Remembering Royalty
ZWF #31: Sunday, September 11, 2022
On Thursday, Queen Elizabeth II died at the age of 96, marking an end to her 70 year reign at the top of the British monarchy.
Inside this week’s edition of Zander’s Weekend Facts: the legacy of the United Kingdom’s Queen Elizabeth II, and a look at what Zander’s been reading this past week. Plus, a compilation of the top news and sports headlines from the past week.
Also, go listen to the latest episode of the Zander’s Facts podcast! Episode 75 features the second part of Zander’s 2022-23 football season preview. Zander previews the upcoming NFL season, gives you updates on the top teams, and provides his fact-filled predictions for the season. Go listen to and download the Zander’s Facts podcast wherever you get your podcasts!
Zander’s Weekend Facts is here to give you the facts about what has been going on in the world around us this past week. You’ll just have to read these facts, instead of listening to them on the Zander’s Facts podcast.
Here are Zander’s Weekend Facts for Sunday, September 11, 2022:
The legacy of Queen Elizabeth II
Since February 6, 1952, the British people have had remarkable consistency at the top of the monarchy of the United Kingdom. In fact, most may only remember one head of the British monarchy up to this point.
That consistency ended on Thursday, September, 8, with the passing of Queen Elizabeth II.
Queen Elizabeth was 96 years old, and sat on the throne for over 70 years, the longest reign of any British monarch. The world has changed in great nature over those 70 years, but one thing always remained consistent, especially for the people of the United Kingdom.
Born on April 21, 1926, Elizabeth Alexandra Mary was born to the Duke and Duchess of York, George VI and Elizabeth. George unexpectedly rose to throne as King George VI in 1936, putting Elizabeth next in line. In 1947, Elizabeth married Phillip Mountbatten, who had previously been born into the Greek and Danish royal families.
Then in February 1952, Elizabeth’s father, King George VI, passed away in his sleep, with Elizabeth becoming the Head of the Commonwealth. Elizabeth became the queen of the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), New Zealand, Pakistan, and South Africa.
Over the next 70 years, Queen Elizabeth oversaw a shrinking British empire, but as a popular figure in Britain. Despite the deterioration of the once-dominate empire, the role of the United Kingdom has remained crucial in global affairs, with Queen Elizabeth serving as the face of the nation.
Elizabeth’s time as head of the British monarchy also continued the decline in power the monarchy had in the state, but it was still her duty to request a forming of government after an election, meet with the prime minister regularly, and approve all legislation passed out of Parliament.
15 prime ministers served during the reign of the Queen, beginning with Winston Churchill and ending on the third day of new PM Liz Truss’ tenure. Queen Elizabeth was also able to meet 13 out of the last 14 U.S. presidents, with Lyndon B. Johnson being the exception, and traveled to the United States on several occasions, including in 1957, 1976, 1983, 1991, and 2007.
Throughout her time as queen, Queen Elizabeth served as a comforting voice for those seeking a guiding hand in Britain. This may not be more evident anywhere than the beginnings of the COVID-19 pandemic, when Elizabeth addressed the U.K. in a rare video message. For many in Britain, there was no one more beloved in the public eye than Queen Elizabeth.
The queen became the first British monarch to celebrate a platinum jubilee earlier this year, with questions arising surrounding the queen’s health after she notably was absent from several events. Her husband, Prince Phillip, had passed away last year at the age of 99, with Elizabeth and Phillip being married for 73 years.
Queen Elizabeth’s death has brought with it widespread thoughts and reflections on her reign, the royal family, and the monarchy as a whole.
Many not just in the United Kingdom, but around the world, were saddened by Queen Elizabeth’s passing and will surely use the next few days to mourn. However, it may come as total or no shock to you, but there are many who will not mourn the Queen’s death.
To many, especially in several former British-ruled lands, Elizabeth’s death Elizabeth’s death brings no joy remembering the immoral doings of the British monarchy that took place over the course of centuries. It also marks a significant point in the history of the monarchy, which many believe has been diminished instantly.
Taking over as Head of the Commonwealth is Elizabeth’s eldest-son, King Charles III. However, there is skepticism as to whether Charles can retain the respect and admiration of the British people under his reign as Elizabeth did.
While views of the monarchy have wavered, the high popularity of Elizabeth rarely did. Even through the troubles of significant family drama surrounding her children, the death of Princess Diana, and the constant attacks on the monarchy, Elizabeth remained an extremely popular figure in Britain.
While its actual power in Britain is minimal compared to the past, there is a debate to be had as to whether the monarchy should exist at all. New questions will enter the fold with King Charles III, and those will be answered at a later time.
For now, it is a time to remember Queen Elizabeth II, the monarch that the U.K. adored across seven decades. The funeral of Queen Elizabeth II will be held on Monday, September 19.
What Zander’s been reading this week
This week’s featured article introduces you to the second term of President Donald Trump, or at least, what one could look like if it became a possibility. Author Jonathan Rauch, a fellow at the Brookings Institute, argues that we don’t even have to wait until the next presidential election to figure out what a second Trump term what look like. The results… not that great for the United States of America.
Read this week’s featured piece in The Atlantic - Trump’s Second Term Would Look Like This (Link for article on Apple News)
Rapid-fire Facts
Here are the top news topics from the week in rapid-fire fashion:
A federal judge has appointed a special master regarding the FBI search of former President Donald Trump’s Mar-A-Lago residence. The ruling was made by U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, who was appointed by Trump in 2020. In the days after, the Department of Justice appealed the ruling and also requested that classified documents not be included in any special master review, with the court stating that Trump had no executive privilege claims as shown by Supreme Court precedent. Additionally, both the Justice Department and lawyers representing Trump released names of individuals they would want to serve as special master in the case.
Apple released new editions of several of the company’s devices on Wednesday. The tech giant released its annual iPhone upgrades with the iPhone 14. The iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus, which replaces the iPhone mini with a larger screen size, feature a similar design to last year’s iPhone 13. On the other hand, the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max have dropped the infamous notch on the top of the screen in favor of a ‘dynamic island,’ which has interactive features. Additionally, Apple released the Apple Watch Series 8, a newer version of the low-cost Apple Watch SE, and an all-new premium Apple Watch Ultra, which starts at $799. A new version of the AirPods Pro was also released with a similar design as the previous version.
Michigan will feature a referendum on abortion on the ballot in November. The state Supreme Court allowed a proposal that would allow abortion rights to be enshrined into the state’s constitution be added to the ballot in this fall’s elections. Michigan is the latest state to add a question on abortion rights onto November’s ballot, with California, Kentucky, Montana, and Vermont also having abortion ballot measures taking place in November. Kansas recently held a referendum on abortion rights, with those supporting abortion rights winning the referendum by a 15-point margin.
Former Trump adviser Steve Bannon was arrested this week on charges of money laundering and conspiracy and scheme to defraud. Bannon is accused of defrauding donors to the “We Build the Wall” fundraising campaign, which is also being charged. Bannon voluntarily went into custody at a Manhattan courthouse and pled not guilty to the charges. Bannon was subsequently released and is scheduled to return to court on October 4.
A surprise Ukrainian offensive has resulted in a Russian withdrawal as the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues. According to the Ukrainian government, the Ukrainian military has recaptured large areas of territory in the region around Kharkiv, the second-largest city in Ukraine. The Ukrainian gains have forced Russian forces to retreat to the Donetsk region of Ukraine, something which was acknowledged by the Russian defense ministry.
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Zander’s Facts Sporting Club
Here are the top sports headlines of the week in the Sporting Club:
The NFL’s regular season begins this weekend. Week one kicked off on Thursday night with the defending Super Bowl champions Los Angeles Rams hosting the Buffalo Bills. The celebrations did not last long in Los Angeles as the Bills rolled over the Rams 31-10 in a blowout. There is a full slate of games set to begin at 1:00 pm et later today, with the Kansas City Chiefs vs. Arizona Cardinals and Green Bay Packers vs. Minnesota Vikings highlighting the action at 4:25 pm et. Tonight on Sunday Night Football, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers visit the Dallas Cowboys at 8:20 pm et, and the Seattle Seahawks host the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football at 8:15 pm et.
Chelsea FC manager Thomas Tuchel was fired just seven games into the current season. Chelsea have struggled to begin the season, currently sitting at sixth on the Premier League table and falling to Croatian-side Dinamo Zagreb in Tuesday’s UEFA Champions League match. Chelsea’s new ownership group, led by American Todd Boehly, have owned the club for only three months. One day after the firing, Chelsea announced the appointment of Graham Potter as the club’s next manager. Potter was previously the manager at Premier League club Brighton and Hove Albion. All Premier League matches scheduled for this weekend were postponed after Queen Elizabeth II’s death.
The US Open concludes with the men’s singles final later today. In the final of the year’s last tennis major, Norway’s Casper Rudd will face Spain’s Carlos Alcarez at 4:00 pm et on ESPN. In Friday’s men’s singles semifinal, Francis Tiafoe became the first American man to reach the semifinals since Andy Roddick in 2006. The women’s singles final took place on Saturday, with Poland’s Iga Swiatek taking on Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur. Swiatek won the match over Jabeur 6-2, 7-6, to win her third major title.
Week two of the College Football season brought several close games, including multiple upsets of top teams. Saturday’s most hyped game brought #1 Alabama to Austin, TX to take on Texas. Alabama was able to sneak by with a win, 20-19, but not without trailing for significant time in the game, with a game-winning field goal giving the Crimson Tide the win with ten seconds left. Additionally, three teams from the Sun Belt conference pulled off major upsets on the road, with Marshall defeating #8 Notre Dame, 26-21, Appalachian State knocking off #6 Texas A&M, 17-17, and Georgia Southern beating Nebraska, 45-42. #20 Kentucky was able to beat #12 Florida, 26-16, in Gainesville, FL, #24 Tennessee defeated #17 Pittsbugh in overtime on the road, 34-27, and Texas Tech knocked off #25 Houston in double-overtime, 33-30. ESPN’s College GameDay announced that the show would be going to the campus of Appalachian State in Boone, NC next weekend for the first time.
The US Open Cup final took place on Wednesday with Orlando City SC taking on Sacramento Republic SC. Sacramento, which plays in the second-tier USL Championship, became the first non-MLS club to reach the final of the tournament since 2008 and were seeking to become the first non-MLS club since 1999 to win the final. However, Orlando City was able to prevail 3-0 to win the club’s first trophy as an MLS club. The U.S. Open Cup is the oldest continuing soccer competition in the United States, beginning in 1913.
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Wrapping up the Facts
Before this edition of Zander’s Weekend Facts wraps up, here’s another reminder to check out the latest episodes of the Zander’s Facts podcast. Download and listen to Episode 75, along with every episode of Zander’s Facts, wherever you get your podcasts. Check out Zander’s Facts’ Linktree page for more on anything Zander’s Facts related: Zander's Facts on Linktree
You can also listen to every episode of the podcast on this very website. All Zander’s Facts podcast episodes are now available on zandersfacts.substack.com under the “Zander’s Facts” tab for your enjoyment. That includes Episode 76 of the podcast, which comes out this Wednesday!
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That’s a wrap on this week’s edition of Zander’s Weekend Facts. The Facts in print return next Sunday, September 18, 2022.