For the longest time, Queen Elizabeth has served as the sovereign of the British monarchy whose presence has made a significant contribution to Britain’s rich culture and history. She has been the queen for 65 years and was born even before three of the last four British prime ministers have been, making her the longest-reigning monarch at the age of 91. Queen Elizabeth has outlived many of her contemporaries, and suffice to say, has lived a life full of remembrance.
But the queen can only live up to a
certain point, and whether we like it or not, she will soon take her rest.
According to the Office of National Statistics, a British woman’s life expectancy
at age 91 is two years and three months. Counting the months, statistically,
the queen is left with 21 months to live, before, God forbid, she reaches
towards the close of her life.
Her death will shatter the nation (and
the world) but it will go according to as planned and has even been rehearsed
for over a decade. Britain’s next tumultuous event, after all, has been
orchestrated. Here are the 15 crazy things that will take place when Queen
Elizabeth dies.
1. Prince
Charles will succeed the throne, NOT William
Contrary to reports released a few
months ago, Prince Charles will still be the heir to the throne and not Prince
William. The rumor, which spread around August, claimed that the queen decided
to skip at her son because of his old age. Considering the royal rule of throne
accession, the ruling monarch does not have any power in choosing who’s going
to be next in line for the throne. According to the 1701 Act of Settlement, the
succession should be the monarch’s direct heir — and that’s Prince Charles, not
Prince William.
When Prince Charles succeeds to the
throne (which will happen a day after the queen’s death), he could change his
name to his liking. It was then believed that the prince adores the name George
because he admired the previous kings with the same name, while the two
previous King Charles have had issues in the past.
2. Royals
will get new titles
When Queen Elizabeth descends her
throne, everyone else on the ladder changes its place from top to bottom. Soon,
the familiar people we have known will also change their titles. Prince
Charles, as her eldest son, will rise as the new sovereign head. It’s sure that
Camilla will take on the queen title, although there were earlier rumors that
she might retain her Princess Consort title. Under the common law, the queen title
will always be given to the kings’ wives.
Charles’ son, Prince William will drop
his Duke of Cambridge title and will become the Prince of Wales.The same goes
for his wife, Kate Middleton, however, there are rumors that the Duchess of
Cambridge might not take the title out of respect for Princess DIana. Prince
William’s younger brother, Prince Harry, will be titled as His Royal Highness
the Prince Harry.
3. A
ceremony for the new king will be held
In every monarch’s death, there’s a
silver lining — the coronation of the nation’s new ruler. Britain has not had a
coronation since 1952 but, like the passing of Queen Elizabeth, there is already
a plan in store.
It will not be an impromptu occasion and
it will be as big as if no one has died. After all, the British monarchy is the
last European royal family to practice coronations, thanks to a supportive
public that loves the grandeur of all things regal.
Over 10,000 tickets will be printed to
be a part of Charles’ accession to the throne, and his wife, Camila, the
Duchess of Cornwall, will drop her Princess Consort title and become the queen.
On the evening of Queen Elizabeth’s death, Charles is set to have his first
address as the new head of state and will travel to Wales, Northern Ireland and
Scotland to greet his constituents.
4. Comedies
will be temporarily suspended
At the course of the 10-day mourning
period, Britain will freeze in grief and will be ordered to halt comedic shows.
No comedies will be allowed live or on air during the country’s tumultuous
times, even if the Britons are known for their affinity of light entertainment.
Overall, TV schedules will be changed at the time of the queen’s death.
All sporting events and concerts will
also be postponed until the mourning period ends. The stock market will stop
trading, and schools and stores will be closed. Most of the British people will
be spending a day off, and they will even post pictures of the late queen on
their windows. Across the United Kingdom, there will be church services and, if
necessary, memorial services in football stadiums.
5. Currencies
will be altered
Most of the currencies in Queen
Elizabeth’s territories have her face printed on it and it’s been there for
more than half a century. Australia, Canada, and Isle of Man, just to name a
few, are among the 35 countries that bear the queen’s image on their monies.
When Queen Elizabeth passes away, her
images will be taken down and will be replaced by the new king. This
undertaking, however, may take quite some time and is impossible to finish
overnight. The respective governments under the British royal rule are set to
complete this task gradually, and this also includes other items like stamps
and portraits that were hanged in offices. Several stamps and currencies,
however, will remain and will most likely be kept as mementos of the late queen.
6. Australia
could become a republic
The queen’s demise will also trigger a
decision that will change Australia’s history. For years, the nation’s leaders
have been meaning to cut ties with the British monarchy as soon as the queen
descends the throne.
When Prince Charles becomes the new
monarch, he will not inherit certain titles like “Head of the Commonwealth”
primarily because, one, it’s not a hereditary title, and two, it’s just a title
that the queen has made up for herself. Another problem is that there are no
means to choose for the next one to succeed as head of the bloc.
This means that when Queen Elizabeth
takes her rest, Australia will get to decide its fate and possibly, it could
choose to become a republic. The country’s prime minister, Malcom Turnbull,
agrees with to abandon constitutional monarchy, as well as Australia’s former
Prime Minister Julia Gillard.
