Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, photographed in May 2022, The aquamarine brooches were an 18th-birthday gift from her parents.
Buckingham Palace released today a recent photograph of the Queen with her familiar broad smile: a lovely parting look at the beloved monarch, mother, and grandmother who holds a special place like none other in the hearts of not only her family and her people, but also in the hearts of billions all around the world.
The queue for the lying in state at Westminster Hall has been closed by the authorities, as the last mourner must be out of the Hall by 6:30 a.m. so that preparations for the state funeral can begin. Until then, you can still watch the live stream of the lying in state here:
London has geared up for the massive funeral, a gargantuan task for the police and military, and a logistical nightmare for the Foreign Office, what with hundreds of kings, princes, presidents, prime ministers, and assorted potentates streaming in from the four corners of the world to attend tomorrow's State Funeral in Westminster Abbey. A quarter of the 2000 seats in Westminster Abbey will be occupied by these dignitaries and their spouses. Also present will be the Royal Family, foreign royalty, Governors-General from the Commonwealth realms, the British Prime Minister and Cabinet, Commonwealth prime ministers, Members of Parliament, officers of the Crown and the Royal Household, the Diplomatic Corps, British and Commonwealth military representatives, and God knows who else.
The guest list is so big, and security so tight, that instead of arriving with dignity in their limousines, heads of state will be ferried en masse to the Abbey by a fleet of hired buses. Imagine the high and mighty of the world all jammed into their seats, like commuters in the morning rush hour. Extraordinary. An exception has been made for the American President, who will arrive in his own heavily armored limo.
The King and Queen Consort hosted a reception for world leaders at Buckingham Palace tonight.
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Buckingham Palace has released the programme of events for the funeral tomorrow, which you can read on the BBC website here.
Auspiciously, a rainbow appeared over Westminster Hall and the Abbey this afternoon, to the astonished delight of those in the queue:
Watch the continuous live stream from Westminster Hall without commentary via Sky News here.
I've had to take a little break from blogging; what with the time difference between here and London, and a number of different events to watch - live if possible - my sleep/wake cycle is all broken up, and I haven't had 8 continuous hours of rest all week. But I am persevering, and firmly intend to be rested and wide awake for the funeral, which will commence at 5 a. m. Texas time on Monday.
On and on they come, wearied but resolute, filing past the magnificent catafalque holding aloft its precious burden, old and young, tall and short, thick and thin, young and old, united in grief and reverence. Turbaned Sikhs, Africans in native dress, soldiers and sailors in uniform, mufti, or camo with berets or plumed caps, veterans of both sexes wearing a raft of newly-polished medals on their chests, Boy Scouts and Scoutmasters too with their colored kerchiefs round their necks, saluting the coffin with three fingers, expectant mothers, babes in arms, bearded fathers carrying one and towing another, wondering boys and girls with the bright, expectant faces of untarnished innocence, a pair of elderly twins dressed in identical suits, a blind man with a guide dog, the lame leaning on their canes and crutches and walkers, the crippled and disabled in their wheelchairs - on and on they come in never-ending stream, past the dignified ushers in white tie and tails waving them gently onwards, past the London bobbies in their tall peaked helmets, the Beefeaters Yeomen of the Guard still wearing the splendid red-and-gold costumes of the first Elizabeth's reign, the tall, stately Grenadiers resplendent in scarlet tunics and bearskin caps, standing still as statues: Britons and others of all sorts, ages, colors, and faiths, devotees of one god, or many, or none, a galaxy of mourners, diverse as the stars in the heavens, paying their last respects to their beloved Sovereign and steadfast servant, the devoted grandmother of the nation, in one great, united act of gratitude and love: Unforgettable.
Last night, His Majesty the King, his sister, and brothers stood another Vigil of the Princes around their mother's bier in Westminster Abbey, as they did in St. Giles' Cathedral, Edinburgh, at the beginning of the week.
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And today, the Queen's eight grandchildren stood vigil, something that has never happened before, a very touching sight; they enter the hall at about the 8:30 mark:
We've not been able to put much into words since you left us all.
There have been tears and laughter, silences and chatter, hugs and loneliness, and a collective loss for you, our beloved Queen and our beloved Grannie.
We, like many, thought you'd be here forever. And we all miss you terribly.
You were our matriarch, our guide, our loving hand on our backs leading us through this world. You taught us so much and we will cherish those lessons and memories forever.
For now dear Grannie, all we want to say is thank you. Thank you for making us laugh, for including us, for picking heather and raspberries, for marching soldiers, for our teas, for comfort, for joy. You, being you, will never know the impact you have had on our family and so many people around the world.
The world mourns you and the tributes would really make you smile. They are all too true of the remarkable leader you are.
We're so happy you're back with Grandpa. Goodbye dear Grannie, it has been the honour of our lives to have been your granddaughters and we're so very proud of you.
We know that dear Uncle Charles, the King, will continue to lead in your example as he too has dedicated his life to service.
God save the King.
With our love,
Beatrice and Eugenie
One more thing. In yesterday's post, I remarked on all the manly men who have shown up for this week's events. Today, the King and the Prince of Wales went out to greet and thank some of the folks standing in that long, long queue, and got a very warm response from the loyal crowds. I took this screen shot of one regular guy standing by his wife who shook the King's hand and said to him, "Well done, Your Majesty, and you are very much loved."
Imagine some big butch guy in America saying a thing like that to the President! Unbelievable, but over there they do things differently.
Watch the continuous live stream from Westminster Hall without commentary via Sky News here.
Apart from the first moments after I heard of the Queen's death, the magnitude of events since then has been too great to comprehend fully, and I have viewed the subsequent proceedings with dispassionate gaze. But I find that watching the live stream of mourners pausing by the Queen's coffin to pay their respects is a deeply moving spectacle.
After a long, long wait to enter Westminster Hall, nearly everyone in the silent queue pauses by the royal bier to make some little homage to their late Sovereign: a bow, a curtsy, the sign of the cross, or some creative combination. People in line behind them pause patiently to let them do their thing before moving forward (do not try this in America).
Members and veterans of HM Forces (I suppose; no one but the honour guard is in uniform) halt at attention facing the coffin, swing the right arm up in a stiffly proper salute, then turn on their heels and step off smartly. An astonishing number of Englishwomen (I suppose; I haven't checked their passports), old and young, do in fact know how to do a proper curtsy. Others do just a shy, quick bob, or blow a kiss as if seeing off a dear friend on a long journey.
Folks with a vaguely Asian look do a thoughtful bow and gesture, holding the palms together before their faces, which for all I know might be a Muslim, Hindu, or Buddhist thing. One older man in a flowing tunic, of Levantine mien with a brilliant ponytail of snow-white hair and a full, trim beard to match, bows low to the Queen, and on rising blows a kiss with both hands and puts his palms together reverently: all this done in one solemn, continuous, balletic movement that is a thing of beauty. Not a few young hipsters in skinny jeans and fashionable trainers pause to make a bow with all apparent reverence; one wonders if they have ever bowed to anyone or anything before. Old men and old ladies struggle out of wheelchairs to make their act of obeisance before the catafalque. Couples and families with children in tow line up two, four, or six abreast, and bow in unison. I've even seen a few folks actually genuflect on one knee as if before an icon, paying devout homage to the beloved Monarch.
All this is even more moving when you recollect that every one of these folks has waited 8, 10, 12 hours, or more, and walked miles in sun and rain, some of them all through the night, just to make that one brief show of respect. It was that important to them. Like medieval pilgrims bound for the shrine of a favorite saint, they were determined to do it, no matter how long the way or painful the path. If that is not love, then what is?
And if the dear old Queen is not a saint, who is? Seventy years of unremitting, selfless service must surely count for something in Heaven, as it does on earth.
Turning from the sublime to the fabulous - curiously, I've noticed very few obvious gays in the crowds. They've gotten so embedded in society now, you can hardly tell them from the rest of the population, can you? Amazing. It really takes one to know one, anymore. The gays were already out and proud in noticeable numbers when I was there in 1976, and some of them even cruised innocent, still-closeted me up and down, to my great embarrassment. (If I'd had more courage, I could have had a lot more fun during my stay; but never mind that now. It's all Waterloo under the bridge.)
I have seen only one or two male couples, and one or two female couples, which seems odd; but the straight guys have turned up in droves, singles, couples, and groups. I've often noticed over the years, during the Queen's famous walkabouts, that the spectators are mostly all women, children, and the elderly, with very few manly men to be seen. (Except among the royal guardsmen, of course, who are generally splendid examples of British manhood.) I had wondered in the back of my mind if showing up at royal occasions was not considered an effeminate thing over there. But these crowds pouring into Westminster Hall are chock-a-block with regular guys of all ages, kinds, and conditions, which says a lot about the British monarchy, and about this Monarch in particular.
And still they file in, hour after hour, all ages, sexes, races and religions, to express with their hands and bodies what they can hardly say with their tongues. It is all quite touching, these myriads of ordinary men, women, and children from all walks and ways of life - together with some notables who joined the queue, such as Mrs. May and her husband, and the sports star David Beckham, who steadfastly waited in line, alone with no entourage, an appalling 13 hours - demonstrating not merely their respect but also their love for the longest-reigning queen in all history. The quiet, patient, dutiful, humble service of this Queen across threescore years and ten has struck a resounding chord with billions of hearts all around the world, who now know what it is they have lost, and mourn.
Some members of Parliament in their tributes last weekend suggested various epithets for Her late Majesty: Elizabeth the Great, Elizabeth the Good, Elizabeth the Faithful, and so on. All of those have merit; but in my view, it would be most fitting if Elizabeth II went down in history as simply the Queen of Hearts.
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Russ Recommends: For most of my life it was quite rare to see the Queen on television except when there was a royal wedding or something. But since the YouTube era began, many, many films and videos about the Queen and the royal family have been available. Not all of them are worth watching; some made in recent years are simply exploitation flicks, little more than clickbait, full of errors, lies, and sensational gossip. Nasty stuff designed to turn a quick buck.
But if you are unfamiliar with the Queen's life and reign - and wonder why she is so beloved by so many - here are three very well made documentaries I recommend highly. (If you search around, you might find copies with even better video and sound qualities; these are what's available on YouTube.)
1. Elizabeth R, 1992
Thirty years ago, the Queen allowed BBC cameras to record a full year of her life and work, from the fall of 1990 to the end of summer, 1991. The Queen was about 64 then, a youthful, energetic grandmother, and an experienced monarch at the top of her game. Most educational and enjoyable, with a lovely soundtrack to accompany a wide variety of public and private moments, and some voice-overs by Her Majesty herself. Simply the best film about the Queen ever made.
2. Windsor Castle: A Royal Year - The Banquet (Part 1 of 3), 1992
In 2005, the BBC again filmed a year in the Queen's life, this time centering on events in and around Windsor Castle, culminating in a state banquet for the President of France, the after-dinner entertainment being a command performance by the London cast of Les Miserables, of all things. Which just goes to show what a great sense of humour the Queen had.
3. The Queen: A Life in Film - Duty and Destiny (Part 1 of 9), 2008
This first episode summarizes the Queen's life from birth to coronation. It features interviews with a number of courtiers, relatives, and friends of the Queen, and apart from the sometimes catty comments of self-appointed "royal experts," is a very informative piece of journalism. All the other episodes are on YouTube as well, if you want to see them.
Watch the continuous live stream from Westminster Hall without commentary via Sky News here.
In accordance with royal tradition, on Wednesday afternoon the coffin of Her Majesty the Queen, with the Imperial State Crown glittering on top, was brought from Buckingham Palace on a Royal Navy gun carriage to lie in state at Westminster Hall, erected by order of her ancestor, King William II, nearly a thousand years ago.
The Queen was accompanied in the procession by a scarlet-coated guard of honor, followed on foot by the King, his brothers, sons, and other male relatives. The Princess Royal walked next to her brother the King. The rest of the royal ladies, including the Queen Consort and the Princess of Wales, were brought to the Hall by limousines via a different route.
After a short service of prayers by the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Dean of Westminster Abbey (directly across the street from the Hall), and a couple of musical offerings by the Choir of the Chapel Royal, a guard of honor took up positions around the casket, beginning the first of many vigil shifts that will go on continuously until Monday morning, the day of her state funeral.
The Royal Family having departed, the doors were opened to a miles-long queue of what used to be called Her Majesty's loyal subjects (a taboo word now) and others from the Commonwealth and around the world. Hundreds of thousands are expected to pay their respects in the next several days.
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is discord, harmony; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. Grant that I may seek not so much to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.
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We cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love.
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My Story
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Churches say that the expression of love in a heterosexual monogamous relationship includes the physical, the touching, embracing, kissing, the genital act - the totality of our love makes each of us grow to become increasingly godlike and compassionate. If this is so for the heterosexual, what earthly reason have we to say that it is not the case with the homosexual?
It is a perversion if you say to me that a person chooses to be homosexual. You must be crazy to choose a way of life that exposes you to a kind of hatred. It's like saying you choose to be black in a race-infected society.
If God, as they say, is homophobic, I wouldn't worship that God.
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