The final committal ceremony for Queen Elizabeth II was the only thing kept private as millions broadcast, captured and watched the Queen’s funeral and journey through London and Windsor, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in The Bulletin.
“You wonder if you’ve muted the sound by accident”
The private burial of Queen Elizabeth II has just taken place at King George VI Memorial Chapel in Windsor. The last of the ceremonial broadcast here wrapped up at 4.10am on 1News and the final public coverage of the committal ceremony captured by the BBC as the Queen’s casket was lowered into the vault. Unlike Alex Casey and Tara Ward who did live updates on The Spinoff until 1.10am, I went to bed after the funeral service ended. It was, as the Queen specified, a short, solemn and dignified event. The Irish Times described the BBC’s coverage as so hushed, “you wonder if you’ve muted the sound by accident”. For all that we might roll our eyes at the pomp of the BBC, they did not err once. They did not ramble on and the camera never lingered on anyone for too long.
Moments of levity and inevitable online reaction
I only suffered one mild anxiety attack during a proceeding that was exactly as military and precise as you’d expect. A bishop or vicar dropped a note card – the BBC camera op just zoomed in so it was no longer in view. To post online about any and all of the lighter details is human and the Guardian has a wrap of those moments. The whole thing was a reminder that among the chaos of the last few years, this high ceremony is something the British do very well. Charlotte Higgins doesn’t mince words this morning, writing “It feels that the more wretched, bitter and badly governed the country becomes, the more splendid and gilded the royal ceremonies, and the more outrageous the national self-delusion.”
“I will be at the queen’s funeral with a hat from an Amazon page”
At the time of sending, photographers have loaded 4,063 photos of the funeral to Getty Images. All the main metro papers here but the Waikato Times are leading with farewell tributes on the front pages this morning. The Times is leading with a story about a motel that received $3m from the government in emergency housing grants and then went into liquidation. The world continues to turn, issues continue to be issues. I enjoyed the coverage from the New York Times of the non-dignitaries attending the funeral, including Natalie Queiroz and her hat off Amazon. Away from the ceremony and dignitaries, a very large number of people in anoraks, hoodies and beanies lined the procession path, mobile phones raised. The Guardian’s “alternative photos” gallery is worth a look. Made me miss London.
Prime minister heads to New York
I am assuming our correspondents in the UK have had a cup of tea and a lie-down as many of them are now back on breakfast television recapping events. Prime minister Jacinda Ardern will now travel from London to New York for the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly. It will be the first time leaders have met face-to-face in three years. After that the prime minister will return home and probably head straight to the Wellington Cathedral of St Paul where the national memorial service will take place on Monday, September 26. There will be a nation-wide minute’s silence at 2pm that day, which is also a public holiday. The government will pass law today to enact that.