death

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Queen Elizabeth II passed away on Thursday afternoon at the age of 96. During her extraordinary 70-year reign, the Queen witnessed crucial world events, and through it all, the royal remained a symbolic figure of elegance far beyond the United Kingdom. While she was primarily recognized as the UK’s head of state, her powers were influential and ceremonial to many countries in the world. Also head of the Commonwealth nations since her initial crowning in 1952, the beloved Queen has gathered followers and fame from all corners of the world.
All royal deaths cause a wave of uncertainty up to an extent, but the passing of Queen Elizabeth II marks the end of the era of a Queen’s rule, at least for the next few generations. The former Prince of Wales has been immediately appointed as King, meaning that several factors related to daily life in the United Kingdom will also need to be updated.
The British National anthem, coins, notes, stamps, postboxes, and passports are all expected to undergo changes over the course of the next few months. Scores of institutions in Britain and wider Commonwealth realms that were named in the Queen’s honor will also be changing. Given the Queen’s widespread influence in countries besides the UK, her effigy and portraits imprinted on bank notes and coins appeared in several countries including Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the Eastern Caribbean—all of which may now see going through changes. Besides this, the Royal Cypher for Elizabeth II Regina and the insignia on police helmets will also be replaced.
With King Charles III swiftly making his way as Britain’s new leader, the Queen’s portraits on coins and notes will be replaced by that of the current king. However, reports suggest that the existing currency will take a long time to replace entirely – even several years or decades considering that many want to honor the Queen’s memory.
For the first time in this century, the national anthem of the UK undergoes a significant change of gender – from “God Save The Queen” to “God Save The King”. The male version of this anthem has not been sung since King George VI was the ruler of Britain in 1952. New Zealand, Australia, and Canada have also been following the Queen’s national anthem for the past 70 years. This sudden change may be one too hard to grasp for those mourning the beloved Queen.
The Queen’s influence made its way to British passports as well, where she was mentioned as follows: “Her Britannic Majesty’s Secretary of State Requests and requires in the Name of Her Majesty all those whom it may concern to allow the bearer to pass freely without let or hindrance, and to afford the bearer such assistance and protection as may be necessary.” This wording will be undergoing a gender change as well.
Another aspect of Britain that will formidably undergo certain changes is the military. For the longest time, all new recruits in the military have been metaphorically taking the ‘Queen’s shilling’ to sign up as official protectors of the country — a practice that dates back to the English civil war in the 1600s. This meant a token of one shilling given to the armed recruits as gratitude by the royal family. Now, the ‘Queens shilling’, a tradition that’s carried forth for 70 years will be replaced by the ‘Kings shilling’ as it was in 1952. Moreover, common security roles including the Queen’s guard that stands outside Buckingham palace will also be changing names.
Read next: Processions, Tours, and a State Funeral: This Is the 10-Day Plan of Action Post Queen Elizabeth II’s Death

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The British Fashion Council has confirmed London Fashion Week will take place on September 16-20, but Burberry is bowing out and brands have been advised to cancel any “non-essential” events.
A pared-back London Fashion Week will go ahead next week but will lose one of its biggest names after Burberry said it is cancelling its show following the death of Queen Elizabeth II on September 8.
In a statement released on Thursday evening, shortly after the announcement of the Queen’s death, the British Fashion Council (BFC) said: “London Fashion Week is a business-to-business event, and an important moment for designers to show their collections at a specific moment in the fashion calendar, we recognise the work that goes into this moment.

“Therefore, shows and presentations of collections can continue, but we are asking that designers respect the mood of the nation and period of national mourning by considering the timing of their image release.” The BFC has recommended postponing or cancelling “non-essential” events like parties and openings as a mark of respect and will pause its own communication channels, or dedicate them to the Queen, until after the 10-day period of mourning.
Burberry said on Thursday evening it will not move ahead with its Spring/Summer 2023 show on 17 September “as a mark of respect”.
The date of the Queen’s funeral is yet to be confirmed. It is expected to take place around 10 days after her death, on either 18 or 19 September. Shows set to take place on the day of the Queen’s funeral “will need to be rescheduled”, the BFC recommended in the statement. The BFC also advises that designers with retail stores “may want to consider 24[-hour] immediate closure, black armbands for staff and closure on the day of the funeral”.
Prior to the news of the Queen’s death, London was gearing up for its biggest fashion week in three years, with both established and emerging designer brands returning to the schedule after pandemic-related disruptions.
Designers currently scheduled to show on 18 September — 10 days from the Queen’s death — include Nensi Dojaka, 16 Arlington, Rejina Pyo, Halpern, Simone Rocha, Erdem, Stefan Cooke and Richard Quinn; shows scheduled for 19 September include Christopher Kane, Roksanda and Chopova Lowena. A representative for Purple PR, which is overseeing Yuhan Wang and David Koma’s shows on 18 September, said the shows will not take place or be made public if the funeral is scheduled for the same day.
In the aftermath of the Queen’s passing, tributes poured in from the fashion industry, including the BFC, Burberry and Christopher Kane. The London Fashion Week website was updated with the message: “It was a great honour in 2018 to host Her Majesty at London Fashion Week to launch the QEII Award for British Design, which recognises design excellence and positive impact. Her Majesty’s effortless style, charm and sense of fun were evident, and her passion for supporting young creatives will continue to inspire the next generation.”
Originally published in Voguebusiness.com
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