The Funeral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

We interrupt this regularly scheduled blogcast to bring you... The Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II

 Whew... OK... it's the big day... Are you ready Obsidian Storm? Deep breath...

"Well Sandy... you look swell Beary put together! Are you ready?"
I think so... but I am beary nervous. 

Oh hello! We are getting ready for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth. I had hoped that I would be one of the RCMP chosen to lead the funeral procession from Westminster Abbey to Wellington Arch but... the RCMP members are riding horses that the RCMP gifted to the Queen years ago. Sooo... this little bear is NOT riding a real horse. Sigh... Anyhow... We are going to watch the funeral (maybe not live).

"Giddyup!! Mush!! Go!!?? Why won't Obsidian Storm go???"
Oh, well, that's easy... Obsidian Storm is a beary well-trained RCMP horse of B(ear) Division and only responds to an RCMP officer. Which would be me!

Sergeant Alexander Mackenzie Bear... and I guess one day soon... our uniforms will be updated with the King's crown. Sigh... sniff.

Alright... ready Obsidian Storm?

I'll meet you there!!!

OK... we got here early... good... cause I think there are going to be some others joining us soon... Time for a little nap...

***A little while later***

Err... wait... what??? Hey!!! Brumm and Zotti - you can't sit there!!!

And Waldi... move over dog!!!

OK... that's better... everyone have a good view... 

Wait for us!!!! 

Yeeaahhhhhhh... wwwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaiiiitttttttttttttttttt!!!

Oh my goodness... bears and cats and...

Turtles!!!!

Are we too late!!!! Make room!!!

And... we are getting the recording lined up... No... we did NOT get up at 3 am for this!

Annnd.... one more turtle!!!

OK... we are ready...

Sniff....

***snort... sniffle***

TISSUES please!!!

That's King Charles going by... and William too we think...

There's Kate with the little ones!

And here comes the coffin out Westminster Hall.

Those are Grenadier Guards carrying the coffin... they are the 1st Foot Guards - you can tell cause their buttons are in single groupings...

Those people in front with the white caps... those are the Naval Ratings who will pull the gun carriage with the coffin... There's 15 women in that group of 140+ this year!! Navy Beanie is quite proud of them!!!

Oh and this guy in front with the bearskin hat... he's an Irish Guard - see the blue feathers on the side...

Here we go... those Naval Ratings in front are pulling... and those ones in back are the brakes!

These guys in front with the flowy head gear... they are a strange bunch... They are the monarch's bodyguards - the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms... not a regiment per se.... and those are swans feathers not ostrich feathers like one of our Canadian commentators said! Hmph...

Navy Beanie is a bit overcome by all of this...

There's Princess Anne and William and Harry and... that guy who got his privleges taken away... the King is in behind the Coldstream Guardsman (he's got buttons in groupings of 2!).

And then the pipers started playing and well... copious tears all round this stuffie assembly!

And we're at Westminster Abbey... We were beary impressed with the Grenadiers and how many times they loaded and unloaded the Queen's coffin with nary a bobble... they practised for 2 years with a lead-lined coffin you know...

And... we're in the Abbey...

Then there was church stuff... we skipped a lot of this...

And then... we're leaving again! The commentators wondered how the orb and sceptre stay on the coffin... maybe they are sewed on?

And then we're off again... except this time... this is the tail end of a procession that was beary beary long... and if you went waaaayyyy to the front...

Almost there... just in front of the marching band... Those 4 horsemen wearing red serge...

It's the RCMP!!!! 

Riding horses gifted to the monarch and her family from the RCMP!

I am just.. soo.. very... prouddd....

*sniffle*

***snort... honk...***

They look good! Such a honour...

After them came scads more military - Commonwealth, RAF, Navy, etc, etc... And they went from Westminster Abbey down Whitehall and through Horse Guards Parade which... the Canadian commentator called Admiralty Arch which is utter rubbish... that's the Arch to The Mall from Trafalgar Square. Hmph!!! I'm Canadian and even I know that!

Oh... that's beary pretty... (See that's Admiralty Arch in the background...)

And we're at Wellington Arch finally...

I really wonder... what do those Royal Archer folk really do?? Oh... just looked it up... the Royal Company of Archers are the Queen's bodyguard when she's in Scotland... and when they're not busy doing that, they do archery things... Not a "real" regiment then...

Anyhow... one last time off the gun carriage...

And then to the hearse...  which is special built cause the coffin is like 500 lbs!

And there she goes...

And yes... there were hordes of people everywhere! And now it's off to Windsor Castle... we didn't watch that bit yet...

But apparently the Queen's two corgis (Muick on the left and Sandy on the right) were waiting. Did you catch that... a dog named Sandy!!!! Always knew I had a special connection to the Queen... Dog named Sandy... she would have loved a little RCMP (B Division) bear named Sandy!

Rest in Peace Your Majesty

(Even Google...)