Saying goodbye to HM Queen Elizabeth II

The shocking news two weeks ago that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II had died, devastated people from all walks of life, right across our great country. The Queen was more than just a figurehead or tourist attraction for the United Kingdom, she was the morale compass by which many of us live our lives. 

I am a proud royalist and have been since I was very young, when my grandparents used to give me cuttings from their newspapers of the Royal families exploits. 

I’ve got hundreds of them including newspaper stories and images of William, Harry, Beatrice and Eugenie when they were just babies and toddlers. Plus books for every royal wedding of the last 45 years, Royal family panini sticker albums from the 80s, and I still remember the amazing street party we had when Diana and Charles got married, despite the fact I was incredibly young at the time. 

The last couple of weeks has felt like the end of an era and I will dreadfully miss seeing this amazing 96-year-old lady, serving the people of our nation and continuing to do her duty for our country despite being unable to stand or walk very much towards the end of her life. 

The endless TV biographies of her majesty and coverage of events over the 10 day mourning period has made us all realise how truly great our amazing queen was and how much loved and much missed she will be by our country and around the world.

Whilst I couldn’t go to the parades or funerals…mainly because I’m just 5ft and my view in the crowds would have been of armpits and elbows, I did make my own sort of pilgrimage to London to say goodbye. 

It’s been a few years since I set foot in the capital, but it was lovely to return and see many of its royal landmarks, say goodbye and do a little bit of geocaching as well. 

I started by heading for Green Park to see the thousands of floral tributes that have been placed for her, and we laid a couple of our own. 

It really was a sight and experience to behold. The smell of all the beautiful flowers was quite overwhelming, as were the beautiful messages that had been left and the many Paddington Bear and Corgi tributes. 

From Green Park we then headed to Hyde Park Corner to complete some of the lab caches there. 

As we wandered about, we suddenly heard the sound of police sirens and moments later a cavalcade of cars, some with blue lights on raced across the centre of the park, presumably ferrying someone important away from Buckingham Palace.  

Next, we headed back across Green Park and did the walk past Buckingham Palace, the Royal family’s stunning central London home. 

We then took a stroll to the nearby Wellington Barracks where we got to see soldiers wearing normal army uniforms, with busby hats on, practicing again and again for the forthcoming parades. 

After sitting for a while taking in the sights of the soldiers being drilled, we went for a nice wander around St James’ Park collecting the answers for the adventure lab caches there.

It was a nice series and in addition to taking us to landmarks like the Blue Bridge and Duck Island Cottage, we also got to see other preparations being made for the big events of the next few days. 

Hundreds of portaloos were being put in place along the parade routes; TV camera cranes across The Mall were being tested and checked, and hundreds of pieces of metal railing were being set up along The Mall, Constitution Hill and many other surrounding streets. 

Seeing so many preparations being put in place, made us realise just how epic this very sad event really was. 

I had hoped to pick up a couple of virtual geocaches at Trafalgar Square, but unfortunately that was completely barricaded off, for marquees and tents - again more preparations for what was to come. 

However, I did manage to grab a couple of lab caches on the edge of the square, before we headed up Pall Mall to do another nice lab cache series, ‘Statues and Monuments of Waterloo Place’. 

This series didn’t take too long to complete as the CO had kindly set them all close together and the answers were easily found. 

Our final stop of the day was Park Lane, where we hoped to see the Queen return to London from Edinburgh. 

We ended up getting there a little early, expecting it to be very busy, but it wasn’t at all. We easily found a spot on the grassy central reservation, right next to the road. It wasn’t long before we got chatting to lots of nice people who were there to see the Queen too.

Whilst we waited, we were very lucky to see the new king, Charles III and Camilla, go past in their chauffeur driven car, on their return from Northern Ireland.

It was a very strange moment, going from sadness to complete joy. But it was so lovely to see him and it lifted the mood of all those patiently waiting.

Eventually, we spotted the sight of blue lights in the distance, the police motorbike outriders bringing the Queen home. Despite the darkness that had now descended upon the city, we could see the stunningly lit hearse some way off and the beautiful royal standard draped over her coffin. 

Whilst I took a few photos of it as it approached, I put my phone down as the hearse passed us so I could take the moment in and that’s when it really hit me.  

Seeing the Queen’s coffin go past, I let out a quiet, “oh my god”, and put my hand to my mouth. It was a shock seeing her coffin, my heart was in my stomach. It was a very sad moment. It’s hard to actually explain how I felt at that moment, it was like nothing I had really experienced before, but I am so glad I got a chance to say goodbye. 

Whilst I didn’t go to see the Queen lying in state, I fully understand why so many people did, and why queuing for hours was so worth it. Having that final moment with her, whether it was just a fleeting glimpse of the hearse passing or seeing her coffin lying in the silence of Westminster Hall, is something truly special.

We will never see another lady quite like Queen Elizabeth. Sadly, I don’t think many of us will even see another Royal Jubilee, but …and whilst I’m not religious in the slightest… I do hope her legacy of showing kindness to others and putting the needs of others before ourselves, lives on in some small way, in everyone of us who had the privilege to have her as our Queen for so many years.