‘Passing of the Queen has acted as force for harmony’

A MID OUR sorrow, there is pride. Since the death of the late Queen, the period of mourning has become one of the most remarkable chapters in our island story.

- Leo McKinstry

The nation’s determination to honour Her Majesty for the greatness of her long reign resulted in an inspirational narrative of spectacle and sacrament, accompanied by astonishing crowds of people who want to pay their respects. That feeling was captured by one mourner who said of the Queen, “She was the best, and she brought out the best in us.”

The juxtaposition of splendid pageantry and public homage is at its most striking in the scenes at Westminster Hall, where the Queen has been lying-in-state since Wednesday. She had been brought there from Buckingham Palace in another unforgettable, solemn procession, led by the King’s Troop of the Royal Horse Artillery pulling the gun carriage that carried her coffin, followed by members of her family.

Until the State Funeral tomorrow morning, her coffin will rest on the catafalque in the centre of this ancient space, the largest medieval hall in Europe, whose very walls and vast timber ceiling resonate with history.

Other elements add to the grandeur of the setting, including the magnificence of the coffin, draped with the Royal Standard and mounted with golden Orb and Sceptre, as well as the glittering Imperial State Crown, containing more than 3,000 gems.

Equally impressive are the soldiers who guard the coffin, standing as motionless as statues, all of them resplendent in their venerable ceremonial uniforms.

Swords, pikes, breastplates and helmets glint in the light of the candles that surround the coffin.

The atmosphere of stillness is enhanced by the near silence, only broken by the muffled footsteps of the stream of awestruck well-wishers or the metallic tap of a rod against the stone floor by an officer to signal a change in the guard at the bier.