Who is overall in charge of the procession today?

[abovedecknotbelow]

You'd be shitting yourself wouldn't you? I'm no royalist but know that our forces can turn out at things like this (and glad to see so many women, particularly the one pulling the gun truck) but on whose head does it fall if it goes tits up?

I saw that - and also at another change. Looking closely, I think their spurs are catching on the downward step, so maybe they will with practice, step a bit further forward.

(Let alone, maybe their legs have gone to sleep!)

The guy with beard in a mourning suit by the King is his senior staff. Not sure what his title actually is, but he's always with him.

Hardly just the back of the hand was it? Absolutely pathetic using a husband and wife holding hands for a hate campaign.

The pictures of Meghan in the headlines with her mouth lifted in a faint smile while the rest of the family are looking rather drawn and tired, plus the non-formal handholding in the main procession following the king, does not translate well in images.

It is all absolutely amazing, the only thing going wrong is the dam pens

This has been such a lovely thread about the Parade with some really amazing insight into the planning etc

Let's not all fall out at the end about holding hands or not!

Yes, that was fascinating! The Queen explained it all - Mary, Queen of Scots' earrings, The Black Prince's ruby, it was amazing.

Well said.

I bet you could come up with photos of every single member of the Royal Family with a "faint smile" of you had access to all the photos taken today. They've been chosen deliberately.

as for the hand holding, I assume they've also shown Zara and Mike holding hands and castigated them for it?

I don't know, but I saw Major Johnny again 😍

Yes this. I love threads like this

The poor King must be following coffins in his sleep.

I was referring to when they were standing during the service and showing proper decorum. I didn’t watch them leave.

The Duke of Kent will be lost without the queen.

Don't know if any one else has answered this but the chap alongside William and Harry was Peter Phillips (Princess Anne's son and the Queen's only other adult grandson). The row behind had the Earl of Snowdon (princess Margaret's only son and the Queen's nephew) an elderly chap in uniform was the Duke of Gloucester (Queen's first cousin and the youngest grandchild of George V which makes him a prince and an HRH) and tall chap in uniform was Princess Anne's husband. In the line at the service in Westminster Hall the Duke of Gloucester at the back was joined by his brother Prince Michael of Kent (has a beard and looks like George V!) and also the Duke of Kent (another cousin but very elderly and perhaps not up to the walk down The Mall).

This all make you realise how things move on down the line and eventually the monarch's siblings, nieces and nephews and cousins become forgotten by the public. The cousins used to be on the balcony appearances when I was a kid but as the family grows and changes they inevitably take a back seat. The same will happen to the Dukes of York and Sussex eventually. One elderly relative of mine was thrilled to meet Princess Alexandra in the 1970s - Princess Alexandra (granddaughter of George V and sister of Duke of Kent) is still alive but hardly anyone probably knows who she is any more. Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie will be the same one day too.

I thought he looked very sad and weary in Westminster Hall.

Everything appears to have gone off without a hitch though -- although the royal standard was a bit askew on the coffin.

So now holding hands is"truly awful"?? Yet another stupid excuse to have a go at the couple. If it was William and Kate holding hands, people would be saying how sweet it was.

Nothing will go wrong - if anything did happen Charles will be knocking on traiters gate and they’ll be heads on the gate by sunset - including the poor soul who had the job of the pens !!!!

Apparently it’s such a crime that it made someone “absolutely sick with their disrespect”. It’s beyond satire at this point.

I know that they were good friends and he kept her company latterly.

I think M&H should be praised for giving people something to be disgusted about.

I'm not as familiar with London as I'd like to be. What's with the sand on the ground in front of Westminster Hall? Something to do with horses?

I think it was put down whenever the procession had to make a tight turn so that the horses wouldn't slip. They seemed to have put it over manhole covers etc too.

WTactualF is wrong with some of you? A man is grieving and you still kick him. He held his wife's hand so fucking what? Maybe when his father dies he should ask MN how you would like him to grieve. Give the whole H&M thing a rest it's boring now.

The lovely song the queen entered Westminster to was psalm 139 and it was the same song played when the queen mother arrive to lay in state. Chosen by the queen I would assume.