The Death of a Queen and the Power of Totems

In this week's episode Dara reflects on the passing of Queen Elizabeth II last week and examines his own feelings about the extraordinarily long reign of the deceased monarch. He looks at the fractious history between Ireland and Britain and pays particular attention to the different identities on either side of the Irish Sea and how very different levels of historical experience and education inform them.

He wonders about the implications of the Queen's death for the United Kingdom and especially for Northern Ireland, in relation to the finalisation of Brexit and the future of the monarchy. He wraps up the episode by looking at how the Queen has been depicted in songs and poems, including Leon Rosselson's satirical 'On Her Silver Jubilee' and Simon Armitage's 'Floral Tribute', which is the Poet Laureate's gentle and judicious eulogy to his employer.

Also covered: the horrors of goulash, the brilliance of Anthony's speech to the Romans, and the rights and wrongs of dinner-table rhetoric.

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