There are those who would argue that the British monarchy is an irrelevant, anachronistic institution. Yet for seventy years Queen Elizabeth II has been a constant, a symbol of continuity throughout the tumultuous years of the second half of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st. She is the only monarch of the UK that I have known in my lifetime. She ascended to the throne in the year that I was born. That fact struck home when, toward the end of the funeral service at Westminster Abbey, they played their national anthem. For the first time in my life, I heard a live performance of "God Save the KING".
I woke up yesterday just a couple minutes before six in the morning. I immediately turned to PBS on the television just as the Queen's coffin was being borne into Westminster Abbey. I watched the funeral service, and while eating breakfast I watched the procession through the streets of London. I had errands to run, and chores to do, but I kept the television on and continued to frequently take a moment to pause and watch the hearse as it made its way to Windsor Castle, and the second service at St. George's Chapel.
Here are a couple of photos that I managed to take during the broadcast of the service in Westminster Abbey...
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