A rare double rainbow appeared over London on the evening before Queen Elizabeth 11's Funeral. It was a fitting beginning to a day of beautiful pageantry and symbolism, as the world bid farewell to our revered Queen.
Like many around the world, the Red Cardinals have watched the Funeral on television, admiring the style and precision, the many touching and personal details, and the fabulous music and marching of the servicemen on parade.
Some things which caught my eye:
The symbols of Monarchy, the Orb, the Sceptre, and the Crown, mounted on the coffin while it was carried through the streets and on to Windsor.
Stunning, bejewelled pieces, which normally are housed in the Tower of London, they glittered in the sunshine.
Seen here at the Queen's coronation, they now await the new King, Charles 111.
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| Front row: King Charles 111, Princess Royal, Prince Andrew, Prince Edward |
The stamina and endurance of the new King and his three siblings, two of whom are in their 70s. They have done a lot of marching in the past 10 days, and must be absolutely exhausted. What devotion they show.
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| Prince George, Princess Charlotte |
The children of the new Prince and Princess of Wales, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, aged 9 and 7. It was a long day for children, and they were beautifully behaved, and appropriately dressed to farewell their Great-Grandmother, and to both observe and be part of the history which will be their lives.
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The wreath on Her Majesty's coffin, freshly picked from the gardens of Buckingham Palace, Clarence House, and Highgrove.
The pretty colours of gold, pink, burgundy and white echo the Queen's fondness for bright and cheerful colour in her working wardrobe, and which suited her to perfection.
They included:
Rosemary for remembrance, Myrtle cut from a plant grown from a sprig in Her Majesty's wedding bouquet, English oak, symbol of the strength of love, roses, pelargoniums, hydrangea, dahlias and more, set in a nest of English moss and oak branches, without the use of florist foam.
Crimond: The Lord is my Shepherd, a favourite hymn of the Queen, and which in a lifetime of choral singing I have loved to sing on many occasions.
It was sung at the wedding of Her Majesty and Prince Philip in 1947.
Farewell, Your Majesty.
May you Rest in Peace.
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| Photo of the Queen at Balmoral, 1971, released by the Palace today |
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We watched the funeral here in Victoria and wept…such a sad day after a long and dedicated career of unwavering service. The parade of people marching, the church services, the flowers, RCMP on their horses and then those adorable corgis and the Queen’s pony all came together as per the Queen’s wishes…the end of an era.
ReplyDeleteHostess of the Humble Bungalow.
A few tears here, too, Hostess. Oh, the pony, lifting its foot - that was precious. The most beautifully organised farewell ever seen.
DeleteThank you for this awesome post dear Trish. Your shared thoughts are so much like my own. Tears fell for many days, but pride was felt as I was so thankful to have been raised by a family who always honored our lovely Queen. The pageantry, though never less than stunning in Britain, was like nothing before. May the Queen rest in peace, Long Live The King.
ReplyDeleteI hope you and the family are well and that spring and summer bring you happy times.
Hugs, Mary & Bob
Thank you, dear Mary. Tears, and pride, and thanks for it all. We are so happy to see Spring, and enjoy nature's celebrations here too. xo
DeleteAnother lovely tribute to Queen Elizabeth II, Trish. She may be the last British monarch to receive such a state funeral and after 70 years of reigning, how fitting. As she had a hand in the planning it was also elegant and touching.
ReplyDeleteHi Debra, elegant it was indeed. Nobody does it so well, and there was so much to admire. There was more detail than we can ever know or count.
DeleteThe rainbow was amazing wasn't it? I watched much of the ceremony and was struck by how beautifully it was carried out. Not a thing out of place. She was a wonderful Queen and will be missed so much.
ReplyDeleteI was very struck by the appearance of the rainbows: one when she passed, and another to herald the funeral. I am convinced she is in a happy place. Yes, the ceremony was just so beautiful.
DeleteA beautiful ceremony, Trish, and a sad day for all the Queen’s many peoples. The end of an era, in fact.
ReplyDeleteHi Val, so happy to see you here. I think Blogger has not been sending me your posts, and now I am off to read all about your adventures.
DeleteI watched a lot of the coverage too, Trish. And the ceremony itself. It was lovely and I was moved to tears many times. Especially when they removed her crown & sceptor etc. And when they sang God Save the King and showed King Charles face - it really made me cry. You could see the sadness & grief. I love that you shared what her wreath was made of. Such beautiful symbolism. It seems weird to be in a world where she isn't here now. It seemed she live forever. 😢
ReplyDeleteIt was so moving, wasn't it Carrie. I shed a few tears too. God Save the King still comes as a surprise, and their faces are etched in grief. I think the sudden passing of the Queen really stunned them all. Glad you liked the wreath. As lovers of flowers, we do appreciate the thought that went into it. x
DeleteHere in Victoria, BC, I watched a lot of the coverage throughout the 10 days. It was truly magnificent in a way that the world has rarely, if ever, seen. Since the final service at Windsor, I have felt myself curiously bereft. She's always been in the background of my life, and has been a woman of grace, dignity, and humour. An inspiration. She is gone now, but the memories will last a lifetime.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the information on the wreath - I was wondering about the flowers. They are so beautiful. There is so much meaning behind each part of the ceremonies, and I wish I knew more about it.
You make an excellent point Lorrie - the world has perhaps never seen anything like this before. With the modern technology, the whole world could watch this magnificent event, over the entire mourning period. Everyone is incredibly impressed, and we all feel the loss of 'The Queen'. She belonged to the world.
DeleteDearest Patricia,
ReplyDeleteYes, it was a memorable time in which the World said her goodbye to Queen Elizabeth II who was a loyal server of God—a very rare fact nowadays!
May God let her R.I.P.
Hugs,
Mariette
A perfect send off to a very special Queen - God's faithful are indeed becoming rare in this modern world. I like to think she sent us the rainbows :)
DeleteA certain sign...
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