Good bye Queen Elizabeth

Queen Elizabeth II, who died on Thursday, September 8 after 70 years on the throne, was to maintain the popularity of the monarchy across decades of political, social and cultural change that threatened the world order.

A dignified, dependable person who reigned longer than any other British monarch or any other monarch in any part of the world, Queen Elizabeth helped to conduct the British monarchy in the modern world, stripping away court ritual and making it somewhat more open and accessible, all in the glare of an increasingly anti-monarchical media.

While the nation she reigned over sometimes struggled to find its place in a new world order and her own family often fell foul of public expectations, the queen herself remained a symbol of stability. She also tried to transcend class barriers and earned the grudging respect of even hardened republicans.

“To much of the world she was the personification of Britain, yet she remained something of an enigma as an individual, never giving an interview and rarely expressing emotion or offering a personal opinion in public – a woman recognized by millions but known by hardly anyone”, says Reuters.

Queen Elizabeth’s coffin was lowered into a vault at Windsor Castle yesterday after a day of inimitable pageantry that drew world leaders to her funeral and huge crowds to the streets to say farewell to a revered monarch.

Hundreds of thousands of well-wishers lined the route her hearse took from London, throwing flowers, cheering and clapping as it passed from the city to the English countryside that she so loved much. Thousands were seen sobbing while the hearse carrying the Queen’s Coffin was passing by.

Many more had crammed into the capital to witness the procession and funeral, in a moving tribute to Britain’s longest-serving monarch who won global respect during 70 years on the throne.

Inside the majestic Westminster Abbey where the funeral was held, some 500 presidents, prime ministers, foreign royal family members and dignitaries, including Joe Biden of the United States, were among the 2,000 congregation.

At the attention switched to St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle, some 800 guests attended a committal service ahead of her burial.

It concluded with the crown, orb and sceptre – symbols of the monarch’s power and governance – being removed from the coffin and placed on the altar.

The Lord Chamberlain, the most senior official in the royal household, then broke his ‘Wand of Office’, signifying the end of his service to the sovereign, and placed it on the casket before it slowly descended into the royal vault.

As the congregation sang the national anthem, King Charles appeared to be fighting back tears.