Opinion: Who's The Daddy - Regardless of opinion it’s all about showing respect

After all, unless you’re well into your 80s Queen Elizabeth II was, up until the last few days at least, the only reigning monarch any of us have ever known.

Her death, while not totally unexpected, marks the end of an era. Aged 96, she lived a full life, travelled the world many times over and enjoyed good health for almost all of her years.

I suppose the first inkling many of us had that something was wrong was this summer’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations, when the Queen wasn’t there for much of it. That was strange because usually she was the life and soul of the party - a reported dancefloor favourite of hers was ABBA’s Dancing Queen, for obvious reasons.

Then the photos of the Queen meeting the new PM Liz Truss early last week, who is no giant herself, where she absolutely towered over the Queen, who looked tiny and frail.

There are those who have strong, negative opinions about the royals, and under normal circumstances that’s their prerogative. But if you could just keep your trap shut for the next week or so, and stop being an edgelord keyboard warrior on social media while you’re at it, it would be very much appreciated. An old lady who meant a lot to millions has just died. Show some respect.

The postponement of last weekend’s football divided opinion into two camps, those who go and watch football and those who don’t but like to tell everyone else what to do.

Yes, calling everything off was a mark of respect, but wouldn’t it have been even more respectful with packed stadiums honouring her memory by belting out God Save The Queen/King before holding an impeccably observed minute’s silence?

Maybe the people who run football wanted to be seen to be doing the right thing? But there was cricket on over the weekend, and rugby, and racing, and just about every other sport you might care to think of.

But anyway, better a minute’s silence than a minute’s applause. Never understood that, apart from all the clapping drowning out the idiots who can’t resist bellowing something brainless into the silence like a barking dog. We’re in that limbo period between a death and a funeral where nothing feels real.