We could have been Arthurians

It's taken a couple of days for the news of the Queen's death to properly sink in. I'm not a Royalist particularly but nor am I a raving Republican - there are big advantages and disadvantages to both. However, Elizabeth has been such a constant presence in my life that it's hard to imagine her not being around anymore. 

I'm 61 but the day I was born she'd already been on the throne for nine years, and every day since there have been constant reminders of her all around me. She's been on all the money I've ever handled - both pre-decimal and modern. She's been on every stamp I've stuck to a birthday card. I've sung 'God save the Queen' hundreds of times and, last year, I was proud to be given the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service. I guess that becomes the King's Award now. And so many other things will need to change as well.

A good friend of mine who is a senior barrister told me last night that he's already been informed to change his letterheads and business cards from QC to KC. And yes, the money and the stamps will change. But so will many other things. New police officers and military personnel will now have to swear allegiance to a king. Cap badges, emblems and the shiny buttons on dress uniforms will now have to say CR instead of ER. On the subject of which, I think the new king missed a trick - he could have chosen to use any of his forenames as his regnal name. I would have been so pleased if he'd chosen King Arthur.

Isn't the legend that King Arthur will return when Britain needs him?

And besides, typing 'King Charles' into Google immediately gives you a host of pages about spaniels. 

And so, as we pass from the second Elizabethan Age into the third Carolean (it could have been the Arthurian Age - what a missed opportunity), I wonder what the future is for the Royals? 

During my police career and beyond I met most of them, albeit briefly. Elizabeth once offered me an unexpected but gratefully received 'Thank you' when she saw me and my colleagues standing in the pouring rain outside a venue she had been visiting. I did better with Diana - I got a peck on the cheek from her. And Phillip once shouted 'F*ck off!' in my general direction when I was walking on noisy gravel outside his bedroom window at 4am (I was patrolling the gardens at Buckingham Palace in the wake of the 'intruder in the Queen's bedroom' incident). Happy days.

Elizabeth was the last of the 'old school' - utterly devoted to service, never voicing personal opinions and staying remote from politics. Charles has already set out his stall with regards to topics like architecture and the environment. Will he, I wonder, wade in on arguments about renewable energy and controversial issues such as fracking? I kind of hope so. He carries some clout now.

Time will tell.

All I know is that the times they are a-changing.

RIP Ma'am and thank you for your service.