F A R E W E L L

Elizabeth II, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Her other Realms and Territories Queen,
Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith
Coronation portrait by Cecil Beaton, 1953

After a solemn, splendid funeral in the capital, Her Majesty the Queen was taken through massive crowds of her grieving people to Windsor Castle - fortress and home of the kings of England for a thousand years - and laid to rest beside her beloved husband, parents, and sister - her duty done at last.

Well done, thou good and faithful servant:  enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.

May her soul, and the souls of all faithful departed, rest in peace.

 

For the record, the schedule of today's events from the BBC:

6:30 BST - The window for the public to see Elizabeth II lying in state comes to an end, as the doors to Westminster Hall are closed

8:00 - Doors of Westminster Abbey open for the 2,000 guests expected - from world leaders to charity workers and the Japanese emperor

10:44 - The day’s first procession will set off, with King Charles and other senior royals walking behind the Queen’s coffin as it’s pulled by sailors on the State Gun Carriage from Westminster Hall to Westminster Abbey

11:00 - The state funeral service begins

11:55 - The Last Post bugle sounds, followed by a national two minutes’ silence

12:00 - Service ends, and at 12:15 a second, larger procession brings her coffin to Wellington Arch

13:00 - Her coffin is transferred to the state hearse and driven to Windsor along a route expected to be lined by crowds

15:00 - The day’s third procession begins, through the grounds of Windsor Castle to St George’s Chapel

16:00 - Committal service takes place at St George’s Chapel

19:30 - Royal Family returns to the chapel for a private burial service that will see Elizabeth II interred alongside her late husband, the Duke of Edinburgh

Well done, Ma'am.  Thank you for your service.
Godspeed and bon voyage.

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Trooping the Colour, 2021

The Queen's official birthday was celebrated earlier today at Windsor Castle with the centuries-old ceremony of Trooping the Colour, the splendid epitome of British pageantry.  The BBC takes us there:

Bonus:  The Queen and other members of the Royal Family hosted the G7 leaders at a dinner yesterday at the Eden Project in rural Cornwall:

President Biden and the First Lady were there; it is remarkable to think that when Her Majesty's reign began in 1952, Harry Truman was in the White House - and Winston Churchill in 10 Downing Street.

As international conferences go, this one has been pretty sedate so far: no chairs have been thrown, and nobody has gotten punched out. Everyone was, thankfully, on their best behavior in the Queen's presence, though I notice that Justin I'm-too-sexy-for-my-shirt Trudeau just had to wear brown shoes to prove he is the King of Cool. Ah, well.

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American Princess

Your Head Trucker has paid no attention to the royal wedding preparations and speculations these last six months - I've had other things on my mind - but for the record, here are a few snapshots.

It's not every American girl who grows up to be a real princess, but this one did, and how:

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The bride wore Givenchy, a perfection of elegant simplicity, topped with a sleekly chic antique tiara:

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Prince Harry lost no time staking his claim to a little piece of America, which I suppose no one will mind:

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And then they were off - actually, just around the block to the other side of Windsor Castle for the first reception of the day:

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The relatives waved from the side door of the church:

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The Queen was in good form with a chartreuse coat and hat, one of her favorite colors, I'm told, and a magnificent diamond brooch that would choke a horse:

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The parents were pleased and proud, just as you would expect:

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Well, that's all the snaps I took before I ran out of film. But in case anyone missed the festivities, the whole thing - without a single babbling word of commentary - can be seen at the official Royal Family channel:

The Order of Service can be downloaded from the British Monarchy website here.

Banquet at Windsor Castle

Housemaids and footmen, calligraphers and cooks all play their parts in this fascinating behind-the-scenes look at preparations for a glittering state dinner in November 2004 for the President of France at the Queen's weekend getaway - the world's most famous castle.

Keep Calm and Carry On

Oh dear.  How would you go about restoring a broken vahze from the Queen's living room?  Not to worry - senior conservator David Wheeler of the Royal Collection shows how, in this the first of five short episodes:



Watch the rest of the episodes at The Royal Channel on YouTube.