The day began early with the televised funeral for the late Queen. Again, the pageantry was fascinating to see. The gun carriage took the coffin from Westminster Hall -- where thousands had lined up to view her lying in state -- to Westminster Abbey. The music for the service was amazing. It must have sounded so wonderful in the acoustics of the abbey. This is the first time the funeral of a monarch has been held in Westminster Abbey since George II over 250 years ago -- another historical note for this sequence of events. The coffin then was transported by glassed hearse to Windsor. There, it traversed the Long Walk into the grounds of Windsor Castle and then into St. George's Chapel. Here wider family members and close friends attended the committal service, which was filled with much tradition. Parts that particularly struck me included the removal of the crown jewels from the top of the coffin. The state crown, orb and scepter were given to the keeper of the jewels, to be used at the future coronation of King Charles III and parliamentary speeches from the throne. A striking visual was the Lord Chamberlain breaking his stick and leaving it on top of the coffin. This symbolized that his duty to the monarch was now completed. The committal occurs when the floor opens up and the coffin is lowered into the Royal Vault -- very moving. The coffin along with that of Prince Philip will be moved later to lie in the George VI Chapel at Windsor. So, the official 10 day mourning period has concluded. The family have further eight day mourning period, which makes sense since there was a lot of official and public working time needed over the past days.
A musical selection from the end of the committal service is shared here. The lone piper walking away is a moving tribute. The music gets fainter as he departs. This clip includes the national anthem before the piper. Keep safe. Enjoy!
Sleep, Dearie, Sleep -- The Sovereign's Piper of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, Warrent Officer Class 1 (Pipe Major), Paul Burns
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