Queen’s funeral: ‘An honour to be part of historic occasion to say final farewell to longest reigning monarch in British history’

It was a day I will never forget. A day I had the chance, with thousands of other people across London, to say a final farewell to our Queen – the longest reigning monarch in British history.

A trip to the capital, to be part of an historic occasion, was an opportunity not to be missed, no matter how busy the streets were and how packed the trains got.

I arrived into London Victoria station at 9am. Although many businesses had closed for the day, there were still plenty of places to grab a drink and a bite to eat.

The Royal hearse was driven through Hyde Park during the Queen’s funeral procession (Photo: Jade Mortlock)

Up until this point, I had been surprised by how few people there were, having expected the train and station to be jam-packed.

Crowds did soon appear when I walked towards Westminster Abbey, though. A number of roads were closed to pedestrians, as police and security teams guided people around.

However, after walking in a full circle, it became apparent that the grounds had reached full capacity and we were advised to head towards Hyde Park.

Along with thousands of others (at least 215,000 people watched the Queen’s funeral in central London’s ceremonial viewing areas), I walked to Hyde Park, where big screens had been set up for people to watch the funeral. On the way, I could see some streets filled with emergency services vehicles. There were police officers, including dog units, everywhere.

The Royal Horse Artillery in Hyde Park, ahead of the funeral procession

It was at least half an hour until I reached an entrance that people were allowed to enter but I was pleasantly surprised to end up on the route that the funeral procession would take, right at the front of the barriers.

Opposite me, food stalls, including a barbecue, were being set up on the green, but, from where I was, there was no sign of a big screen.

However, the audio of the funeral was played through speakers, whilst I, and many others, watched along via the BBC iPlayer app on my phone.

The walk to Hyde Park

Slowly, more and more people started to arrive.

One friendly family I spoke to had travelled from Nottingham and were spending the whole weekend in London. Our eventual three hour wait for the Royal hearse to drive past would have been nothing compared to the 14 hours this family had waited to see the Queen lying in State a day earlier.

The funeral service was just starting when I took up my place in Hyde Park and there was a sense of quiet reflection, as well as anticipation, all round. It was an event that brought the country to a standstill, as people came together to witness Queen Elizabeth II’s final journey.

The first sign of action was at 11.30am when a convoy of police motorbikes rode through, followed by the Royal Horse Artillery.

There were dozens of emergency service vehicles dotted around London on the day of the Queen’s funeral

The two minute’s silence was observed impeccably and that was a truly emotional moment as the capital came to a halt to remember our late Queen.

Following the State Funeral service, the procession through London commenced. Her Majesty’s coffin traveled in procession from Westminster Abbey to Wellington Arch (Hyde Park Corner).

It was a cloudy, overcast day but it was very fitting that the sun came out in Hyde Park moments before the Royal hearse was driven through, nearly two hours later.

We had a small glimpse of the beautifully decorated coffin, with some people throwing flowers on the Royal Claret hearse as it went.

It was a very surreal moment and one I am honoured to say I was there for.

It has been reported that 4.1 billion people watched the Queen’s funeral, making it one of the most viewed broadcasts in television history. To be a part of that feels very special, indeed.

In Hyde Park, there was a sense of quiet reflection, as well as anticipation, all round.

I’d also just like to give a shout-out to the police and security teams, who did an impeccable job in keeping everyone safe as they came to pay their respects.

Rest in peace, Your Majesty.

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Police officers cleared pedestrians away from the road outside Knightsbridge underground station as cars carrying dignitaries drove past

https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/news/people/queens-funeral-an-honour-to-be-part-of-historic-occasion-to-say-final-farewell-to-longest-reigning-monarch-in-british-history-3849705