The Queen is Dead – Long Live the King: The Power of Continuity. The English monarchy is largely built on the embodiment of continuity. Not only did the late Queen Elizabeth II reign for what felt like an eternity, but the millennia-old traditions surrounding mourning and her funeral reveal a deep historical understanding of the importance of continuity in human life.
For many, despite war and climate crises, the late Queen represented a stabilizing force in the world. With her passing, it became even clearer how profoundly she symbolized and projected continuity.
In recent days, we have witnessed highly ritualized processes—ceremonies that help those in mourning. These traditions provide strength to a nation, offering a structured way to navigate grief in a bearable manner.
When we apply this concept to depression, we see how essential a structured daily routine is for those struggling with mental health. A set schedule with defined times and responsibilities can become one of the pillars of psychiatric and psychotherapeutic treatment for depression. Small daily rituals and their consistent repetition are fundamental building blocks of stability.
Even if the continuous public display of tradition and governance may feel foreign to us at times, it serves as a reminder of the significance of structured routines and, above all, the people in our lives who provide us with a sense of continuity. The late Queen Elizabeth II embodied this in the highest form.