You guys are positively progressive. We still have a system where the army can only be funded for a maximum of 2 years at a time.
On the God Save the Queen/King issue - the BBC commentary also said they were playing “God Save The Queen” for the final time. I assume therefore that it was also intended to be sung.
If nobody opened their mouths to sing then that’s a philosophical dilemma about what then was actually played.
Well, I thought at the time that the King could have used a trim. But he always looks that way so it was expected. He’s never been as refined looking as the Queen.
what was the deal with the flag when they took the casket off the C-17? I’m not sure what flag it was but they deliberately let it fall to the ground.
To be clear, the flag was on a staff/poll and the person lowered it to the ground as the casket came off the plane. I can’t find an image of it.
In parades, when a unit marches past a monarch, (or when a monarch marches past a unit), it is traditional for the flag-bearer to dip the flag in salute. Republics ostentatiously make a point of not doing it.
https://www.yahoo.com/video/trump-obama-invited-attend-washington-040659321.html
All five living former U.S. presidents — including Donald Trump, Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter — have been invited to “a Service of Thanksgiving for the Life of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II,” co-hosted by the British Embassy at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. next week.
“The Cathedral is honored to host a Service of Thanksgiving for the Life of Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on Wednesday, Sept. 21, in partnership with the British Embassy,” the National Cathedral said in a statement.
The service will be streamed online and will be made publicly available.
We’ve replaced that with saluting the national flag.
§8. Respect for flag
No disrespect should be shown to the flag of the United States of America; the flag should not be dipped to any person or thing. Regimental colors, State flags, and organization or institutional flags are to be dipped as a mark of honor.
This wasn’t a US flag or a National flag of the UK. Clearly it was dropped for the Queen but I was just surprised they let it touch the ground. It looked like a salute to the fallen of some kind.
Googling, the flag that was dipped was the “King’s Colour for the Royal Air Force.”
THANK YOU. That was driving me nuts. Makes perfect sense dealing with the Royal Air Force. I noticed the name of the plane was the Kittyhawk01R. Is that a reference to the Wright Brothers?
During the funeral itself, dozens of military standards (flags) were dipped to the ground as the Queen’s coffin passed the Cenotaph:
Honestly, the US flag has become the modern equivalent of the Golden Calf. It is worshipped for itself and not what it is supposed to stand for.
You have the flag. We have living symbols
If anyone has the inclination/stamina to see one more service, this is the YouTube link to watch the one today at the National Cathedral @ 10 AM, Eastern time.
The late Queen certainly would not approve of such a display of emotion. She was of a different generation.
The removal of the Imperil State Crown, orb and scepter us to be done just before burial right?
Not a few hours before.
The removal was done near the end of the committal service at Windsor, just before the coffin was lowered into the vault. There was a private family service a few hours later where her coffin and Philip’s were placed together in their final resting place near her parents.
My husband’s father came from an old WASP family. He cried at his grandmother’s funeral, and was chastised for not believing she was in heaven. Holy fuck, yes it’s toxic.
(and … it wouldn’t be unreasonable for a small child to cry if a beloved grandparent was moving to California and the child would never see them again. What a horrible custom.)
Is the song Amazing Grace not popular in the UK? It would be tough not to cry listening to that if the lone bagpipe player had ended the service with that song.