![]() ![]() The service was “high church” so the clergy were in full regalia, and there were candles, incense, and choirs. There has not been a state funeral since 1965 (Winston Churchill). ![]() Much of the funeral service itself was familiar (especially to those from the Anglican or Roman Catholic traditions) it’s just that you see the Archbishop of Canterbury gave the sermon, princes and government ministers read passages from the Bible or gave personal recollections, and heads of state and VIPs were in the audience. The path was lined by Royal Marines and Royal Navy personnel, with the procession led by a combined, interservice Pipes & Drum corps of over 200 musicians. The queen’s coffin was placed on the gun carriage again but this time is pulled by Royal Navy sailors, not horses. It started with a short procession from Westminster Hall to Westminster Abbey. She was a working mother, with her children often at home while she was on business trips. She was a female head of state when the ideal for women was still to be a housewife and mother. ![]() She could have let Prince Philip do more (even let him be king consort) but did not. Certainly she was very traditional, and she did not embrace feminism in many ways yet her life was a model for many women. Her reign represents both tradition and change, and that can be seen in the debate over whether she was a feminist icon. So they may respect her as a person, but see in all the ceremony the empire that oppressed them. For us in the U.S., it’s been more than 200 years since we rebelled against “taxation without representation” but for many people elsewhere in the world, gaining independence is still in living memory and they will know of friends or relatives who suffered under colonial rule. But others cannot help but associate her with the British Empire and colonization, which took a huge toll in lives and wealth on many countries, such as Jamaica, India or Nigeria. In the U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand, many will see in her as a symbol of a shared Anglophone heritage, and as a dignified ruler. She also had a sense of humor, as when she had tea with Paddington Bear.įor the rest of the world, it truly varies. And we have seen much of the lives of her children and grandchildren. Every year on Christmas Day, she gave a televised address. Hers was the first televised coronation and will be the first televised funeral of a monarch. She also brought the monarchy into the public eye much more. In Britain, she will be remembered for her calm and dignity she was someone all Britons could look up to, and she could be a unifying figure. What will Queen Elizabeth II be remembered for? Here Larson shares insight on Queen Elizabeth II’s death and the future of the monarchy. She has kept the monarchy popular and kept it going despite scandals that there is still a British monarchy has much to do with her vision.” She tried to keep pace with all the many changes, opening Buckingham Palace to visitors and permitting royal family events to be televised. “She witnessed the beginning and end of the Cold War, which dominated the second half of the twentieth century. “She was a link to the past: the last head of state to have served in World War II, the last monarch to have known the British Empire as it was and the only monarch most Britons knew,” says Peter Larson, chair of UCF’s Department of History and an associate professor who specializes in early modern English history. While a much smaller number of people traveled to England for the service, Fyall suggests there will be a larger surge in visitors over the next six to twelve months.Īlthough there are different views on the British monarchy, especially within regions impacted by colonialism, Elizabeth II’s death is of international significance. Queen Elizabeth II’s state funeral took place today and is estimated to have been broadcasted to 4.1 billion viewers. Britain will be changed forever for many, myself included.” Her loss is unexpectedly sad and emotional. “This is consistent with my own experience. “Although everyone knew this day was coming, it still came as a huge shock with an emptiness inside, more in common with a personal loss rather than the passing of a ruling monarch,” says Visit Orlando Endowed Chair of Tourism Marketing Alan Fyall, who was born in England and lived there more for than 40 years. At the time of her death, Queen Elizabeth II ruled over 15 countries in the Commonwealth and 14 additional overseas territories, which collectively are home to over 150 million people, according to Time. At the time of her coronation in 1953, she ruled over seven independent countries, which grew to 32 nations during 70-year reign. 8, it marked the end of Britain’s longest-reigning monarch. ![]()
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