Tag: queen elizabeth

those sad songs on the radio

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Sad songs on the radio

Pulling at my bouyant mood

With heavy lyrics and a melody

That pierces hearts

And makes us feel

On such a low uneven keel

Crying far too hard to drive

And feeling pains

The truth that we are here, alive.

I’m a driver who goes into my own head when I’m on the road. I think that a lot of people do this because everyone talks about driving home and not remembering half the journey as they had zoned out.

But this means that I can also go to a somewhat blue place and this is never helped by the choice of song on the radio. Most of the time you get a bit of a mix, but when someone famous dies, the DJs seem to go crazy with the power ballads.

Today, a quick trip to Tesco almost ended in tears while listening to Radio 2. I remembered almost every heartbreak I have endured as the DJ maxed out on Whitney and Adele. I had to come home and put on the early Britney bangers to sort myself out.

Much Love

Rachel xx

the friendly monster of London

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There’s a friendly monster snaking through

The streets and parks of London city

It doesn’t snarl and it doesn’t bite

But it’ll make your feet rather unpretty.

It’ll suck you in and hold you there

Within its body for twenty hours

Gently chewing and spitting you out

At the rather imposing Parliamentary towers.

There you’ll see our beloved Queen

Lying in state for the people to see,

A final chance to show our love

And bask in the light of her majesty.

If you have been watching BBC News over the past few days, you will see that the headlines have been dominated by something very British: a queue.

It has become a monster in its own right, with people spending up to twenty hours in it, just so that they can spend a few moments with the coffin that contains our late Queen.

I must admit that if I hadn’t been working this week, I may have been tempted to go and join the queue while it was still under ten hours long. But as it crept up to a whole day, my interest has slowly waned.

I admire all of those people who are sticking it out and standing in line through a pretty cold night. But I’m quite happy here in my home, wearing my pyjamas, with my cat curled up at my side.

Much Love

Rachel xx

the vigil that got me

Watching the Queen’s children standing vigil around her coffin this evening was probably the first time that I felt truly touched and emotional since the news on Thursday.

I’ve obviously felt sad, but I really felt that human connection as I watched the four of them standing silently as the general public continued to file into the chapel.

I remember when my nan died, my aunt was so overcome that she literally threw herself on the coffin and began sobbing. Watching the sadness on Charles’ face just brought all those memories back to the surface.

People have been commenting on how ‘rude’ he was when he signed the papers in the throne room on Saturday, but I think that we were all forgetting the most important factor in all of this – he may be the King of England, but he has just lost his mum and that is crushing.

I felt a tear or two escaping as I sat and watched for those ten minutes. Moments like that are normally very personal and private and those poor people have had to play this all out very publicly.

I just hope that in between all of the many public engagements that they all need to attend, that they can grasp those few moments of quiet reflection so that they can recharge.

Much Love

Rachel xx

the fabulousness of being four

Wouldn’t it be fabulous to be four years old

And say what you think without being told

That you should watch your words and stop pulling faces

Or you’ll find yourself in trouble,

So don’t let grown up burst your bright bubble

And let your light shine in all the dark places.

So, let’s talk about Prince Louis. He’s only four and as the youngest of the Cambridge children, we haven’t seen him all that much. But this weekend he was front and centre and he didn’t disappoint.

The faces that Louis pulled during the Trooping of the Colour were priceless and this photograph has to be the best of the weekend. It just reminded me how precious it is to have a four year old in your life, to tell you exactly how it is.

I hope that you all had a fabulous weekend and I’d love to know what your moment of the Platty Joobs was.

Much Love

Rachel xx

a day when the colours are brighter

male guard wearing red and white costume holding rifle while standing ear white and blue shed
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Reds, whites and blues flutter in the wind,

Children balanced on the shoulders of

The parents, aunts and uncles,

Storming down the Mall and waiting for

The family on the balcony

And all the colours under warm June sun

Seem just a little brighter now

And all I hope is that those hues

Will never fade with passing years.

So, we are officially into the Jubilee celebrations here in the UK, so I am well and truly in my happy place. I don’t even have any plans, but I’m just enjoying watching everything on the TV.

There is something about a Jubilee weekend that feels so much brighter and more colourful than any other time. I remember the 2012 celebrations like they were yesterday and it still feels so bright and celebratory.

Of course, last time around we had just had Kate and William’s wedding and we were just about to have the Olympics in London so it was a very special year or so. I also did my first Channel swim that summer so my memories of it all are so precious.

Today, we watched the Trooping of the Colour and we saw the Queen on the balcony with her immediate family. It was amazing to see all those crowds waving flags again. And even better, was seeing the Queen spend so much time chatting to little Louis who is only four.

A Jubilee weekend is such a forward looking time and I think we all need that after a very strange two years. And what an amazing achievement. I’ve never managed more than four years in a job, so 70 years is just extraordiny.

Much Love

Rachel xx

watching the queen smile

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Her face so familiar and old

Like the grandmother we all know

We want to see her smile

It makes our hearts happy

To know that she still gets

Some enjoyment from

This never ending job.

The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations are really ramping up and tonight we are being treated to a horse show that’s being held in the grounds of Windsor Castle.

There has been quite a bit of backlash against the royals this weekend, with the football fans booing Prince William at the FA Cup final, but I think that some of this hatred is based on a complete lack of education in how the system works.

Sure, the family do cost us, the tax payers, money; but the history that we enjoy because of them is priceless. At times like this, the whole world turns to look at us and probably feel a bit envious that they don’t have their own history like ours.

And then, for those of us that do love them, there is nothing quite so special as seeing the Queen genuinely looking as though she is enjoying herself. She’s had a privileged life, but she has also given up her freedom to serve us, and that should be celebrated.

I’m watching her in the stands, watching the horse show and I feel so proud of our country. I just wish that everyone could love it as much as me because we could have a fabulous summer if they did.

Much Love

Rachel xx

what a legend

She’s shown us how to live a life

Of service and devotion

Never chosen,

Thrust upon her in her youth

And hung cruelly overhead

For seven decades hardly blemished,

God save our lovely queen.

I’m such a lover of the royal family; they are what makes Britain the country that it is. It’s true that they do not reflect the life that the vast majority of us live, but when the world looks towards us, the Queen and her family are what they think of.

Today the family released a photograph of the Queen to mark her Platinum Jubilee. Lets just take a moment to think about that. That’s seventy years of service.

People turn their noses up at the work the royals do, but they are almost always doing visits and they can’t just call in sick when they need a mental health day. Harry and Meghan were literally buckling under the pressure and everyone gave them so much stick, when actually they were working incredibly hard and getting a lot of abuse from the press at the same time.

That said, the Queen has stuck it out since 1952 which is insane. I hope that she has enjoyed her day and that she enjoys the celebrations we will have this summer. I remember the Diamond Jubilee in 2012 and that felt like such a special time. I have a feeling this summer will be even more poignant.

Much Love

Rachel xx