For a long time I have said if the Queen was to die, I would go and see her lying in state. There would be no stopping me. But unfortunately when it came to it, there was a number of things that stopped me from going and I am not ashamed to admit I was devastated. It proved pretty impossible for me to undertake such a task due to other unforeseen circumstances. And I had to come to terms that I would not be going.
Instead of wallowing I decided I would do other things: one being our trip to Sandringham to pay our respects and lay flowers, the other do this blog and explain why I love the Queen and the Royal Family so much. Oh yeah, just in case you didn't know, I am a huge Royalist. So if this bothers you, skip this blog and wait for the next one.
Her Majesty the Queen was an incredible human being. She had no formal education but she was incredibly clever, had an amazing memory, demonstrated what it was to be a Christian and always respected other nations and their faiths, experienced many events and situations, she was strong, brave, compassionate and guess what, on top of all that, she adored animals. She was my hero.
Over the past week I have realised just how lucky I was to have seen the Queen and some other members of the Royal Family on a number of occasions. I did not meet her but I am proud to say some members of my family had met the Queen, Prince William and Prince Edward (oh and Ben nearly tripping over the Duke of Edinburgh!). The times I saw her was at Remembrance Sunday at the Cenotaph in London, at various national events including the Manchester Commonwealth Games (where I actually got a wave and a nod to me), with my friend Vicky when the Queen visited a Manchester hospital, at the 2002 Jubilee. But the one that I remember the most was the very first time I saw her in 1981.
I was 7 years old and my grandparents along with my mum, took me to see Trooping the Colour. It was just before Charles and Diana got married. That day I saw Lady Diana Spencer sat with the Queen mum in an open top carriage. The Queen rode post on her horse Burmese. Burmese was a black horse gifted to the Queen by the Canadian mounted police. And she was stunning. Burmese served 18 years and she was the last horse the Queen rode in the Trooping the Colour.
My family and I were stood on the Mall, near the end where it turned the corner when shots rang out. The Queen had just passed us. I know now that as an accomplished rider, the Queen and Burmese worked together in all the fear and chaos, taking it in her stride, but at the time it was very scary. She had been shot at! Someone tried to kill her! The house hold Caverly charged! The Queen wasn't fazed, she carried on with the event and it didn't stop her from doing that again and again, or going on walkabouts or going out in the open top vehicle.
Her love for animals especially horses and dogs, was legendary. Riding horses wasn't just a pass time, it was a way of life that gave her much needed freedom. She knew everything about horses, especially her own and had much to do with their care and attention. If she had not been the queen, she would have been a farmer; that is what the young Elizabeth wanted to be.
The Queen was incredibly intuitive with her dogs and they were more than just show pets, they were her companions who she cared for herself, feeding them and grooming them each day. After all the work she had to carry out for the state and the Commonwealth, she still found time to care personally for her dogs.
The Queen died at Balmoral, at a place she loved the most. Why did she love it? Because it was a place of beauty, a place of nature, a place of peace, a place where there was animals and plants. She dedicated her life to serving this country, this world, and she did that every day for more than 70 years, and her motto was never complain, never explain. But she still needed somewhere to go to be herself, to breath, to be one with nature.
The Saturday after she died, we travelled to Sandringham and laid flowers at The Norfolk Gate. What a beautiful place and we immediately could see why the Royal family loved it so much. Despite the sadness of the occasion, Sandringham felt not just peaceful but happy too. It gave me joy to be in such a place of nature.
I know not everyone thinks of the royal family the way I do, and I appreciate that, but I do know the death of the Queen has come as a huge loss to us all. The Queen was that person we all saw every day, but rarely any of us met her. The Queen was our constant in an ever changing world, even when times were scary and weird, there she was, guiding us through like a wise grandma. I personally felt the world change the day she died.
I saw her coffin, and I wondered how someone who saw so much, witnessed so many things, knew so many important historical figures, advised many VIPs, remembered more things than anyone else, could be so very tiny. I know I didn't actually know her, I know she wasn't family, but the loss I feel is immense. I cannot begin to imagine just how heartbroken her family must feel. The comfort I feel throughout all this is that she is back with her beloved Philip; they loved each other so much.
Her funeral today was historical and one she deserved. The pallbearers in particular were incredible and the rest of the military were awe-inspiring in their commitment and presence for her. The Queens family did her proud despite their obvious grief. And there in amongst it all was her pony Emma and Sandy and Muick her corgi's. The whole day, the whole 12 days, every detail whether large or small was all about the Queen and every bit of her life, including her animals.
Rest in Peace our Gracious Queen
God bless King Charles
Georgia xx