Editorial: And so the world changes

Jess Matheson won the junior section of the Guyton Group Trust limerick competition. Photo / Supplied

With the recent news of the death of Queen Elizabeth II, Britain and the Commonwealth will gradually have to come to terms with not so much change, but updates.

Now we have King's Birthday weekend. The anthem becomes God Save the King. Those in Government and the armed forces will be taking an oath to His Majesty the King. Items bearing the Queen's image, such as stamps and banknotes, will have to change, over time, and royal logos will make the shift from Reg to Rex with a III in place of a II. And we now have a Charles on the throne, for the first time since 1685.

Many of us have lived our entire lives acknowledging, or at least recognising the existence of one British monarch, not having been around for the Queen's father's reign, and now there has been — whether we want to realise it or not — a massive change, brought about by the death of the head of Britain and the Commonwealth and the succession of her heir. It happens regularly, but not often.

It does not mark the end of the monarchy, as some would like to think, but a new chapter in its long history.

It has been centuries since a King or Queen has had any real power: a long time since they made decisions that affected government policy, but already the Queen is being blasted online by haters wanting to blame her personally for everything from slavery and colonialism to their own unfortunate circumstances. Sadly, there are many such people.

It's the Roundheads and the Cavaliers all over again, but the battleground is the internet and there will be no winners. Don't expect a new Cromwell to lead Parliament against the King.

The rest of us quietly mourn her death and celebrate her long life, and you don't have to be a royalist to do so: just human.

As we await her funeral and the news coverage of the event, it's easy to forget that the throne and its duties have segued seamlessly to King Charles III, a man with a whole new perspective on the role and its responsibilities.

Long viewed as a king in waiting, Charles has led a colourful life, in and out of the public eye. He is known as a conservationist and his eco-concerns must have some effect on the future of that part of the planet that falls beneath his shadow. No doubt he and his Queen Consort have plans for the monarchy and whatever influence it has on government and its policy. The world watches.

Long live the King.

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Some of you may be wondering what has happened to the cafe at the airport. That's the one that was opened with much fanfare in November 2007, to coincide with the refurbishment of the airport buildings and the resealing of the runway. The cafe has been closed for some time.

Wonder no more. A council spokesperson has said that Whanganui District Council, Whanganui & Partners and Air Chathams are actively working together to attract a new business to the café and several options are being explored.

Perhaps we will see a result soon and the coffee machine will hiss again.

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The recent limerick competition run by the Guyton Group Trust has come up with two winners.

Winner of the Junior category is 10-year-old Jess Matheson (pictured) with the following limerick:
There once was a girl with a coat
Who had a very fluffy goat
One day she was walking
And the goat started talking
And all he could do was gloat.

Winner of the open category is Tim Fraser with the following limerick:
A limerick contest … hooray!
A chance to show mankind the way!
But with mounting confusion,
I reached the conclusion,
That in fact I had nothing to say!

The winners receive $75 each for their efforts.