The 70 year anniversary of Queen Elisabeth II on the throne

[batson]

So, during the four day period from 2 June to 5 June, celebrations are taking place to commemorate Queen Elisabeth II 70's years as queen of the United Kingdom.

It's mindblowing to think that children who participated in celebrating her ascension to the throne in 1952 are now old men and women in their 70's or older, and that many of them are celebrating today as well. Imagine celebrating a new queen when you are 10 years old and then celebrating an anniversary of that very same queen when you are 80 years old. She's been a symbol of the UK for a literal lifetime. She became queen when Winston Churchill was still in the parliament, and when the UK was still literaly rebuilding right after WWII. 

In terms of generations, Elisabeth belongs to the one usually termed "The Greatest Generation". Some of the most famous people of that same generation include Walt Disney, John Wayne, John F Kennedy, Louis Armstrong, Richard Nixon, Marilyn Monroe and Margaret Thatcher. I consider Elisabeth II to be among the very last living truly iconic people of her generation. I feel that when she goes, and important symbolic link to the early-mid 20th century goes.

 

[Rabid-Coot]

Really glad to have helped fund her contributions to paying her nonce sons settlement.

[JezMM]

Yeah, can't say I'm fussed.  I'm glad people are having a nice time and that "everyone" (i.e. everyone who doesn't work in some kind of customer facing job) got a 4-day weekend, but it's all such a lot of pomp and circumstance.  I mean the OP sums it up - there's nothing there about what the Queen has actually done, as a person.  It's all just symbolic, isn't it great that she's been around so long (funny how her natural access to the best healthcare in the country would result in that).

Everyone just likes her because she's kind of feels like the entire country's nan and I get it, she's a comforting constant and it'll definitely feel weird when she's gone one day, I feel that too, but I certainly don't feel it to the extent that the amount of money spent on all this is justified, especially with all the scandals about the royal family that has come about.  And the fact that they even are a thing holds no meaning - it's an archaic tradition that anyone should simply be born or married into being a figurehead in this day and age, at least not without meaningful actions to back it up, like we saw from Princess Diana and such.

It's essentially just another form of celebrity culture that people care so much.  She's just a human.

 

As a bonus note, mentioning people like Disney, Nixon and Thatcher alongside her doesn't put her in good company or sell the name "Greatest Generation" by any means, lol.

[Blue Blood]

Fuck the monarchy. It's a gross institution that's the very definition of undeserved privilege. I don't have anything against the queen herself, but what does she actually do? Basically nothing, except uphold this archaic and corrupt institution into the 21st century because she believes it to be her right. The monarchy is a leftover relic of our history and honestly it's definitely not something that we should hold on high regard at all. It represents nothing but the ill-treatment of millions over the course of history. 

I've enjoyed the long weekend, but otherwise fuck right off. 

[batson]

15 hours ago, JezMM said:

As a bonus note, mentioning people like Disney, Nixon and Thatcher alongside her doesn't put her in good company or sell the name "Greatest Generation" by any means, lol.

I didn't intend to put her in good company, just historically significant company (Nixon is one of the the worst presidents in US history). My point is that almost every other A-list person in terms of sheer fame of that generation is dead. Queen Elisabeth is one of the last truly iconic people, in the sense that basically everyone knows of them, born between aproximately 1901-1926 to still be alive, with a few others being David Attenborough and Henry Kissinger. Almost every other true top tier in terms of iconic worldwide status is gone.

EDIT: Though speaking of icons of the mid 20th century, there is of course always the fictional kind. And when it comes to fictional characters who stand as icons of British culture of that era, I can't think of anyone more suited for being placed alongside the Queen than this one:

 

[Chris31]

Good grief, didn't realize she was on the throne that long but I don't really pay attention to the news now-a-days. Mainly I watch sports, game shows and movies. However she looks like she is still going strong!

[PaddyFancy]

I'd rather we keep the monarchy than the very thought of becoming a republic.

[J.R.]

BRI'ISH?!