RIP HM Queen Elizabeth II

[AlterEgo]

There were overnight rehearsals in London just this week, and initial training for the Navy was done near where I live at HMS Collingwood. But I‘m reasonably sure the gun carriage routines are not practiced before the need arises. They’d never know which personnel would be available at some future time.

There were probably plenty of small micro rehearsals too. Clergy figuring out where and when to stand, the Dean practicing removing the instruments of state (there seemed to be a knack with getting the orb off!), pallbearers navigating steps with a weighted coffin, etc.

 

[Mojo]

There were probably plenty of small micro rehearsals too. Clergy figuring out where and when to stand, the Dean practicing removing the instruments of state (there seemed to be a knack with getting the orb off!), pallbearers navigating steps with a weighted coffin, etc.

There were some quite big rehearsals on Monday night too, even to the point of removing the traffic lights like how they were removed for the real thing, and then putting them back afterward!

 

[adc82140]

There were some quite big rehearsals on Monday night too, even to the point of removing the traffic lights like how they were removed for the real thing, and then putting them back afterward!

I think the traffic lights on Whitehall and Parliament Square are designed for easy removal and replacement, for the Remembrance ceremony in November and the State Opening of Parliament respectively.

 

[Mojo]

I think the traffic lights on Whitehall and Parliament Square are designed for easy removal and replacement, for the Remembrance ceremony in November and the State Opening of Parliament respectively.

Yes they are, hence the rather unusual design of traffic islands on which they sit which are either flush with the road surface or able to be unbolted from the road. Same as the ones outside Buckingham Palace.

 

[brad465]

Wonder if it was shown in The Russian Federation and North Korea ?

Don't know, but would be surprised if North Korea showed it, but they have a relatively small population anyway. Russia may well have done, particularly as at the moment it would be a good airwaves' occupier while things don't go well for them in Ukraine.

 

[westv]

Did anybody else think that Kirsty Young speaking at the very end of the BBC coverage seemed close to tears.

 

[AlterEgo]

Did anybody else think that Kirsty Young speaking at the very end of the BBC coverage seemed close to tears.

Yes she did. But she just about held it together.

 

[brad465]

"The Queue" first had its own weather forecast, now it also has its own Wikipedia page (rather than incorporating it into a page about the lying in state/mourning period generally):

 

[BrianW]

"The Queue" first had its own weather forecast, now it also has its own Wikipedia page (rather than incorporating it into a page about the lying in state/mourning period generally):

Although wiki-anythings are 'user-generated' they are moderated so so much more reliable than that QAnon nonsense. While 'The Queue' may pass into history or oblivion, I hope we will be able to move to a situation of believing real reality, like Kirsty Young's emotions.

Did anybody else think that Kirsty Young speaking at the very end of the BBC coverage seemed close to tears.

Excellent BBC coverage which I hope will also help overcome that notion of BBC 'wokeness'- a grand job done, as we would expect.

Great to see in these pages so much recognition that people do their best.

One thing I'm wondering - was the the Archbishop of Canterbury or the Archbishop of York whho dropped his readings card on the floor behind the altar right at the start of the service? That was just the sort of minor "something going wrong" at a formal occasion which the Queen always enjoyed throughout her lifetime...

Canterbury I think- he was also nervous and emotional (not in the George Brown sense!), which was also good to see and hear I felt.

Three cheers all round. Hip, hip ...

Tough calls for the politicos again now- storm after the lull. Why do they do it? At least we have a government we can disagree with without storming a building.

 

[AlterEgo]

Tough calls for the politicos again now- storm after the lull. Why do they do it? At least we have a government we can disagree with without storming a building.

There is a huge amount to be said for the peaceful and uncontroversial change of head of state our monarchy gives us. The Queen is dead; long live the King.

It is, on the face of it, silly (I enjoyed explaining some of the very weird traditions to some overseas friends). But I do challenge anyone who thinks constitutional monarchy is tyranny to watch HM’s funeral, see her instruments of state ceremoniously confiscated, and the service end with God Save The King. The same King, who, the day after his mother died and he inherited the throne, had to stand in a room, and swear, under political pressure, to uphold our principles of constitutional government. The King is the King because Parliament allows it.

 

[WesternLancer]

Canterbury I think- he was also nervous and emotional (not in the George Brown sense!),

Wasn't George Brown 'tired and emotional' rather than nervous?

 

[Bungle73]

Did anybody else think that Kirsty Young speaking at the very end of the BBC coverage seemed close to tears.

Indeed. She wasn't the only person who struggled to hold it together..

Guests who attended the Queen's funeral have described an "emotional" service at Westminster Abbey, with some attendees "struggling to hold it together" at the ceremony.

Afghanistan veteran Major Peter Norton said quite a few people in the service "lost it" when the Last Post was sounded at the end of the proceedings.

"The atmosphere inside was both electric, sombre and highly emotional," the 59-year-old told ITV News.

"Particularly when Her Majesty's coffin was carried in, I could see quite a few people around us struggling to hold it together and quite a few who lost it when the last post was sounded."

Mary Marc-Peterken, the High Commissioner's Secretary, said tears "rolled down my cheeks for quite a few minutes" when the Queen's coffin was brought into the service......

Queen's funeral guests tell of 'electric and highly emotional' atmosphere | ITV News

Afghanistan veteran Major Peter Norton said quite a few people in the Hall 'lost it' when the Last Post was sounded at the end of the proceedings. | ITV News London

www.itv.com

 

[westv]

No surprise I guess. Didn't someone say it was like everybody's second (or third!) gran had just died.

 

[BrianW]

Wasn't George Brown 'tired and emotional' rather than nervous?

You're right re GB; I guess I was discounting the possibility of the ABC being afflicted in that way - https://premierchristian.news/en/news/article/archbishop-justin-welby-i-worry-about-alcoholism

 

[WesternLancer]

You're right re GB; I guess I was discounting the possibility of the ABC being afflicted in that way - https://premierchristian.news/en/news/article/archbishop-justin-welby-i-worry-about-alcoholism

Well, a reasonable assumption on your part I would have thought!

 

[DelayRepay]

The King is the King because Parliament allows it.

And Parliament allows it because the people allow it.

If ever there was a genuine mood amongst the population to change things, politicians would organise a referendum, just like they did about our EU membership, and Scotland's place in the United Kingdom. I think is that most people, even those who don't really care for the Royal Family, are happy enough with the current arrangements. Maybe that will change in future and, like some of the Commonwealth nations, we will decide we no longer wish to have a King or Queen. I cannot see that change happening in my lifetime though.

One of the positives about the BBC's coverage is that they have acknowledged that not everyone supports the Royal Family - many of the reports I've seen from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have mentioned protests taking place.

 

[brad465]

Live viewing figures for the State Funeral peaked at 25 million (not including catch-up/streaming/big screen viewers):

The Queen's funeral watched by 28 million viewers in UK

The audience peaked during the procession after her coffin had been carried out of Westminster Abbey.

www.bbc.co.uk

The Queen's funeral on Monday was watched by more than 25 million viewers in the UK, making it one of the country's biggest ever TV events.
More than 50 UK channels broadcast the service, as the nation paused to pay a final farewell to Queen Elizabeth II.
The audience across the three main channels - BBC One, BBC Two and ITV - peaked at 25.3 million at 12:25 BST.
That was during the procession after her coffin had been carried out of the Westminster Abbey funeral service.
The overnight figures from ratings body Barb do not include all viewers watching through streaming apps like BBC iPlayer and ITV Player, or those who saw it on big screens outdoors or in cinemas, churches or pubs.

In comparison, Princess Diana's funeral in 1997 had more than 32 million UK viewers.
A similar number are thought to have watched England's World Cup victory in 1966, although that occurred before the modern TV ratings system began.
Almost 27.7 million watched Boris Johnson's Prime Ministerial statement on 10 May 2020, when he set out a plan to ease the first Covid lockdown.
And the London 2012 Olympic opening and closing ceremonies each attracted almost 24.5 million viewers.

 

[James H]

Yes they are, hence the rather unusual design of traffic islands on which they sit which are either flush with the road surface or able to be unbolted from the road. Same as the ones outside Buckingham Palace.

When the junction at the north end of Blackfriars Bridge was redesigned for the cycleways, some of the infrastructure was designed to be removed once a year for the Lord Mayor's Show each November.

 

[birchesgreen]

At least we know what to do with the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square now.

No more of those questionable "..art installations...".

A statue of Queen Elizabeth II should be installed there permanently.

I think a public subscription would cover a larger proportion, if not all, of the cost.

To be honest i wouldn't be surprised if quietly that has been the plan for years, obviously not the best of taste to make it public while she is still around!

 

[MotCO]

Live viewing figures for the State Funeral peaked at 25 million (not including catch-up/streaming/big screen viewers):

The Queen's funeral watched by 28 million viewers in UK

The audience peaked during the procession after her coffin had been carried out of Westminster Abbey.

www.bbc.co.uk

But when you add in Sky and GBNews, it surely must be nudging 30m.

There are a number of things I found interesting over the last week or so. Firstly, learning about how power transfers from one monarch to another, through the Proclamation to the removal of the trappings of office from the late Queen. The attention to detail and years of tradition was there for all to see. Secondly, I was staggered at the worldwide interest and the sheer number of foreign Heads of State One assembled in one place - not just Foreign Secretaries or minor officials, but the actual Head of States. I think it was the largest number of Heads of State ever assembled, and I doubt if we will see this ever again anywhere in the world. Lastly, the sheer pomp and ceremony of the funeral yesterday - I knew we did royal processions well, but this was off the scale. The slow marching, the length of the route, the music, the pall bearers - everything was done so very well. I was also amused by the contrast between London being all built up, and the start of the procession in Windsor starting in a country lane.

 

[Bungle73]

No surprise I guess. Didn't someone say it was like everybody's second (or third!) gran had just died.

Yes it was a bit like that. Not sure who said it.

 

[Busaholic]

But when you add in Sky and GBNews, it surely must be nudging 30m.

There are a number of things I found interesting over the last week or so. Firstly, learning about how power transfers from one monarch to another, through the Proclamation to the removal of the trappings of office from the late Queen. The attention to detail and years of tradition was there for all to see. Secondly, I was staggered at the worldwide interest and the sheer number of foreign Heads of State One assembled in one place - not just Foreign Secretaries or minor officials, but the actual Head of States. I think it was the largest number of Heads of State ever assembled, and I doubt if we will see this ever again anywhere in the world. Lastly, the sheer pomp and ceremony of the funeral yesterday - I knew we did royal processions well, but this was off the scale. The slow marching, the length of the route, the music, the pall bearers - everything was done so very well. I was also amused by the contrast between London being all built up, and the start of the procession in Windsor starting in a country lane.

The bit I find sad is that when the will and the money is there such an occasion can be what it turned out to be, a splendid spectacle tinged at the very least by genuine grief and sadness, but one that will be remembered by all who participated and the tens of millions watching on television. The state here is always very keen to say it is useless at organising and running things, as an excuse to privatise everything in sight and flog it off to shady figures, but if it actually got to grips with trying to achieve high qualities of service with them run by itself, or offshoots, and without cutting budgets and corners on the way, perhaps everyday experiences for the majority of the population might improve to a position where they genuinely were 'world-beating'.

I can dream!

 

[birchesgreen]

But when you add in Sky and GBNews, it surely must be nudging 30m.

Yes GB News would have added about 23 to the viewing audience.

 

[Busaholic]

Yes GB News would have added about 23 to the viewing audience.

Plus their attack dogs!

 

[Arglwydd Golau]

. The state here is always very keen to say it is useless at organising and running things, as an excuse to privatise everything in sight and flog it off to shady figures, but if it actually got to grips with trying to achieve high qualities of service with them run by itself, or offshoots, and without cutting budgets and corners on the way, perhaps everyday experiences for the majority of the population might improve to a position where they genuinely were 'world-beating'.

I can dream!

A very good point (can't comment much as I didn't watch any of it).... surely it would have been the perfect opportunity for Serco or Crapita to show how much better the private sector could have done it!

 

[AlterEgo]

The bit I find sad is that when the will and the money is there such an occasion can be what it turned out to be, a splendid spectacle tinged at the very least by genuine grief and sadness, but one that will be remembered by all who participated and the tens of millions watching on television. The state here is always very keen to say it is useless at organising and running things, as an excuse to privatise everything in sight and flog it off to shady figures, but if it actually got to grips with trying to achieve high qualities of service with them run by itself, or offshoots, and without cutting budgets and corners on the way, perhaps everyday experiences for the majority of the population might improve to a position where they genuinely were 'world-beating'.

I can dream!

The funeral cost around £9m, which I thought was on the cheap side of things.

It isn’t just money which is the problem, it’s the sense of pride and professionalism. The Queen’s funeral was 21st century Britain’s marquee event, even ahead of the 2012 Olympics. She was held in such extremely high *global* esteem that literally every person involved busted a gut to make sure it went well.

We really can do things properly when everyone is watching us, but perhaps we lack the self respect to transfer it to the everyday, when nobody is watching.

 

[Gloster]

An alternative view (like Dave Spart) is that it might give the impression that Britain is a country living in the past. Elaborate ceremonial, old fashioned procedures, strange dress, etc. might make others think that we are living in a bygone era that the rest of the world has moved on from. It is not so much the nature of the events, but just how much there was. (N.b. Not having a TV I only saw stills.)

 

[najaB]

An alternative view (like Dave Spart) is that it might give the impression that Britain is a country living in the past. Elaborate ceremonial, old fashioned procedures, strange dress, etc. might make others think that we are living in a bygone era that the rest of the world has moved on from.

That is, rightly or wrongly, the reputation that the UK already enjoys with many around the world - that we have a lot of weird customs and old-world traditions. A lot of visitors are genuinely surprised that everything doesn't stop in the afternoon for tea and scones, etc.

 

[birchesgreen]

An alternative view (like Dave Spart) is that it might give the impression that Britain is a country living in the past. Elaborate ceremonial, old fashioned procedures, strange dress, etc. might make others think that we are living in a bygone era that the rest of the world has moved on from. It is not so much the nature of the events, but just how much there was. (N.b. Not having a TV I only saw stills.)

No one else in the world has ceremonies, old procedures and "strange dress" of course. Well apart from pretty much every country in the world.

 

[Busaholic]

The funeral cost around £9m, which I thought was on the cheap side of things.

It isn’t just money which is the problem, it’s the sense of pride and professionalism. The Queen’s funeral was 21st century Britain’s marquee event, even ahead of the 2012 Olympics. She was held in such extremely high *global* esteem that literally every person involved busted a gut to make sure it went well.

We really can do things properly when everyone is watching us, but perhaps we lack the self respect to transfer it to the everyday, when nobody is watching.

I doubt we will ever know the 'true' cost of the funeral. I don't know where that £9 million figure came from, but it's obviously assuming that every single public or royal servant and all the armed forces were
providing that service as part of their normal job. The cost of transporting and accommodating all the police officers alone must have cost several million. Neither does it include the loss of trade and income from all the normal activities that were suspended, not just on the day.

I don't disagree with your central tenet though, and, no, it's not just money.