Four men arrested for allegedly plotting a terror attack to kill Queen Elizabeth

[freshwest]

37. It'd definitely be a victory symbolically. Like blowing up a religious shrine. She's the ceremonial

head of the Church of England currently, even though some want the monarchy separated from the Church.

They're concerned a Catholic could become the king or queen of England in the future:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/queen-elizabeth-II/8939402/Queens-role-as-head-of-Church-of-England-may-no-longer-be-appropriate.html

Imagine assassinating head of Islam in Iran, Khomeini, or destroying the Kaaba in Mecca or the Dome of the Rock, or some other such place.

She is part of England's history and mythology as a nation. Her death, and no doubt a violent one, would be as damaging as killing Kennedy was, although she is not government in the way we consider a POTUS.

I've been trying to grasp the monarchy concept and find it rather difficult. When the Scots were working to secede from the UK, articles were posted here about how even if Scotland left the UK, she would still be Queen of Scotland.

Puzzlin it, I thought of Rex Lex vs Lex Rex, our philosophy. She is a symbol of Rex Lex, but the Parliament makes the laws now. They still have a house of Lords made up of people, like her, who have their position in society because of birth and not the will of the people as expressed in elections.

Her role and that of the royals runs deeper than the UK. She is not a creation of government like our leaders. Royals have seen governments in the UK come and go. So it's a big deal to people there and ISIL or whoever was on this mission knew that very well.

I used to see photos of Muslim protestors in London carrying signs of how they would rule the country, that all Britain would bow to Islam, etc. This would fit that meme. That is a belief system.

I'm not into any of these religions, but billions are, so there's no escape from the believers. Religions, like royalty, outlast every government. They will keep doing what they do.

We don't know if this plot was religious, or political, as there has been bad blood between the West and Middle East, or if one chooses to classify it that way, between Christianity and Islam for millenia. Wars have been fought for many more years than the current nation states in the Americas existed. It's complicated over there.

That's my answer, but I may have gone too far for your question. True, she doesn't have real political power but she's a big deal to the English. If this happened, I have no idea what the UK would do.