In the middle ages the Italian city of Padua decided to install a ruler: they made their most distinguished citizen duke and ruler. the Fact that the poet Virgil- who got the job- had been dead for a thousand years was not thought to matter. More recently, north Korea appointed the late Kim Il-Sung as President-in-perpetuity. I suggest we follow their examples: if we are to have a republic a set of great dead Britons should take it in turn to be president. If we remain a monarchy then either keep the present queen, regardless of her state of health [or life] or appoint whichever dead monarch is thought most appropriate.