Today I watched Queen Elizabeth's funeral on TV, live from Westminster Abbey in London.
...
Our little systems have their day;
They have their day and cease to be:
They are but broken lights of thee,
And thou, O Lord, art more than they.
We have but faith: we cannot know;
For knowledge is of things we see
And yet we trust it comes from thee,
A beam in darkness: let it grow.
A beam in darkness: let it grow.
...
I was not even born yet when Queen Elizabeth II was crowned; but from documentaries and films and TV-series I recall that her coronation in the same church was the first to be televised in full.
Even more people in all corners of the world now being able to follow her funeral live from their own homes, in full colour and filmed from all angles, made me ponder about how technology has continued to develop during the span of her reign - and my own life.
Great collection of photos to remember the day.
ReplyDeleteThanks Barbara. Somehow taking my own photos of the TV screen sometimes makes me feel even more "there"?!
DeleteI watched it last night after recording it last night, I wasn't going to stay up until the early hours and be exhausted the next day. I was amazed at all the pomp and tradition, I think I appreciated Diana's funeral more though.
ReplyDeleteAmy, here it was the middle of the day and I was as at home anyway. For anyone who missed it I'm sure they won't have any problems finding it recorded online!!
DeleteI watched the part in Westminster Abbey and the march to the hearse. I had not intended to watch as much as I did, but found it compelling. The solemnity, dignity, and respect drew me in. A wave of admiration filled me for all those who marched, some of whom were not young. I particularly like the fact that at no time during this national period of mourning were the people separated from the symbols of monarchy by any barriers. The crown, orb, and sceptre were there to be touched, stolen or destroyed but nobody wanted to do that. Respect was paramount.
ReplyDeleteLouise, I watched the service in Westminster Abbey in full but only glimpses of the rest.
DeleteWe were walking in beautiful woodland all day yesterday, and admittedly, not once was I thinking of the funeral. My sister-in-law in Yorkshire told me that they were having the day off as a public holiday so that people would be able to watch. Had it been a regular Monday with me working from home, I would have probably watched at least a summary on our main news.
ReplyDeleteMeike I had not made note of the exact time but happened to turn on the TV just as they were entering Westminster Abbey, and ended up following that service until the end.
DeleteHow clear and detailed your photos are.
ReplyDeleteOver the weekend a tremendous storm knocked out my electricity and it wasn't until late yesterday morning that it was restored. I missed the procession to the Abbey but was able to catch the last 10 or so minutes of the funeral service. That was all I intended to watch but found myself engrossed in the proceedings.
I was a small child when Elizabeth was crowned and remember more about the "street" party afterwards, than the black and white, very grainy, TV images on my parent's TV. In those days the screens were tiny and not many people had TV, so my parents had invited friends and neighbours to join us, and the room was filled to bursting point.
The old black and white images gave the Coronation a sense of remoteness, whereas yesterday full colour HD and enormous screens allowed for full immersion in the funeral.
CG, I agree. Once I started watching I found myself feeling more "present" than I had expected.
ReplyDeleteMy whole comment just disappeared. I hate when that happens. It really is an end of an era for England. I believe King Charles will do his mother proud. He has had many years of observation to prepare for this eventuality. Blessings- Diana
ReplyDeleteDiana, this comment went to spam (for no apparent reason), but the email got through, and I retrieved the comment itself from the dashboard. Yes, I agree that so far King Charles seems to have risen to the occasion and has handled the first big challenge (his mother's funeral) well.
DeleteI am going to type short, this is my their dry, it keeps poofing away when I get almost done when i hit the space bar. I watched to and it was an amazing thing that billions could watch all at the same time. was glad they all had to use the same camera, all channels saw the same thing. excellent photos you got from the tv. spam is acting up again
ReplyDelete