One of the first things I did when I first went to the UK and London was to visit Buckingham Palace. There was nothing like seeing the Queen's residence/office in person rather than in a picture or on TV. It didn't disapppoint although the failure of the Queen to greet me as one of the colonials was a let down. Not that I expected it.
A few years later we made the trek out to Windsor to see the castle. It was neat to have a look around some parts of it, but not the private quarters. I was surprised about how few visitors there were. Again it felt like a privilege to see such a grand place with a history that went back centuries.
The Queen's death on the 8th of September 2022 came as a bit of a surprise although at 96 years of age it was expected at some point. Remarkably, only two days prior she had received her new Prime Minister, Liz Truss. A photo of her showed her to be very frail. In the previous months she had looked a much diminished version of herself. Nonetheless she was still working up to the very end. Amazing!
I was surprised at my own reaction to her death. While not grief stricken in any way I did have this strange sense of loss. Even Bev felt some of that loss. I guess while she has had minimal impact on my life she has been this stable presence in a world which has changed considerably during my lifetime and certainly in her lifetime. I have known no other King or Queen in my lifetime up to this date, with me having been born in the year of her coronation.
Her funeral was broadcast live on TV1 (19 September) and I had not intended to watch it that evening. However, Bev suggested that we do so and so I did. Bev slept through most of the proceeding which included nearly an hour and a half what was happening around the streets as well pictures of Westminster Abbey filling up with the invited guests. Apparently some were seated about three hours before the service and others such as Prime Ministers and Presidents a little later. President Biden managed to arrive late but had to wait to be seated as more important people were seated first. Many of the Prime Ministers and other leaders were transported on a bus.
The Queen was conveyed from Buckingham Palace to the Abbey on a gun carriage that was first used around beginning of the 20th century and was put aside for such Royal occasions. The pageantry was something to behold. Soldiers in their dress uniforms, bear hats and all accompanied the queen as she proceeded down The Mall followed by her children and male grandchildren. The spectacle kept me absorbed. The precision, the timing and commentary made for an absorbing watch. The atmosphere if you were there would have been amazing.
The funeral service itself was in two parts, the first with all the dignatories was conducted in the Abbey. The second part was the commital which was to be conducted at St Georges Chapel at Windsor Castle. It was Christian service first and foremost. There was no formal eulogy although she was spoken about as a devout Christian. Despite that the service was beautiful. The signing by the choir outstanding and at the end of each hymn there was soaring sound from the trumpets. If it was that good on the small screen, it would have been amazing to be there in person.
After the funeral she was transported on the gun carriage back up The Mall to the Wellington Arch in Hyde Park. That took about an hour. The gun carriage was pulled by Naval ratings who clearly took their responsibilities seriously. Again the family marched behind the gun carriage. It was led out from Westminster Abbey by the Mounties with New Zealand and Australia service people in the lead. There there were a range of other military units marching in front of it. From the air it looked stunning. I stayed up until the coffin was transferred to the hearse for the long trip to Windsor Castle which was to take about two hours. It was about 1am before I got to bed or was it just after midnight.
There were moments in the ceremony where it was a little poignant and while not tearful I felt the sadness that her family must have felt.
The next morning I decided to see the St Georges commital whcih was a shorter affair to which our PM was invited along with other realm leaders. There were again touching moments.
The Brits know how to do ceremony extremely well and the organisation to make it all happen with such precision was something to behold. The ceremonial military marching was led by a Warrant Officer who apparently was in charge of making it work. There must have been days and days practice to get the precision required. If only they could make the country run that way where cooperation is required along with good leadership. In the UK it seems to be sorely lacking.
I just the love the fact that process of accession to the throne is seamless. The Queen dies and the next in line (Prince Charles) becomes King. That saying: "The Queen is dead, long live the King" is so true. And Charles seems to have stepped up to the plate. He will be a very different monarch but I hope that he has the same dedication to service to that of the late Queen.
The event will live on in my mind for the rest of my life.
