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Hello and welcome to the Americano podcast, a series of discussions about American politics and life.

My name is Freddie Gray. I'm the deputy editor of the spectator.

I am delighted to be joined by Lee Cohen, who is a senior

fellow of the Boe Group and the Bruges Group, and we're going to be asking what Queen Elizabeth

the Second meant to America and Americans. Now, Lee, there's been a little bit of sort of media

kerfuffle around some snark in the American media.

Academics have tweeted sort of gleefully about the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

The New York Times, as is its want, it seems when it comes to Britain at the moment,

has said some disparaging things about the Queen and the monarchy's colonial legacy. But generally, I think it's

probably fair to say that doesn't reflect the attitude of most Americans, am I right?

Yes, indeed. I would consider the source, as you did, of those reports, and particularly the New York

Times, which seems to be on a vendetta against Britain,

that is really kind of head-scratching, to be honest.

But I would say there is nearly universal love and sorrow now in this time of the loss of the Queen.

Because, Freddie, just like Britain, in Britain,

you lost your head of state, who was so much more than that. You lost your head of nation,

which is a sort of an intangible role that we don't have over here. We have a head of state,

of course, and we all lost something much deeper and more profound.

The whole world lost this most admirable global figure,

...