Well l have enjoyed seeing all the pomp, splendour and colour and having admiration for how well we do things. The British certainly put on a great show.
I was enthralled by all that.
But now, it has gone all sad and sombre in Westminster Abbey.
Two of my daughters and their partners are here and l have done a high tea with nice sandwiches, homemade sausage rolls, cakes and scones and cream.
People’s lives should be celebrated, not mourned. I wasn’t allowed to celebrate it, with champagne!!
Although, everything else was perfect, I did think the flowers on the the Queen’s coffin were abysmal. Surely, they could have selected flowers more fitting…
I am proud of the way people have comported themselves during it all .
I like the sombreness it befits the occasion there is plenty of time for celebration.
The Palace has explained that each flower was chosen for its special meaning: “Rosemary for remembrance; Myrtle, the ancient symbol of a happy marriage, and cut from a plant that was grown from a sprig of myrtle in Her Late Majesty’s wedding bouquet in 1947; And England oak, which symbolises the strength of love.”
Additional flowers – “scented pelargoniums; garden roses; autumnal hydrangea; sedum; dahlias; and scabious, all in shades of gold, pink and deep burgundy, with touches of white to reflect the Royal Standard” – were added, too.
After posting my harsh comment on the flowers, l did look on the internet and saw that the wreath included some flowers from the gardens in Buckingham Palace.
I saw that each flower was significant and had a special meaning for the Queen.
I do apologise for being so hasty in my words on this thread.
AFAIK, over 2 miles in London and 3 miles on the Long Walk, all at the slow march and marking time occasionally. The old’uns bore up well in London, but, in Windsor, even the young’uns were limping and grimacing, especially on the uphill stretch.
As for the young pallbearers at the funeral, who were deployed on operations in Iraq on the day the Queen died and flew back to do their duty, they deserve a medal …
What a beautiful and fitting tribute. Very emotional at the end when they removed the Crown, orb and sceptre, with the bagpipes fading as the coffin was lowered.
Everyone was wondering how the crown jewels stayed in place and then someone in the chapel came to unscrew the crown! I’ve hiked the Long Walk more than once & it’s a lovely area particularly Virginia Water, so it was quite something to see today’s procession walking the same route. It is quite a hike for someone young and fit and there is a hilly bit at the top which gives you a workout. Must have been tough for anyone not wearing proper walking boots.
One of the things that I have enjoyed most during and after my military service is our ability to laugh at ourselves and our colleagues. The banter always makes me smile and being an old soldier, it is also so very natural to think “ it was better in my day”, it’s a right of passage in a way.
That said and being serious for once, I don’t think I have ever been so proud of our Armed Forces as I was today, they were magnificent. My chest swelled with pride as our young, serving colleagues showed the world what it means to be British. Their precision, standards, and resilience were impeccable, and our late Commander in Chief could not have been more proudly served on her last journey. I’m certain, of course, that that would not have been a surprise to her in the least.
Watching our boys and girls do their duty reinforced a feeling in my heart that not only would I do it all again in a heartbeat, I only wish it was possible. At the same time, I am delighted to say that not only are our serving colleagues every bit as good as we were, but they may be even better. I am actually very proud to feel this way, because we can all rest easy in the knowledge that the service we all gave so willingly has in some way helped to bring through this younger generation; that the fine sailors, soldiers, airmen and women will continue to maintain our services as the best in the world.
As we say goodbye and thank you to Her late Majesty, Queen Elizabeth, I can imagine a faint smile drawing across her face, based on what her Armed Forces have achieved today. Well done and thank you to all involved.
One of the young Naval ratings on duty with the gun carriage is a good friend of my son. She used to work for him as a secretary when he first started up his own business several years ago. Lovely girl, full of life, with a ready smile. She only enlisted a few months ago.
Sadly her mother died a few weeks ago after battling MND for around 6 years. They were extremely close. Jess was very visible in the processions, being in the first row behind the gun carriage. If only her mum had lived long enough to see her today. She would have been so very proud 🥲
Perhaps it is just me but there is a certain irony in the fact that the only royals to have actually seen active service were the only ones not wearing a uniform in the funeral procession.
. But the Sky YouTube stream shows it.