In The Church of Saint Mary and Saint Michael at Great Urswick here on the Furness Peninsula, I signed the book of condolences on Saturday afternoon thanking Queen Elizabeth II for her dedicated service.
Today is the day of her funeral down in London. As I write, moving images of the regal ceremony in Westminster Abbey switch to and fro upon the television screen here in our apartment at Summer Hill above The River Crake.
I wrote in the book at Great Urswick: "Thank you sweet Majesty. We will never forget you." She has gone and I surmise that something ineffable has died in all of us too.
Could any other country have put on a funeral and days of mourning like this? I doubt it. Good that you are paying.
ReplyDeleteGood heavens! Even if we sell our house we won't be able to settle the bill! Now you have got me feeling scared Prince Andrew!.
DeleteWe watched all morning, and then while I walked the dog Dave continued watching all afternoon. It's quite a lot of pageantry, isn't it? Certainly a momentous day.
ReplyDeleteTerrestrial TV channels drained every last drop out of the funeral and then some..
DeleteRe sidebar problem - you have it too in that Graham Edwards' and JayCee's sidebars (and probably others) are not linking properly to you. I've made imperfect progess in fixing mine as stated in blue lettering at end of my last post.
ReplyDeleteMy solution is to cross my fingers and hope for the best.
DeleteYou may be right. The problem seems to be in the process of fixing itself now.
DeleteA bonny house by River Crake was a fine place to say Adieu to Queen Elizabeth the Gracious as she will always be remembered.
ReplyDeleteCharles will make a great constitutional monarch of that I have no doubt.
Our post-Brexit country is facing the gravest economic crisis since 1929 and we have a very inadequate Prime Minister and a Cabinet of boobies.
Gordon Brown is more assertive in addressing our multiple problems than Keir Starmer, who needs to start sounding like Ernest Bevin.
Read the biography of Bevin *Labour's Churchill* by Andrew Adonis now in paperback.
Haggerty
We seem to be sleepwalking into a gaping cavern like the children of Hamelin.
DeleteA sad day.
ReplyDeleteIt was the day on which Phoebe first went in the sea - they are holidaying on Corfu, Greece.
DeleteI think we were surprised at her death as we thought she would just continue to be there.
ReplyDeleteA bit like you and The Micro Manager Red!
DeleteSomething has definitely died in me. I've been miserable for days. Perhaps it's the endless rain when we usually have none. Or more likely it's that someone so wonderful and kind is no longer on this Earth.
ReplyDeleteThe end of The Elizabethan Era.
DeleteHad it been a regular Monday with me working from home, I guess I would at least have watched a summary on TV at some stage. But as it was, we were out walking in the woods most of the day, and not once did a thought of the funeral cross my mind, even though I knew from my sister-in-law that they had the day off because of it.
ReplyDeleteYellow curtains with a stag head pattern - nice touch!
Great Britain stood still.
DeleteYesterday was such a defining moment in Britain's' history. The events made us realise, and accept, that Elizabeth II, beloved by so many, is no longer with us.
ReplyDeleteHow will Britain fare in future, with a new King, dissent and disharmony amongst the government?
For me it almost felt like the death of a nation.
DeleteYou Brits might be happy to know that almost every OTA channel on this side of the pond carried every detail of the funeral as well. If that weren't enough, they rehashed it all day long and then showed an encore presentation during prime time local time.
ReplyDeleteIt is making me feel like I should be eating bangers and mash with peas on the side this morning.
Great colour, perfect timing and good music. That is just the soldiers. I think King Charles III will do his duty well but now we need to address a government that needs changing. Sadly the end of an era of a good Queen.
ReplyDeleteI had to look up "ineffable" and it is exactly the right word. The queen has been in my life all my life so far and knowing she is no longer there feels odd. She was unique, a hard act to follow for Charles.
ReplyDeleteThe funeral made me feel strangely proud to be British again, so thank you to her for that. So much that has been going on in this country lately has made me feel ashamed of our nation.
Only this country can put on an amazing show like that. I love the pomp and circumstance. Long may it continue. Far better than the goose-stepping on Red Square, Moscow.
ReplyDeleteI have two computer monitors in my office at work; on one I did my work yesterday while I livestreamed the funeral on the other. Who could have guessed, at the time of the Queen's coronation, that someone on the other side of the world could watch her final journey that way?
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