Truly majestic.
No other word could better describe the state funeral in London yesterday – or, indeed, the subject of it.
The capital which the Queen had called home all of her life was brought to a standstill in her death, as tens of thousands gathered to give their monarch the send-off that she deserved.
At Westminster Abbey – a place with as storied a history as any in British life – the weight of the occasion hung heavy in the air.
Queen’s final journey marked history
Prime ministers, presidents and heads of state flew from all corners of the globe to pay their final respects to a woman who, during an unprecedented 70-year reign, became the symbol of Britain and all it stands for at home and abroad.
The images of King Charles and senior members of the royal family walking in step behind the Queen’s coffin as it passed by Buckingham Palace – her home of so many decades – will live long in the memory.
As will the military pageantry which was so precise, beautifully choreographed and respectful of the late commander-in-chief, the religious sermon which added such gravitas and the music, which soared and punctuated.
But there was also the scripted and unscripted moments alike which added such colour to the scene.
Devotion continued away from cameras
The people of all ages who turned out to witness Her Majesty’s final journey, many of whom bowed as her coffin passed and wiped away a solitary tear.
The horses, the corgis, the tolling of bells, the firing of guns and the throwing of the flowers into the hearse’s path all added to a spectacle like no other in modern times.
And even that did not tell the whole story, with the devotions of her loyal subjects across the UK and around the world taking place away from the cameras.
Throughout it all, the respect and reverence for the Queen shone through.
This country could never hope to repay the enormous debt it owes to the late monarch for a lifetime of such devoted service.
But in her final journey, the country which she so loved and headed with such grace, did her memory proud.
R.I.P. our Queen.
Conversation