Since the death of Queen Elizabeth II on September 8, much condemnation has surfaced about the 10-day mourning period being observed across the U.K. and echoed elsewhere, to varying degrees, around the world. Some Brits are opposed to the fanfare, believing it to be disproportionately disruptive to everyday life; some are dismayed by a lack of room for dissenting voices regarding the monarchy’s utility and value; and many are hopeful that the queen’s death heralds the beginning of the end of a far too antiquated station. While there may be merit to those arguments, I’m watching our progenitor country’s nationwide standstill, and I find it rather beautiful.