Queen Elizabeth II has died
I was born in the UK, in 1963. Because of my step-father&#x27;s love of first-wave UK punk, the first thing I did on hearing this news was to play the Sex Pistol&#x27;s &quot;God Save the Queen&quot;.<p>It is remarkable how much the Queen&#x27;s standing has improved during the time since that song (1977). My (UK) family are (as far as I know) staunch republicans, but the last couple of decades have seen all of us soften our disgust with the monarchy as Elizabeth represented it. We might still want the whole concept destroyed, but there is nothing close to the vehemence of Johnny Rotten (Lydon)&#x27;s lyrics from that song.<p>Nevertheless, that is how a bunch of people felt in 1977, and as our memories become even more gilded and rose goggled now that she has died, it may be worth remembering those feelings too:<p><i>God save the queen &#x2F; 
The fascist regime &#x2F;
They made you a moron &#x2F;
A potential H bomb &#x2F;
God save the queen &#x2F;
She&#x27;s not a human being &#x2F;
and There&#x27;s no future &#x2F;
And England&#x27;s dreaming</i><p>These days, I think even us staunch republicans&#x2F;anti-monarchists would begrudgingly admit that &quot;She could have been worse&quot; and that she actually was a human being.<p>Maybe Charles will have the guts to end it all, but it doesn&#x27;t seem likely.