Farewell to Her Majesty the Queen

DEBORAH CROMBIE: We spoke a little bit about the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at the time of her death (thank you, Rhys, for your lovely post.) But in the days since I've watched with awe the outpouring of grief and affection, both in the UK and around the world. For four days I livestreamed the Queue (capitalized because it became an entity in itself!), the line of those waiting to pay their respects to the Queen as she lay in state at Westminster Hall. For much of the time the queue stretched ten miles and at its longest the wait time was more than twenty-four hours!

Westminster Hall

What a spectacle! I found watching the people endlessly fascinating. There were all ages, races, and religions. People alone, families with children, even one woman with a little dog in her arms. When they reached the casket, some crossed themselves and genuflected, some bowed, some just nodded, some gave the queen a little farewell wave. My favorite was a lovely middle-aged lady who genuflected, then, as she turned away, gave the queen a little double thumbs up. I think Her Majesty would have liked that.

The Queue closed at last at 10:30 p.m. London time, so that everyone waiting could reach the end before the Lying in State ends at 6:30 a.m.

It's made me think about our need for ritual, for touchstones, and for a collective emotional response. That fact that it was her steadfastness, her dignity, and her kindness that have inspired such a response restores a bit of my faith in human nature.

I planned my second visit to England, in June of 1977, around the Queen's Silver Jubilee. I watched the procession from a balcony on the route (how I secured that spot I now have no idea!) Unfortunately, my camera malfunctioned, but the occasion  was a life marker, nonetheless. I'll be watching Her Majesty's final journey today.

What about you, dear Reds and readers? Who's getting up in the wee hours to watch the funeral and procession live?

JENN McKINLAY: I’ll be up to watch. It’s an extraordinary thing to witness the passing of such a long reigning monarch. Queen Elizabeth II witnessed so much change in her lifetime. To me she was the embodiment of the phrase “Keep Calm and Carry on.” There will never be another like her, that’s for sure. I always remember when the Hooligans, my mom, and I were in London in 2013, a charming tour guide told us all sorts of affectionate stories about the royal family and then he ended it with “I don’t know how you Americans sleep at night without the queen looking after you.” I realized he was only partially teasing and now, remembering that, I think it helps me understand how deeply the country is mourning the loss of their beloved queen. 

LUCY BURDETTE: I love that story Jenn! I admired the queen–what a job! What a life!--but have to admit, most of my royal knowledge comes from THE CROWN and THE AUDIENCE. We saw Helen Mirren in The Audience on Broadway some years ago. She played the queen interacting with each of her prime ministers in turn. She was onstage the entire time, with costume changes, aging etc in full view. It was astonishing! (You can stream it on TV now.) I won’t get up to watch the service live, but I will watch later!

HALLIE EPHRON: Like Lucy, I get my knowledge of British royalty via public and British TV. And we saw THE AUDIENCE live streamed in a movie theater.

I have wondered what is it about Charles that kept Queen Elizabeth’s behind firmly planted on the throne into her 90s, on beyond Covid… She certainly was the embodiment of grace under fire. Maybe a little royalty is what US politics needs right now? Restraint. Respect. Yes, that would be nice.

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: It would, wouldn’t it? I may not get up at 6am to catch it live, but I’ll definitely watch it. It’s a bit like being able to go back in history to 1901 and experience what it was like when Victoria - and a whole era of England and the Empire - passed away. It does make me wonder if Charles III will be another short-termed monarch like Victoria’s heir Edward VII. The latter had the second shortest reign of the past 300 years (if you don’t count the Duke of Windsor, who was acclaimed, but never crowned, and who scarpered off less than a year after he inherited the throne. BTW, while looking up that timeline I ran across this interesting titbit: 

“Government ministers were reluctant to send confidential documents and state papers to Fort Belvedere, because it was clear that Edward was paying little attention to them, and it was feared that Simpson and other house guests might read them, improperly or inadvertently revealing government secrets.” La plus ça change…  

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: Is it okay that I will probably not watch this live? I am curious about the music they'll choose—or that the Queen chose. And I am curious to see everyone, of course. But I think I will be fine watching it later.

RHYS BOWEN: We got the news of the queen’s death two hours after we arrived in England. We went to Buckingham Palace to see the flower tributes and so many people just standing in silence. Unfortunately I’m now in France so I will miss seeing most of the funeral as we board a ship around that time.   I am so touched how the whole world responded. I don’t think there has ever been a woman so universally admired!

At a more suitable hour, we should all raise a glass of Dubonnet and gin to Her Majesty the Queen!