Her Majesty's funeral
 

Today showed our Armed Forces at their absolute best and everyone involved should be very proud of their performance and contribution.

I would like to particularly praise the Bearer Party - they had such a huge responsibility and were under such close scrutiny for so much of the proceedings - very well done indeed gents.

Hugely impressive farewell to our late Queen. Think we should be very proud of our Nation for getting through this difficult and emotional time with such dignity.

100% excellent, and BZ to the Bearer Party and the RN on the Gun Carriage. A fantastic farewell to a fantastic Monarch.

But, oh, what a physical ordeal that must have been for most of those those taking part … especially those not in the first flush of youth. Perhaps a little bit over-ambitious?

More praise for the Bearer Party, I thought the Navy on the gun carriage were impressive and I may be biased being Scottish, but the massed band leaving Wellington Barracks were incredible and what the folk in the church must have been thinking as they heard that approaching. We may have problems in this country, but we know how to do ceremony. Well done all the Military Personnel involved.

Bearer Party. Was the officer sporting a pip or a crown? If the former, what a responsibility! What a great job those lads did- over and over.

CG

They did themselves proud, they did their families proud, they did their Regiment proud, they did their country proud and most important they did their Queen proud. One would hope their company commander will stand them a few well deserved beers tonight.

Praise to all Service personnel, as usual and expected you were excellent!

Agree, the bearer party was truly outstanding amongst many other superb contributions to this wonderful ,albeit sad, event.
I do hope they will be recognized by more than a few beers !
The Elizabeth medal perhaps ?

What makes me so thoroughly, utterly proud is these guys are't heroes, they're nothing at all special.
They're just our normal Servicemen doing their normal jobs.
Or rather doing jobs they never imagined they'd be called upon to do until last week, yet they did it immaculately nonetheless.

That's Britain's Armed Forces for you!
Thank God we continue to have people like this!

BZ, the lot of them, and again! Bravo Zulu.

God Save the King.

Proud
 

Watched it on the BBC app here in Tokyo while on a layover.
The whole ceremony showed the world Britain at its best. The weight of history and continuity was truly remarkable. For all the service personnel involved, you did us proud and you are a credit to the nation. It was a moment in history that none of us will ever forget.

BBC are saying that 5.1 billion people watched it, some 63% of the worlds population, and it is the now the largest single event watched/streamed in history.

Can’t agree more with the foregoing comments. And given that the bearer party were apparently not that long returned from Iraq, an incredible effort.
No pressure on the Queens’ Piper to get that final lament right. Outstanding, for a relatively young Pipe Major.

A belated Amen to everyone who has rightly offered special praise for the Queen's Company Grenadier Guards bearers. I lost count of the number of times they bore the coffin from gun carriage to cafalque and vice versa, and finally up the precipitous steps of St Georges Chapel. All done perfectly. Bravo gentlemen. It seems almost invidious though to pick out any one particular unit in a spectacle that was both complex, demanding, and a fitting tribute to a Commander in Chief and Monarch. So, to everyone involved in whatever role, BZs to you all! Well done!

A query, that I am certain will be answered with authority by our knowledgeable experts, about the Abbey receiving line. There were two ladies dressed in WWII type Khaki uniforms saluting arriving heads of state and government at the door. Would I be right in supposing them to be members of the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry? If so, I have seen them in the Remembrance Day Cenotaph march past, presumably in tribute to the very brave women agents of the WWII SOE who were enlisted into their organisation to provide some cover should they be captured after being dropped into enemy territory. I see from their web page they are on the Army list but not part of the Army (a very British fudge!) :-

https://www.fany.org.uk/about-us

They always seemed to march past as the massed bands played the march The Liberators. Coincidence or not, it seemed most appropriate.

An outstanding effort by all the Services involved. :ok:

A moving and immaculately performed ceremony. That final march to Windsor Great Park and up the Long Walk to the Castle looked like hard work!

Pip! Pip! :ok:

Jack

The unsung heroes, our intelligence and security services should also be given due credit for what must have been an intricate and complex operation.

Had the honour of being present today and thought all colours of all arms of our King’s forces did our former Commander-in-Chief the greatest of services.

Quite simply "OUTSTANDING" Guys & Girls

Simply wonderful, I think there was so much training and work done by every single person from the lowest/youngest to the very very top, as was already said that
climb upto the castle at Winsor looked to be a real energy sapper and done without a drink

Agree with all of the above. Huge credit to all those taking part but especially the bearer party. A fitting and dignified send off for Her Majesty.

Stunned. Never in my 85 years have I been so impressed, inspired and proud to be British.

If I am exhausted by watching, what must be the feeling of the participants, from King Charles to the unsung security forces who delivered an incident free day which will echo down the years.

My most sincere thanks to all.

As a Colonist - but confirmed Anglophile - I must say that the proceedings were magnificent and without parallel. As the Queen's casket was being lowered into its resting place, I wept the good, honest, healing tears of genuine bereavement. We shall not see her like again.

- Ed

That impressive young man is a 2nd Lt in the Queens Company, 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards. He has a single "pip" correctly known as a Bath Star. He is commanding the 8 NCO's, ranging from Sergeant to Guardsman (Private). As important as his role is, he is being ably guided and supported by the backbone of the British Army, the Company Sergeant-Major (Warrant Officer Class 2). The entire funeral over the last few days has been probably one of the best "Purple" displays of collaboration, professionalism and precision you will see in a lifetime.

The old quote about "Policemen looking younger these days" could equally apply to this fine officer.

Bearer party
 

Those soldiers, other ranks and officer, deserve every beer and accolade they recieve for the magnificent duty they performed today, a phenomenal performance that the world should be in awe of

Gents if I ever meet one of you the drinks are on me, you must be phenomenonaly proud of the service you did to 'the boss', bless you

DM



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Indeed Dave. Was absolutely fantastic, even from this side of the world.

Bowed heads.
Military standards that should otherwise be held high, laid flat on the ground in respect.
Reversed arms.
Muffled drums.
So many symbols of solemnity - it was moving to watch.

It was truly magnificent.
I can't imagine any other nation pulling it off with such dignity and aplomb, coupled with a complete absence of flummery, glitz or glamour.
Well done to the UK, in particular the various armed forces.

And yet despite all the pomp and splendour, it was the Queen’s horse and the two grooms curtseying on the way up to Windsor that set me off.

I would not disagree with a single word that has been written above but I also think that the display in Edinburgh was equally impressive. The QCS bearer party were immaculate and didn't put a foot wrong.

Concur all of the above but, not wishing to detract from the accolades being directed at the Bearer Party whatsoever, here's to the Matelots, Squaddies and Erks that we all know were scurrying around behind the scenes, fetching, carrying and doing their superiors' bidding, out of sight and TV coverage but equally responsible for a magnificent display of pageantry. Have some time off; - there did you enjoy it? Well done all doesn't cover the half of it.

All the above and more - as a Canadian, well done to the RCMP (and their horses) as well.

WEARING UNIFORM



Prince Andrew -with his obnoxious character and dubious lifestyle -and Prince Harry- role model,hero , Invictus inspiration but who has let down his many supporters with his defection to California - are both top of the royal unpopularity stakes.



BUT



They have both put their lives on the the line on active war service - Prince Andrew in the Falklands flying choppers ,distinctly hairy - and Prince Harry flying the amazing Apache in Afghanistan.



Not allowing them to wear their uniforms during most of the funeral occasions , whilst many others ,wha had never seen meaningful active service , were marching in uniform with a chestful of medals , left a bad taste in my mouth !



I think Royal Protocol erred in this case!

well the whole thing was difficult to watch due to a moist eye or two. A wonderful boss !

Agreed. A PR round in the foot.

CG

Everyone did a splendid job.

The King looked utterly bereft at Windsor. I wonder if he'd rather have had the option of "funeral private, no flowers please, donations to charity".

Of the THREE bearer parties, the first had next to no time to prepare. It is reported that one of the lads was only a month out of basic training. And what an honour for the young Fijian soldier. He will be lauded in his homeland 'til his dying day. Unless he marries an American actress.

But didn't the Scottish actress do well in Edinburgh? (Watch "Rob Roy") When you're singing alone there's no room for error. And the Queen's piper too.

Mahogany Bob. Fully agree. There is a time to set differences and protocol aside.

Possible Walt?
Did anyone see the bearded guy on the BBC coverage with a sand coloured beret adorned with an RAF other ranks SD cap badge?

Apart from that, I thought the BBC coverage was excellent, Huw Edwards was on top of his game, and Kirsty Young excelled I thought, and the emotion was clear to see as she signed off last night.

Her Majesty made the decisions about Andrew and Harry so why question her on that score? Her funeral = her rules.

Poor 'life choices' by both took them out of the 'working royals' group so it is quite proper they were not uniformed for the events.

Could not agree more and don't forget Harry's book has yet to see the light of day. Add to that the rumour that Megan was using a hidden microphone during a walkabout. IMHO if you shake hands with that women you need to "count your fingers afterwards"