The Queen’s funeral earlier today was unlike anything any of us have – or likely will – see again in our lifetime. The nation came together to grieve for and commemorate the late Queen Elizabeth II, our longest serving monarch.
Despite the protocol surrounding this and other State Funerals, standing in the press area just tens of metres away from Westminster Abbey there were unexpected and emotional moments.
Here’s what you didn’t see on screen...
Everything was meticulously planned
We know operation ‘London Bridge’ or ‘Unicorn’ were the code names for the course of action for the ten days following the Queen’s death. But the 24 hours before and of the funeral are meticulously planned. Everyone from the beefeaters to the policemen to one of the 98 sailors behind the coffin know their positions and have done for months.
Everywhere you looked there was a member of the police or armed forces – with armed officers even hidden on the dome of Westminster Hall behind and opposite us on the roof of The Sanctuary building. A member of the Cabinet Office told me there had been monthly meetings about this day for years.
The bells chimed for 96 minutes before the funeral
As is tradition, the bells of Westminster Abbey rang out once a minute for the number of years the monarch had lived, meaning the bell tolled 96 times in the hour and half or so before the funeral. Having arrived at 8am, I listened to each one. In the middle of the franticness and business of the rest of London, the area in front of Westminster Abbey was totally serene. The time absolutely flew by in the build-up, but at the same time you noticed every single chime.
It was loud, but quiet
The music before and during the procession of the Queen’s coffin - the trumpet fanfare, bagpipes, drums and chanting - were much louder than I expected. You could hear them coming for a good five minutes before they were in front of you. It was hectic and overwhelming, but also peaceful. Despite the volume, the marching and the movement, everyone in the vicinity was completely still and there was an eeriness.
There were 2,000 guests, but it seemed far less
Over almost two hours, around 2,000 guests arrived – the full capacity of Westminster Abbey – but in dribs and drabs it seemed far less. Many came in on large minibuses to stifle the traffic in London. Every living prime minister who had served under the Queen was in attendance – as were others of world’s most prominent leaders, including Joe Biden, Emmanuel Macron and Jacinda Ahern. While there’ll no doubt have been tension between some of the politicians, today they interacted politely with each other outside the Abbey, putting tension aside to commemorate the Queen. Famous faces such as Bear Grylls and actresses Sandra Oh and Sophie Winkleman were also in attendance.
Emotions were running high
As the coffin arrived, followed by King Charles, Prince William, Prince Harry, Prince Andrew, Prince Edward and Princess Anne, those around me were either teary-eyed or weeping - from the security guards to the cameramen. It felt like this was the moment the last ten days had been building up to and that now was the time everyone’s emotions spilled over, and it felt like the last goodbye. The grief on the faces of the royal family as they entered and left the Abbey was clear. We all stayed still and silent for a good few minutes even after the last beefeater was out of sight.
I overheard an elderly lady who had been inside the Abbey as an attendee of the funeral say the service was totally bittersweet. She said: “It was moving, it was emotional, it was powerful, it was extraordinary. But it was desperately sad. I don’t want to go to another funeral of a monarch in my lifetime and I can’t imagine I will. But I feel so privileged to have been there.”