is mean to be a time of contemplation, that we are going to come together as one in the grief over the last monarch's death. Some of the people who are having now to work their arses off to make all the stuff happen that Charles wants to happen have now been slapped in the face as "yeah she's dead, tough tittie, you may lose your job, I don't care, now make sure you iron the corners of those tablecloths tonight, no you aren't being paid any overtime, do it from your love of the country, we all have to pull together, show some respect don't you know the queen has died".

[Darat]

Originally Posted by Bob001

Sure, but the same week the top boss died? British labor law probably says something about timely notice, but I can't imagine it requires anything like this.

It doesn't.

[The Atheist]

Originally Posted by bluesjnr

I was explaining the comment made by someone else.

Nope, you were attempting a "gotcha" and failed. Miserably. Post #774

Originally Posted by Darat

It doesn't.

Pity. They'd get nailed over here; redundancy must follow a fair and transparent process, and the way the Tampon King did it isn't that.

[Vixen]

Originally Posted by a_unique_person

The queen's coffin is lead lined. I leave you to draw your own conclusions.

It weighs a quarter of a ton, apparently.

[Vixen]

Now that we are in Day Seven after the Queen’s death, how are we all getting on? One thing about the monarchy is that we are always guaranteed high theatre and this occasion does not disappoint. It was generally held by the ancient Greeks that there are only two types of drama: tragedy or comedy. For me, the latter met the former on hearing Huw [‘did I tell you I’m Welsh?’] Edwards employing an especially world weary heartbroken voice, together with pained expression, as he described the progress of Her Majesty’s coffin fromR.A.F. Northolt to Buckingham Palace. I know newsreaders have to adopt a solemn demeanour at times like these, but come n, Huw, pull yourself together, Boyo, or you’ll be nominated for a BAFTA.

And then tragedy turned into comedy. Enter Harry and Meghan, who by sheer fate happened to be in England when HMTQ popped her clogs. So with the news Harry will not be allowed to wear his ceremonial military uniform but Andrew will, Omid Scobie, the couple’s spokesman, has kicked it all off, with Harry having a tantrum not dissimilar to his dad’s over those stinking fountain pens. Together with the added comedy of ‘the two brothers will walk together behind their grandmother’s coffin’, how will poor Harry cope with all of the triggering clicks of cameras of half the world’s press and being viewed by hundreds of millions of viewers on live stream, when we know that his having to walk behind his mother’s coffin twenty-five years ago caused him great mental trauma and distress, from which he still suffers today? He’ll be moaning and tapping his shoulders before the day is out.

Then there is the soap opera guaranteed from Meghan having to share a car with…Sophie and Kate. I saw one ‘so-called ‘Sussex Squad’ tweeter saying they really hoped all of Meghan’s African ancestors’ spirits will be with her when she has to sit in the same small space as the evil pair. I was quite taken by this image. Sophie giving Meghan her now famous Westminster Abbey ‘Paddington Bear’ glare. Meghan staring her down this time. ‘I’m a Duchess and you’re only a Countess’, prompting Kate who, up to now, has been haughtily gazing out of the window to riposte, ‘And I am HRH Princess of Wales. I am up here and you are down there!’

To the consternation of viewers, the three ladies exit the car at Westminster Abbey looking rather dishevelled with scratches and bruises apparent on their faces, hair sticking up all over the place, Kate’s tights in shreds, pearl beads scattered across the car floor. Meghan heard yelling down her phone – the wires from her mic and recording device now protruding through her dress, ‘Hawwy!!! You didn’t tell me I ought to be wearing pearls. I wanted the Queen’s best pearls but Kate had them and made me cry!!! Hawwy!!!???’

[Lothian]

What's the deal with the coffin viewing? Is it open casket and if so when does her human skin rot away exposing her lizard frame [/Icke]

[Carrot Flower King]

Originally Posted by bluesjnr

Yes that's right, the IHT was levied on the estate, not you. Funds from the estate are used to pay the amount due.

But the executor pays it, y'know carries out the mechanics of doing the paying and sorting out all the rest. Yes, the money I used came from the estate.

If I, or my sister who could have subbed for me, hadn't done it nothing would have happened: estates do not somehow magically sort themselves out. And HMRC would have been even more on my case than they already were.

Really, this is one of the most pointless sidebars on this forum and has nothing to do with my original point that Chucky is avoiding legal and financial obligations which many of the rest of us have to deal with.

[Vixen]

Think how rich the UK would be if Chucky paid his perishing Inheritance Tax. He'd still be one of the richest men in the world with cash to spare. Cost of living crisis over.

But in fact, the Queen's will will likely be sealed off, unlike everybody else's which is public record. I suspect Prince Philip's was sealed off for 90 years because he left a princely sum (see what I did there?) to his fancy woman on the side. The one at the funeral whom the BBC discretely did not point out or name, and who kept the Duke of Edinburgh company in his final days. Even sharing the same cottage, I heard.

So much for the wedding vow in 1947 promising to 'forsake all others'.

As F. Scott Fitzgerald famously says in the Great Gatsby:

“Let me tell you about the very rich. They are different from you and me. They possess and enjoy early, and it does something to them, makes them soft where we are hard, and cynical where we are trustful, in a way that, unless you were born rich, it is very difficult to understand. They think, deep in their hearts, that they are better than we are because we had to discover the compensations and refuges of life for ourselves. Even when they enter deep into our world or sink below us, they still think that they are better than we
are. They are different. ”

This is what Diana failed to understand. As per tradition, she was the brood mare. Fidelity means nothing to these guys. She didn't understand that Camilla was Prince Charles' bit of stuff and tough titties if she didn't like it (and she did not).

[Darat]

Originally Posted by The Atheist

Nope, you were attempting a "gotcha" and failed. Miserably. Post #774







Pity. They'd get nailed over here; redundancy must follow a fair and transparent process, and the way the Tampon King did it isn't that.

That is the same over here. The no was about the timing, they obviously done the notices so quickly so they won't have to pay anyone one additional week once all the details are sorted.

There were many ways they could have handled this in a more sensitive way. But of course that would mean having empathy.

[Carrot Flower King]

Careful with that bike, Eugene!

The ridiculousness continues...

[Chanakya]

Originally Posted by Darat

But they haven't sorted it. If they had then it wouldn't be as big an issue. All that they have done is sent a notice to people telling them they may be made redundant, at some time with no other details. There is no legal reason why the notifications had to be sent this week.

There is also the issue of perception, we are being told this is mean to be a time of contemplation, that we are going to come together as one in the grief over the last monarch's death. Some of the people who are having now to work their arses off to make all the stuff happen that Charles wants to happen have now been slapped in the face as "yeah she's dead, tough tittie, you may lose your job, I don't care, now make sure you iron the corners of those tablecloths tonight, no you aren't being paid any overtime, do it from your love of the country, we all have to pull together, show some respect don't you know the queen has died".

You shouldn't go picking on your king, sorry King capital K, like that. It's a time of contemplation, so he's given then something to really contemplate over. Why blame him for helping those poor mindless plebs, who wouldn't know how to contemplate unless given something dramatic to contemplate?

It's like that other famous Brit export said to his employees: There's some good news, and there's some bad news. The important thing is to focus on the good news, right?

[varwoche]

Originally Posted by GlennB

...I knew we're a weird country sometimes, but not this weird.

I'll never understand why the royals still exist. To each their own. But it fries my ass that news outlets in the US cover her death 24x7 for days on end, as if it's actually important, and as if there isn't important news being short-shrifted, and as if it's not painfully boring, and as if the royals aren't generally loathsome.

[Carrot Flower King]

Meanwhile, old man gets annoyed at pen.

Seriously, this is news over here just now...

If everything I get annoyed at made news you'd all be swamped...

[Carrot Flower King]

Originally Posted by varwoche

I'll never understand why the royals still exist. To each their own. But it fries my ass that news outlets in the US cover her death 24x7 for days on end, as if it's actually important, and as if there isn't important news being short-shrifted, and as if it's not painfully boring, and as if the royals aren't generally loathsome.

It is worth noting that Douglas Adams, who came up with the character Zaphod Beeblebrox and what the actual role of galactic president was (for non-HHGG fans), was British...

Although I also note that L. Frank Baum was from the US...

[Chanakya]

Originally Posted by Carrot Flower King

Slight correction here: that only applies, if it really applies, to the Church of England; many of us (possibly a majority, CBA to look up figures) never were anything to do with that, even before we bailed on the churches we were brought up in (...)

Oh, I was under the impression that the majority of UK is CoE. Apparently not, as this wiki entry points out: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religi...United_Kingdom. (~60% is Christian, but only ~12% is CoE. Looks like a pretty eclectic mix, as far as denominations of Christianity.)

Agreed, the sovereign acting as the "supreme governor" is less ridiculous than it would appear, then. And of course, there's the fact that UKians, while they do support their clergy, are far less crazy about their religion than in many other places, certainly less so than in the US.


eta: This is interesting! Apparently ~40% were Anglican back in 1983; and it went down sharply to just ~12% in 2018. Where'd those 28% go? (More than just that percentage I suppose, given the population must've increased?) That wiki entry doesn't break compare corresponding numbers for those periods for other denominations, nor other religions; but apparently the numbers of RCCs, which is mentioned, hasn't increased over this period, that's "stable" at ~7%. So I guess they must all have ticked the box corresponding with 'none of the above', which means atheist and/or agnostic I guess? That's very cool!

[alfaniner]

I have to wonder if the same preparations (with few changes) are made for a Royal funeral as for a Royal Coronation. I mean the bands, the escorts, the marching route and such.

[Steve]

Originally Posted by varwoche

I'll never understand why the royals still exist. To each their own. But it fries my ass that news outlets in the US cover her death 24x7 for days on end, as if it's actually important, and as if there isn't important news being short-shrifted, and as if it's not painfully boring, and as if the royals aren't generally loathsome.

My thoughts:

As near as I can tell from a quick search, only about 20% of the British population actively support abolishing the monarchy. The rest are either in favor of it or don't care either way. As their system of government is based on having a monarch as (largely ceremonial) head of state it is much easier to maintain the status quo than to make the major changes required to abolish them.

I would note that those people who are complaining about the costs related to changing from Liz II to Chuck III seem to avoid discussion of the costs related to changing to an entirely different system of government.

Also, AIUI, a considerable portion of the royal estates and holdings are legally owned by the royals themselves. Not by "the Crown" and not by the government. Abolishing the royals as an entity would in no way make these holdings public property. And attempts to arbitrarily confiscate them would open legal cans of worms that would affect all Brits for generations to come.

TLDR - even if the majority of public opinion turned to abolishing royalty as a legal institution the legal and financial implications would resound for generations.

ETA - try to imagine the implications of US citizens hating your government system enough (perhaps due to Trump ) that it was decided to switch to a parliamentary system.

[Rolfe]

Originally Posted by Chanakya

Oh, I was under the impression that the majority of UK is CoE. Apparently not, as this wiki entry points out: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religi...United_Kingdom. (~60% is Christian, but only ~12% is CoE. Looks like a pretty eclectic mix, as far as denominations of Christianity.)

Agreed, the sovereign acting as the "supreme governor" is less ridiculous than it would appear, then. And of course, there's the fact that UKians, while they do support their clergy, are far less crazy about their religion than in many other places, certainly less so than in the US.


eta: This is interesting! Apparently ~40% were Anglican back in 1983; and it went down sharply to just ~12% in 2018. Where'd those 28% go? (More than just that percentage I suppose, given the population must've increased?) That wiki entry doesn't break compare corresponding numbers for those periods for other denominations, nor other religions; but apparently the numbers of RCCs, which is mentioned, hasn't increased over this period, that's "stable" at ~7%. So I guess they must all have ticked the box corresponding with 'none of the above', which means atheist and/or agnostic I guess? That's very cool!

The Church of England is just that - the established church in England. The established church in Scotland is an entirely different animal, presbyterian as opposed to episcopalian. There is a Scottish Episcopal Church which is similar to the Church of England, but again a separate outfit.

[Carrot Flower King]

Originally Posted by Rolfe

The Church of England is just that - the established church in England. The established church in Scotland is an entirely different animal, presbyterian as opposed to episcopalian. There is a Scottish Episcopal Church which is similar to the Church of England, but again a separate outfit.

Quite. And Wales and Northern Ireland do not have established churches.

ETA If anyone is interested here is a load of background and explanation.

[TragicMonkey]

Originally Posted by varwoche

I'll never understand why the royals still exist. To each their own. But it fries my ass that news outlets in the US cover her death 24x7 for days on end, as if it's actually important, and as if there isn't important news being short-shrifted, and as if it's not painfully boring, and as if the royals aren't generally loathsome.

I would be more tolerant of the amount of US coverage happening if it were a slow news month but right now there's rather a lot of important stuff happening in international warfare, global pandemics, and economic turmoil. Famous foreign old lady dead merits reporting, but not twenty stories a day every day, above the fold, not in the US.

[JoeMorgue]

I'd ask what the difference between an "official" and "established" church is but I can't imagine there's gonna be one that's not pure semantics enough for me to care.