I was going to talk about my half marathon from the weekend, but I thought better of it; I’ll do it next week. Considering what has happened, I feel the need to talk about HM Queen Elizabeth II. I’ll try and keep this short, but I can’t promise anything.
Queen Elizabeth II meant many different things to many different people, but also for different reasons. To some people she was everything, to others she hardly meant anything at all. To some she was a progressive, generous, loyal and caring female leader, while to others she was the figurehead of imperialism and colonialism. Whatever the case you believe in, she was a global icon.
Being a New Zealand citizen as well as growing up here, the Queen has been the head of state, since 1952. Many people have already stated this, but it does not make it any less true; the Queen was a constant force in our lives.
Whether it was through stamps, bank notes, coins, official portraits, speeches, or tours, she was always there, because she is everywhere in Aotearoa. She was almost like the nation’s grandmother in a way. There was aura of stability with her, I mean she did see 17 New Zealand Prime Ministers and 15 United Kingdom Prime Ministers take office, that served under her reign.
Like millions of other people in the Commonwealth, she’s the only monarch I have ever known, because basically, she was the Queen of New Zealand. I’ve always liked this, for reasons that are too stupid and strange to explain.
I do find it funny that during her many tours of New Zealand, the Queen visited my home town. At least twice. WTF???
Her reign lasted 70 years and 214 days, which was longer than the Nazis, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), the Khmer Rouge, the Chilean Junta, and South African apartheid system had lasted.
She died at the age of 96, which meant she outlived some 20th century winners like Mao Zedong, Joseph Stalin, Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, Kim Il-sung, Ferdinand Marcos, Robert Mugabe, Idi Amin, Augusto Pinochet, Pol Pot, Slobodan Milosevic, Saddam Hussein, Fidel Castro, Francisco Franco, Hideki Tojo, Juan Perón, and Josip Broz Tito. She outlived all of them.
With the ascension of HM King Charles III, comes three interesting points, at least to me.
1.) All of the historic ceremonies surrounding the death of HM Queen Elizabeth II, including the proclamation of HM King Charles III, but mainly her funeral; followed by the King’s coronation.
2.) The slow and subtle changes to be made in New Zealand culture. I’m talking about the eventual phasing out of the Queen’s image and name on stamps, bank notes ($20), coins, passports, court rooms, and official portraits; but at the same time, possibly some more plaques, monuments, or statues will be dedicated to her. We will also lose the public holiday of Queen’s Birthday, but gain King’s Birthday. Eventually.
3.) Continuing to live our lives, but in the knowledge that our monarch is no longer a female, but a male. A simple, but difficult fact to adjust to.
Just like Stan Lee and Stephen Hawking, I always thought I would meet the Queen one day. I don’t why or how, but I just thought it would happen, at some point in my life. The illogical side of me; which there is a lot, thought that if any person was going to be immortal, it was going to be her.
“She can’t die, she’s the Queen. She’s going to live forever.”
Anyway, I’d like to thank her for all that she was done, not just for the United Kingdom, but for the world.
From everybody connected to Some Geek Told Me, our deepest condolences to the Royal family, the citizens of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth, but also to the staff that saw, supported, and worked along side HM Queen Elizabeth II, every single day.
That’s it for today, I have House of the Dragon to watch now. Please walk your dog, read some banned books and I’ll see you next Monday.
SOME GEEK TOLD ME 
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