Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth II

King Charles III today gave his approval to make it a Bank Holiday after he was formally made monarch in a landmark ceremony.

Queen Elizabeth II’s state funeral is to take place on Monday, September 19th, 2022, at Westminster Abbey, at 11:00hrs (GMT) after being flown from Scotland to London where she has been lying in state since her death following 70 years of reign on September 8th,2022 at her home in Balmoral, at the age of 96. Announced by The Palace at 18:30hrs (GMT) and reported by BBC news reporter, Huw Edwards.

ℹ️ News.

It goes without saying that this has been a sad time of mourning for all during this time😢…

The end of such a glorious and memorable reign indeed.

And so, through this time of sorrow, a new bank holiday is formed for England. This was then followed by the official response that came from the United Kingdom Government after the King Charles III decree.

Let me tell you a little bit about the rationale behind Bank Holiday formations. It is a well-loved cultural institution. A bank holiday is basically the same as a public holiday or a religious holiday, lots of workplaces will close for the day in order to celebrate something or mark an occasion, although restaurants, pubs, and shops do still open, sometimes with reduced hours.

Although today marks an official and very special bank holiday to commemorate the official funeral for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, it has been stated by the UK Government that ‘there are currently no plans for an annual holiday.’

I was looking back at these today when thinking back:

Photographs of the author’s own presentation commemorative coin case.

Photographs of the author’s own presentation commemorative coin representing HRH Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee.

Something remains prominent and quite vital, needing to be talked about at this time, this being twofold, when it comes to pondering into our newly ascended King to the throne.

It is neither the time nor place to disclose certain pieces of personal information within this article other than that my professional knowledge and expertise, gained over the last 32 years of practicing within the field of psychiatry.

A specialism that taught me how to tap into the skills of someone's mind and provide them with the support they desperately need, to show how to safely express their feelings and emotions.

Everybody needs to think about the effects that experiencing death in a family has upon them. I have spoken about how grief can affect the one's left behind who have to pick up the pieces, below.

It is never an easy nor comfortable experience to ever have to go through, but needless to say, it will forever be something that we all must go through at certain stages in our lives. It goes without saying that we are born, we grow, we grow older, and yes, we die.

It's simply part of our cycle of life...

Yes, I'm going to say it too, vocal haven't ever awarded me a Top Story, but I have to laugh when I say to myself that this article will not be chosen either, it seems pretty obvious that the subject of mental health is not deemed worthy of it!

Then, again, the world is still drowning in stigma when it comes to talking about mental health.

It's way time that this ends, and now.

Talking of stigma, were you even aware that the Queen ever had two cousins - they were called Nerissa and Katherine Bowes-Lyon, both were secretly incarcerated in the Royal Earlswood Asylum for Mental Defectives in 1941, a scandal, only uncovered after Nerissa's death in 1986.

Nerissa and Katherine lived in the Bowes-Lyon family home in Scotland until 1941. According to a 1987 report from Canadian outlet Maclean's, it was their mother Fenella Bowes-Lyon who decided to place them in full-time care in the English town of Redhill in the county of Surrey (their father John had died in 1930). The facility's name at the time, Royal Earlswood Asylum for Mental Defectives, reflects the unenlightened culture of shame surrounding those with mental illness and disabilities.

At the time the sisters were committed to the Royal Earlswood, Nerissa was 22 and Katherine was 15; Katherine and her cousin, Queen Elizabeth, were both born in 1926. Nerissa's medical records there, according to the documentary via the Daily Mail, stated that she made "unintelligible noises all the time," and "can say a few babyish words."

OprahDaily.com

*****

You can read more about The Royal Earlswood Asylum here.

*****

Mental illness is finally coming out of the dark days of being swept under the carpet and people suffering in silence. Things are a long way away from perfect, but more and more people are seeking help and being able to talk openly about conditions.

This has been helped in no small part by charities like MIND who work to raise a general awareness of this issue. But it is often the celebrities that come out publicly to speak about their mental health issues that do better, and this is certainly the case recently when Princes William and Harry along with Kate launched their Heads Together campaign.

But what is it that prompted them to do this and how has mental health touched them as people and as part of the Royal family as a whole?

Mental-illness and the British royal family.

Understandably to many, mental health can both be very scary and daunting to manage if you are the person suffering and you are alone in the world. Our late Queen's cousins must have been scared and confused - sad to say that in those times, mental health was both seen and managed in a terribly disgraceful and inhumane way.

Understanding and compassion is changing the tide when it does come to how mental health is indeed seen - thankfully. Below was an article written by a follower of mine over on medium which overwhelmed and pleased me to read.

With everything that I have both said and done over the last 32 years practicing within the field of psychiatry, I have witnessed both the good and the bad times, that society has shown, when it comes down to their cognitive stages of the understanding of mental health.

With the great strides that society, healthcare, and indeed the British Monarchy have (over time) made, I sincerely wish to see that King Charles III gives himself much needed time and space, to come to terms with three very crucial moments in his life.

1. The Queen has been, not simply HRH Queen Elizabeth II, but also his mother for 70 years.

2. That King Charles III himself personally reminds himself of this and allows himself to grieve properly through this tragic time.

3. The world must remember that we have all lost our Queen but to our new King, it is so much more.

We all must remind ourselves at this time, simply because he is now our King, it does not make him immune from mental health.

Mental health is the concern of everyone...

Rest In Peace for evermore Queen Elizabeth II...

***** ***** ***** ***** *****

Thank you for taking the time to read this😊. I hope you have enjoyed this piece of fiction. Please read and click the heart after reading ❤️ to show your support.

If you fancy tipping me or pledging your support in these ways too then I'll have to hug you🤣😊.

Tips are amazing to get😍👍...

More of my articles can be found by clicking on my profile page. If you are feeling adventurous and creative, then why not join us at the Vocal+ platform by clicking on this here?

Or why not come and chat with me over on Medium too, where I also write too?