We were in the Republic when the day came, and even though not on this occasion in a Chambre d’hôtes where Louis XXII had once resided, great consolation was shown towards us, but it was not until subjects of the House of Orange also came for refreshment, rest and repast that in the brotherhood of equality, liberty was granted to cry out:
La Reine est morte; vive le Roi.
If in the day of the death of King Saul, King David could say ‘This a day of mourning and weeping’, how much more we who have lost a Queen who had proven herself more worthy of her name in the keeping of her promises to God and to men than many others who would clothe themselves with the trappings of leadership. What freedom we have that we do not have to fight or contend over and vote for who shall rule over us, but simply lend our support and allegiance to the one who has been chosen not by the hand of man.
Long live the king! May he too be faithful to serve the people over whom the Lord has appointed him. And may the Lord give to him, as he gave to Solomon, an understanding heart to judge the people and to discern between what is good and what is evil.
A number of short videos, taken from the BBC’s reporting of course may be found here:
In mourning – some came a long way to pay respects
Changing the guard – not all of the ushers seem to remember all of the time the purpose of their office Vimeo
The grandchildren arrive Vimeo
The grandchildren take their stand Vimeo
Elizabeth, our Queen Vimeo
Elizabeth and Charles Vimeo
The videos do not open in a new tab. Please right click the links and select the appropriate option if you wish to to do so.
The originals are far better quality of course, and these are here provided only for educational, not for profit personal use, and thought to be fair use of the material. If you have concerns, please notify Coco by leaving a comment here.