The funeral of Elizabeth II was rehearsed for three years
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Therefore, the action resembled a mechanical puppet theater
Once upon a time, Princess Lilibet played Christmas performances in front of members of the royal family and a narrow circle of guests. Eighty years later, billions of people around the world watched the state funeral of Elizabeth II, and tens of thousands more took part in them directly. The Queen herself approved the script, in which she played the main role on September 19. She left the stage under the blows of Big Ben, the creaking of the boots of her faithful guardsmen, the prayers of her subjects and the cries of “Long live the king!”.
The British are known for their devotion to tradition, and funerals are no exception. Each new British monarch, assuming the throne, received not only a crown, scepter, family heirlooms, but also weighty tomes, what should be done in case of death – sudden or expected (for example, due to a long illness). From these folios, elements migrated to the ceremonial of the state funeral of Elizabeth II, which made them look like a colorful historical performance: beefeaters, heralds, guardsmen, bodyguards and stables of Her Majesty walked behind the coffin as if descended from medieval canvases. The only thing they have in common with modernity is the letters EIIR embroidered on clothes. But this abbreviation has already become part of history since September 19.
They say that Elizabeth personally approved the script for her own funeral: she wanted the ceremony to be not too long and boring. The coffin for her was ready 30 years ago. The gun carriage, first used at farewell to Queen Victoria, stood ready in a special hangar in Portsmouth. And for the last two or three years, regular rehearsals have taken place in the royal estates and in London. It is difficult to say how Elizabeth felt about this memento mori in her heart, but all the participants learned their roles thoroughly – to the letter, to the gesture. Sometimes the ceremony did not even resemble a game on the stage, where there is always a place for improvisation, but a mechanical puppet theater, in which the figures move in a given rhythm and along the only possible trajectory.
And yet there were a lot of people at this funeral! From the very beginning, both viewers watching the procession on TV and British commentators wondered what kind of piece of paper was sticking out of the bouquet attached to the queen’s coffin. Something was obviously written on it, and during the church service, the cameras finally managed to “see” that this was the last note from the mother from her son. “I love and remember,” it said.
As it turned out, Karl, together with Camilla, personally collected a farewell bouquet: along with roses and dahlias, they included sprigs of rosemary, English oak and a myrtle tree that grew out of the myrtle that was part of Elizabeth’s wedding bouquet. It was one of the many symbols with which the funeral ceremony was saturated. The Queen’s coffin was carried out of the Westminster Reception Hall, which personifies the British monarchy, carried past Parliament, which stands guard over British democracy, and brought to the heart of the Anglican Church, which was also headed by Elizabeth – Westminster Abbey.
Many Britons were surprised to see Prince William’s older children in the cathedral. It was clearly not easy for 9-year-old Prince George and 7-year-old Charlotte to endure a rather long church ceremony by the standards of primary school age. But Elizabeth, who considered one of the main advantages of members of the royal family to be able to “keep a face”, could be proud of her great-grandchildren: not one of them not only made a peep, but did not even move. The only entertainment for the children was the program with prayers: Prince George leafed through it, probably a dozen times, and Princess Charlotte, when it became completely unbearable, began to look at the colorful coat of arms on the cover. It is worth noting that the Queen’s relatives on this day of mourning were a little easier than men: their faces were at least partly hidden by dark veils, while the emotions of Charles, William and Harry were watched by 2 thousand guests and another 4 billion TV viewers around the world.
In addition to members of the royal family, representatives of the monarchical houses of Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa, heads of state and British politicians attended the farewell ceremony at Westminster Abbey. European countries, by unspoken rule, were represented by presidents (this explains, in particular, why Macron came to London, but Scholz did not). And in Japan, it almost came to a quarrel: both Emperor Naruhito and his wife, and Prime Minister Kishida, wanted to go to the funeral. As a result, the head of the Cabinet had to yield to the monarch. After all, only two representatives from each country could attend. There was a scandal with the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, which in the end could cost the UK dearly: his invitation (due to suspicions of the murder of Jamal Khashoggi) was withdrawn when Mohammed bin Salman had already arrived in London. And the President of Armenia disgraced himself. According to the tradition that has developed in the vastness of the CIS, Vahagn Khachaturian decided to capture himself against the background of the deceased, which his assistant did. As emphasized by the British media, this was the only case in 10 days of farewell to Elizabeth.
In addition to politicians, the queen’s favorite servants and friends attended the ceremony, in particular, a man in a cowboy hat: he once trained Elizabeth’s horses, and eventually turned into her bosom companion.
As for the royal corgis, they are believed to have been able to say goodbye to their owner at a private ceremony held in Windsor on Monday evening.
Read about all the details of the funeral of Elizabeth II in our online broadcasts.
Newspaper headline:
God accept the queen
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