Thank you, Your Majesty
It was early on Thursday, Sept. 8, 2022, when the first rumbles came across the pond about Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s health. “Keep calm and carry on” kicked in until her children arrived in Scotland.
Nothing screams imminent death in Britain more than the arrival of close family. When the news finally broke, I went into autopilot.
Saving my yearly tear for the funeral, I put the kettle on to make a cup of tea. Strangely, the kettle had started leaking that week like a very British prophecy.
Later I would meet fellow expats in a bar, giving brief hugs of condolence before resuming the national pastime of moaning (the Pimm’s Cup was not to our standards, even with clear instruction.) We joined the British public in the impossible task of mourning the loss of such an important woman while maintaining our dignity in the process.
