A chance for reflection of the past 70 years that had her always in the background smiling and waving from some balcony or other, the head of the establishment that has no democratic power but actually owns about about an eighth of the worlds resources and land over what once was the british empire but is now the commonwealth.
I can't understand those who had a picture of her as someone 'good' for the country, someone who is 'other' than a politician and therefore absolved of the sins of her prime ministers, army, airforce, navy and military intelligence services, after all they were always on display every year on her two birthdays for all of us to see.
The british have had the royal family rammed down our throats since the day we were born, royal this and royal that, 'god save our gracious queen' at daily school assembly, their history taught to us as children as if it was something to be proud of, social history ? no! none of that, at least in my own education.
I'm of the rock n roll generation, born in 1957, grew up listening not only to the music but also to the message and I have never wavered in my attitude to the establishment and just because a little old lady has died I won't change.
She was born into privilege at the disadvantage of others, didn't work, didn't even have to dress herself, looked down on her subjects and never ever spoke up about what was being done in the name of her country, let alone her own family.
I'm of the belief that when a human being dies, that persons brain searches the memory for the defining moment of their life to take with them into infinity, that moment when your life flashes before your eyes. You can take something wonderful or something bad depending on your life experiences, if you have done wrong and not been forgiven you'll take that with you, if you've been wronged and haven't forgiven you'll take that with you, This is the definition of heaven and hell for as your last thought expires with you it will seem to last forever, I wonder what the queen took with her when she went as she had an awful lot of wrongs to ponder and one can't forgive oneself.