End of an Era XII.
As Adam and Sebastian walked out of Victoria station and headed in the direction of St James' Park, Drew and Miss Frobisher were alighting from the bus that had conveyed them from Kensington and now deposited them in Trafalgar Square. They had expected the bus to be very busy, but it had been virtually empty, most people apparently taking advantage of the Underground being open earlier than usual. They had considered using it themselves as they had stood waiting on the bus to arrive, but Miss Frobisher had pointed out that the bus would take them closer to their destination, and in any case, given the lighter traffic, it would be just as quick as walking to the tube, waiting for a train to arrive, climbing back up from the platforms at Piccadilly Circus, and then walking to the place that Jeff had reserved for them…
They found that they were some of the first people to make their way underneath Admiralty Arch and out onto The Mall, which was lined with temporary barriers as far as the eye could see; indeed, they stretched all the way up to and beyond the floodlit exterior of Buckingham Palace, showing them that the flag was still flying there at half-mast. They soon spotted Jeff, still in splendid isolation on the Memorial. They found a gap in the barriers and crossed the road, Jeff spotting them and waving. "I'm sorry if I worried you by not being there when you woke up, but I couldn't sleep, and I didn't want to wake you up as well. Anyway, this is the spot, and I'm hoping that you brought your travel rugs as you said, Miss Frobisher…"
A few minutes later, the folded travel rugs were on the top of the wall that formed the back of the Memorial, and Jeff and Drew between them were helping Miss Frobisher up to join them on sitting on them. Once there, they surveyed the scene before them, and they all had to agree it was a magnificent vantage point; they were elevated above those that would no doubt be thronged along the roadside, giving them a clear view no matter how large the crowd was for a start. They also had a clear view of the big screen across the street, and if they turned round, they also had the top of Horse Guards Road in view. Drew smiled, snapped a photo, and sent it to Sebastian. A few moments later he responded with a picture of the view towards the Palace from the bridge across the lake, showing them that he was only a few minutes from joining them.
It turned out that there was another advantage to the spot that Sebastian had chosen and informed them all of, and that was the fact that there was a food stand almost immediately behind them in the Park, and it was open for business. Miss Frobisher had brought her flasks, and Adam had been given two by his mother as well, but the smell of the freshly brewed coffee wafting from the stand was enough to persuade her that they could use their contents later, when it became less easy to move around.
Adam offered to buy them all bacon rolls again, as he had spotted they sold them as he and Sebastian had walked by en route to the Memorial, but this time it was Jeff that declined the offer, much to everyone's shock. Drew offered to help Adam with their requirements, so it was left to Sebastian to ask the blond if he was feeling alright. "Don't worry, I'm not ill," Jeff said with the hint of a laugh in his tone. "I had a sausage sandwich at the cabbie's café, and it was extremely filling…"
Jeff then found himself showing his friend his sketches, as Miss Frobisher told the actor the story of the green cabins that had once been dotted across the city. As she finished, Jeff mused, "I wonder if the yellow cab drivers back in New York ever had places like that to go to?" and then blushed, as he realised he had spoken what he had only intended to think out loud…
"I think that there was always a good selection of diners and delis that they could go to back there; drugstores too with their luncheon counters," said Sebastian kindly.
"London had far fewer casual places to eat out at when I was young. Everything was much more formal then, and the idea of eating a sandwich of any sort as you walked down the street, or worse, drinking out of a paper cup on the street – well, it just wasn't done by polite people…" added Miss Frobisher.
The conversation ended then, as Adam and Drew reappeared, and proceeded to hand out the bacon rolls and the cups of coffee. The latter then formally handed a bag to Jeff, and he opened it to find a large chocolate chip cookie in it, to have with his coffee. Drew was thanked warmly by a now smiling Jeff, who thus confirmed something they had all known anyway; no matter how full he was, the blond could always find space for a cookie…
As the sky lightened from the east, the crowds began to grow. It also saw the arrival of the police that would line the route of the procession. There was a moment when the group perched on the wall of the memorial saw that they were being closely studied by a trio of officers, two female and one male, before the female constable started to walk over towards them. Seeing that, Sebastian was heard to whisper, "Please don't tell us to move…"
It turned out when she arrived that she had actually come over to speak to them for two reasons; first off, she had recognised Adam, and wanted to say hello, and perhaps more importantly, she had also recognised Miss Frobisher, having been one of the children at her kindergarten a long time ago. As soon as she told them her name, Miss Frobisher recalled her, and stated that she was so glad that the woman had managed to achieve the job that she had told her she wanted as a 4 year old…
"Well, yes, but it did take me a while," the officer said. "I have two children of my own now, both in the latter years of primary school. As you can also see, I'm not an officer with the Metropolitan Police; I met my husband at university and we moved back to live on the family farm in Herefordshire. When the funeral date was announced, I volunteered to be here, as he knew I would. I see this as my duty to Her Majesty, as one of her police officers, to be here and pay my respects in this way. Of course, my volunteering also made my mother very happy, and she was only too pleased to allow me and several of my fellow volunteers from my force stay with her overnight."
"I can understand that; I did hear that they had brought in officers from all over the country because they needed 10,000 to be on duty for this event," replied Miss Frobisher.
"That is very true; the sergeant I am with hails from North Wales, and the male constable is from Fife in Scotland; as I know London, I am unofficially in charge of our little group," the constable said, with a grin.
"Would you like us to get you all a hot drink? There is a stall just behind us here, and I would be only too pleased to fetch you something," said Adam.
"Well, we have been told that we can have hot drinks until 10am, but then we are not permitted until the funeral actually starts. However, now I know that the stall is open, I will head there and collect them myself; there is a chance that I might get them on the house…"
The sun would be shining out of a clear blue sky when it began, right on the exact stroke of 9.19am. Big Ben had rung out as usual at 9am, just moments after a tweet was sent out by the police stating that the viewing areas in central London were now at full capacity, and that people would no longer be permitted to access these areas; they should not attempt to do so. A moment later, a tweet from Transport for London stated that a number of tube stations in the centre had now been closed for exit, and only entry and interchange were being permitted.
They had been so preoccupied with discussing that they all failed to notice that the clock did not mark the quarter hour as it normally did; but 4 minutes later, the great bell tolled once, and almost simultaneously, there was the report of an artillery gun being fired over at Hyde Park. It brought a hush to the crowd, the chatter that had been going on somewhat muted. Exactly 60 seconds later, the bell of the great clock rang out once, as a gun went off again in the distance…
"I read about this," said Sebastian quietly. "The bell will toll and the gun will fire every minute for each year of her life; this will happen one hundred times, the last being exactly a minute before the funeral commences…"
"It's almost like a time signal, like the 'pips' on the radio. This one though is a countdown until the moment arrives when we have to say farewell to her for the final time," replied Jeff sadly.
"Exactly," his friend responded, as bang on schedule, the bell rang out and the gun sounded again, echoing over the great city, a message that the time to stop, pause and mourn the late sovereign was approaching fast…
It was at about that moment, thousands of miles away, that Nick stepped into his kitchen in the West Village and switched on the television. The bell and the gun were the first sounds that filled the room, and it made him jump; a second later, there was a loud miaow of protest, and Nick rushed to turn down the volume on the set. He went then to apologise to Caleb, but when he reached his bed, the cat was already asleep again. He turned on the coffee machine, needing an espresso this morning before the usual tea to make sure he stayed awake. As it did its work, he started on breakfast, Wes now being of an age when he could be trusted to get up by himself when his alarm went off.
Breakfast would be followed by changing into their clothes for the day quickly, and then they would be ready to greet all of their guests. Ethan and Evie had long been confirmed, but Dex was also now coming, and would be accompanied by his girlfriend Miriam. Beats, Elliott and Ty would also be there. Lawrence was heading into work early, so that he could watch the event without having to head out to work half way through, and he would be joined in doing so by Nurse Crane. The other staff were free to join them, and Lawrence assumed that quite a few would do so…
His espresso drunk, Nick made tea, and had toast and scrambled eggs ready when his son appeared at the door. They ate in silence, watching the pictures being beamed from London, and the scenes at Westminster Abbey as the invited mourners filed in, from the holders of the highest ranked medals from bravery and valour, the George and Victoria Cross to foreign royalty and global leaders, or their representatives, many of whom had met the late Queen more than once.
The hot topic of conversation that morning was the news that both the Presidents of Russia and China would be attending in person, having arrived in the early hours. They had been advised of the rules on transport, and somehow had been scheduled to travel on the same coach from Chelsea to the Abbey as the Kennedys. Nick heard that and wondered what the atmosphere would be like on that vehicle, and what other global leaders might have found themselves in such company. He had to agree with the BBC commentator, it would be one of the days talking points…
By the time that the 41st bang and bong, as Wes had christened it, sounded out over London and hence the world through the airwaves, Nick found himself with a full kitchen. The first thing that he had noted as they had all arrived was that they were all dressed in monochrome colours, even the children. He, Beats and Ethan were in black suits with black ties, Elliott in black trousers and waistcoat worn over a white shirt, practical clothes for his shift at the diner later on. Dex did not own a black suit, so was dressed in a dark navy one instead, which was respectful. Dante and Lachlan had appeared with Beats and Elliott, much to Nick's surprise; the former explained that Lachlan's parents had been called out of town unexpectedly the night before, and they had wanted to watch what was going to be one of the major world events of their lifetime in company…
The number of guests was not an issue for Nick, used as he was to hosting large Warbler gatherings, but he was nonetheless grateful when Elliott stepped up to help him in the kitchen with the provision of drinks and snacks. The room was warm, which he guessed was in sharp contrast to where his husband was right now; he had sent him a photo not long before of the group of five sitting on a wall, bundled up in coats, gloves, scarves and hats. Jeff informed him that a policewoman had taken it for them, and that they would remove their hats when the time came. The sky above them was clear and blue, and from experience, Nick knew that would make London cold at this time of year. He also fully understood the comment about their hats; they would take them off as the coffin passed, an old traditional mark of respect to bare their heads, something that still held sway these days…
Across the world, people were now making their way to a place where they could witness events in London on their television screen. The funeral was replacing the normal prime time shows in Australia and New Zealand, just as it was replacing the breakfast news programming on the eastern side of the United States, and in Canada; in the west of the Americas, people were staying up all night just to say that they had witnessed it. The BBC had pooled all of its camera shots and made them available to broadcasters around the world, which ensured a consistent coverage in visual terms. The commentary however was different for each broadcaster, using their own people, and making it clear in every major language in the world…
The great Abbey church was now filled with the great and the good, with only the family that had lost their matriarch now missing. The royal families of Europe were in their seats along with the politicians and leaders, and soon the more minor members of the Queen's family were taking their seats too. As for the political leaders of the United Kingdom, they too were in situ, party lines forgotten. They represented not just those that sat in the same complex of buildings in which the late monarch had lain in state for the last few days, but those engaged in the devolved legislatures in Belfast, Cardiff and Edinburgh too.
Of the world of celebrity, there was however little sign; there were a few well known faces that had been brought as part of the delegations from the Commonwealth nations, actors that had done philanthropic work for those that were less fortunate than themselves for example. There had been space however for one of the late monarch's contemporaries, the 100 year old Sir David Attenborough.
Those sitting in The Mall could see all of this on the big screen directly across the street from where they sat, and hear it on the battery digital radio that Miss Frobisher had brought with her. That was how they knew that the royal party had set off from Buckingham Palace, and would soon pass by them en route to Westminster, and in exactly what order they would drive past. The last to pass would be the four children of the late Queen and her four eldest grandchildren. The younger four grandchildren would head directly for the Abbey, but the eldest would join the four siblings and the Queen's two elderly cousins, the Dukes of Kent and Gloucester, in walking behind the coffin as part of the procession…
Jeff had of course witnessed royal cars driving past before, the crowds lining the street usually waving flags and cheering as they did so, receiving a wave of recognition and thanks from those in the vehicles in return. There was none of that today; the royal cars passing crowds that stood in silence with their heads bowed. The little group of five watched as the cars passed them, noting that all of those inside wore either black or the military uniforms that they were entitled to wear, with medals pinned to their chests.
Jeff looked up as the car that was carrying the Princess of Wales and her three children went past, and his heart went out at once to all of them. The children all looked so sombre, compared to the happy smiling faces he knew, and their mother looked as dignified as one would have expected. The car behind carried the woman that the world would now call the Queen Consort, someone that only a few weeks ago had been at his art exhibition and then had been made up by Pam Anderson in Bloomingdales. With her was the Duchess of Sussex, whose children were deemed too young to attend.
Then there was a gap, and the final three vehicles passed in swift succession as the bells continued to toll. The first vehicle held the two elderly Dukes, prepared to walk in respect of their cousin even at their age, and the children of the Princess Royal. The next carried the late monarch's two youngest sons, and the sons of the new King. Finally came the car carrying the new King and his sister, protocol meaning that even on this saddest of occasions, the current monarch and his immediate heir could not travel in the same vehicle…
With the cars past, the moment when, amidst all the pomp and ceremonial that the British did so well, the late Queen was taken from Westminster Hall was fast approaching. It would be done in the same way that her predecessor's coffins had been moved, borne amidst much pageantry the short distance from there to the Abbey on a gun carriage, the same one that had been used for the coffins of both her father and grandfather…
That moment came exactly as timetabled, as the 61st bang and bong echoed across the city. At that exact moment Black Rod, the parliamentary official that had overseen the entire Lying in State up until that point, was seen to bow at the exit door from Westminster Hall, and then the team of eight pallbearers that had been selected from the late Queen's personal bodyguard troops and were resplendent in their trademark red dress uniform, emerged from the building. They were preceded by one of their own number, before those that were carrying the coffin on their shoulders became visible. They showed no signs of struggling with it, despite the fact that it was lead lined and thus much heavier than it might have appeared. It was still draped in the Royal Standard, and the crown, orb and sceptre remained on top.
At their spot on The Mall, the group of five heard the last of the chatter around them stop as the moment arrived. Miss Frobisher sniffed loudly and found her hands immediately taken by Drew and Jeff, neither of them needing to look at her to know that tears were forming in her eyes. Sebastian, sat next to Jeff, placed an arm around Adam's shoulder as the British born actor let out a sob. They were not alone at feeling the sudden stab of emotion as the coffin appeared, and the sound of crying punctuated the otherwise silent day…
They watched as the coffin was transported across to the gun carriage, which was surrounded by sailors, all of them in dress uniform, and seemingly roped together; these men and women had the unenviable task of working together to tow the coffin the short distance to the main door of the Abbey. The pallbearers completed the task, and the man that had been leading them checked that everything was correct; when he was satisfied, they moved away in a choreographed movement, and then the sailors at the rear of the gun carriage, whose job it was to act as a brake closed rank. The massed sailors then linked arms; behind them, the small royal party now stood, all of them awaiting the signal to start…
In Manhattan, silence had also fallen over the kitchen of the Sterling-Duval house as the coffin had emerged into the pale light of day. All eyes focused on the screen, in awe of the precision of the military involved. On the sofa, Evie sat on Ethan's lap, and little Wes cuddled into his father, who had Beats sitting on his other side. In front of them on the floor sat Dante, Lachlan and Ty, with Dex and Elliott sitting on chairs brought over from the kitchen table on either side of the sofa…
The sudden skirl of the bagpipes was the cue to start off, and as they began to play, the sailors began their job, pulling together to make the gun carriage move, the smaller number at the rear resisting slightly to ensure it did not move too fast. On either flank of the sailors walked the guardsmen, including the pallbearers, and more of their number came behind, the small royal party in-between. There were 10 of them in total, the King and his sister at the front, their brothers and the King's two sons behind, and to the rear, the two older Dukes and the children of the Princess Royal. The whole procession was being lead by four officers of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police; the Mounties rode on their horses, trotting slowly as they moved through the streets that were lined with people…
"It's almost like a film," said Beats suddenly. "Like a period drama, celebrating the traditions of a world long gone. The thing is though – this is real, and it is happening right now in another country. We really are watching history being made here…"
"And there is no question, the British do make some of the best historic dramas. Like them, what we are seeing is pretty much flawless, and that is partly because all of the people there had pledged to serve her all their days; this is their final act of service towards her," added Nick.
"I wonder just how many people around the world are watching this right now?" Dante wondered out loud.
"The estimates I saw said they expected it could be at least a billion viewers," replied Nick, earning a gasp from a few in the room. "Even more people will watch at least highlights of this later. It is only to be expected; she was the best known woman in the world after all…"
At Dalton Academy, Thad found himself in the company of the Carmichaels again, but this time he was not in the Senior Commons or one of their homes; he was in the school auditorium, where Principal Lefevre had set up a screen, and was showing the live footage upon it. She had decided to do so on a hunch that it might prove popular after Thad's remarks to the whole school that it was a moment of living history, but even she was shocked to see almost the entire student body in the room, along with the majority of the staff. There had been cereal, pastries and drinks in the refectory from 4.30am, and there would be a second breakfast at 7.30am, with the first classes of the day cancelled… The atmosphere in the room was a mix of awe, wonder and grief. Thad could see that Mrs Carmichael had started to cry as soon as the coffin appeared, and even he felt an inexplicable sense of loss; it felt so strange to be so upset over the death of someone he had never met…
In the staff room of a hospital in downtown New York, a London born nurse had openly cried as the coffin appeared, but now as it made its way slowly through the streets, her sadness had been overcome by a sense of patriotic pride for her homeland. "If there is one thing that Britain still does better than any other nation in the world, it is this kind of ceremonial," she said to Lawrence proudly, and he could only nod in agreement as he watched events unfold. It was an awe-inspiring display, the sight of sailors pulling a monarch's coffin through the streets of their capital city being one that he might never see again. His heart went out to his boyfriend, who was of course in the midst of it all, sitting next to a park in the same city so far away…
The procession reached the door of the Abbey bang on schedule, the bang and bong coming for the 92nd time just as it did. As they watched it on the screen, it did not seem at all like it was happening less than a mile away to the group gathered on The Mall. There was no sound coming from the big screen given how far away it was, but Miss Frobisher's radio solved that and she had taken the precaution of installing a fresh set of batteries. They had placed it on the wall of the memorial, with the volume turned high enough that those around could also hear.
The commentary was being lead by the same newsreader that had announced the death to the nation, assisted by other reporters out and about across the city. They others were all silent now, as they waited for the service to begin. All that could be heard from the radio was the one man, and there was something comforting about his voice, a hint of his Welsh origins coming through in the way that he pronounced certain words. It seemed almost strange to those that had come from the other side of the Atlantic to know that those they loved back there would be hearing the same tones, the same man entering millions of homes at once…
If they listened carefully, they could hear the faint sound of the music in the distance during the procession, the usual background hum of the traffic and all the other sounds produced by humanity turned down to nothing as the normal bustle of one of the world's great cities stopped as it citizens prepared to mark the passing of a much respected monarch. At that moment, the few food shops that had been trading were locking their doors, closing like all the other retail outlets. The stock exchange, normally at the heart of the world financial system was closed, and the markets in Europe were pausing during the funeral as well. The heart of the city was as empty as if it was Christmas Day. Even in the skies, there was change; all flights to the airports around the capital diverted out of the sky directly over central London to ensure that nothing would disturb the solemnity of the event that could not otherwise be avoided.
The coffin must remove from the gun carriage with the same precision and attention to detail that it had been given when it was mounted upon it. There was no music as the task was done, the sailors bowing their heads as the guardsmen once again took the weight on their shoulders, ready for the walk up the main aisle of the Abbey to the point where the nave and chancel met the transepts. The royal party remained behind it, footage from inside the building showing that spouses and children were waiting just inside to join those who had walked behind her on the first stage of her final journey through the capital and back to Windsor Castle.
At 10.59am, the bang and bong sounded for the last time, replaced at once by the tolling of the bell of the Abbey itself. It too would stop exactly on the stroke of 11.00am As the coffin was carried through the door of the Abbey; at the same point the choir began to sing. There was a neatly choreographed regrouping of the family then, the new King joined by his wife. They would all walk behind the coffin at an equal pace to the pallbearers carrying it, making their way past the tomb of the unknown soldier where, as per tradition, the late Queen Had left her wedding bouquet almost 80 years before. The edges of the tomb were surrounded by poppy wreaths, a symbol of remembrance.
The King and his Queen Consort were immediately followed by the Prince of Wales and his family; Jeff's heart ached for all of them, the grief on their faces all too apparent. Prince George, just barely into his teens, walked alongside his father, his mother following with his two younger siblings. All that Jeff could think was how it had to be to mourn your much loved grandmother or great-grandmother under the full glare of the world's media…
In the West Village there was silence too, and had they listened for noise from the city outside they would have noticed that even the streets of Manhattan were a lot quieter than usual that morning; people were delaying the start of the working day, with permission, so that they could catch a global event.
Across the Hudson, Isabelle sat alongside her husband and children; Peter had arrived the previous night and had brought Constance along with him. He had slept on the sofa so that she could have his bed. Morning classes at the University had been suspended by the staff who knew that world events would take over the focus of the student body. It had made sense to Peter to watch it with his family, even if his stepmother was busy making notes on the outfits being worn to satisfy a readership who would want to know where a particular black dress, coat or hat had come from. Even she put her pencil and pad down though the moment that the sacred music began.
The camera shots from within the building were the kind that only years of experience could produce, overhead shots cut with shots down the aisle as the coffin headed to a new catafalque in the heart of the Abbey, where it would rest with her family on one side, and the foreign royalty on the other side. The chancel at the head of the coffin was already filled with leaders of the majority of the faiths practiced in the United Kingdom. The Christian archbishops of both protestant and roman catholic churches were there, alongside the heads of the other Christian churches, and the national leaders of Jewish, Muslim, Sikh and Hindu faiths. The late Queen had respected all of their faiths, and thus it was only correct that they should all be there now at the end of her life. They might all have been divided in religion, but they were united in their love for the lady that had held her nation together and encouraged tolerance and respect…