Queen Elizabeth’s funeral: Anything to learn?

● Millions paid their last respect to the Queen

Dear Editor,

Special attention was on the United Kingdom in the last two weeks, following the passing of the nation’s longest-reigning monarch, the adorable Queen Elizabeth II.

She was laid to rest on the evening of Monday, September 19, 2022, after a well-coordinated state funeral, attended by world leaders and viewed by millions across the world.

The depth of affection for the Queen was evident in the uncountable number of people who wrote tributes, took flowers and joined queues to pay their last respect. From start to finish, the funeral portrayed the personality, leadership, and the warm character of Her Majesty.

Monitoring some of the proceedings from September 8, 2022, when the Queen’s death was announced, up until she made her final journey home, I cannot help but express my admiration and highlight few observations made during the period in this letter.

First, I commend the local and international media for the extensive coverage provided. Clearly, such a historic moment reinforced the crucial role of the media in educating and providing up to the minute information to citizens.

I must admit that the reportage from various media outlets, including the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) was an eye-opener as they delved into the minutest and intriguing details of the British monarchy. The analysis and discussions were insightful and I continue to learn more and look forward to the reign of King Charles III.

Ahead of the main event, I noticed the proclamation of the new King and the planning of the funeral was done in less than two weeks. All arrangements took a natural course and it did not appear as if people were taken by surprise.

The organisation of the funeral, I later learnt, was seamless because the ceremony and all other events had been rehearsed by the military ahead of time.

With over 2,000 guests at the funeral, security was tight as over 4,000 security personnel were deployed on the day. This implies there was a ratio of two security officials to one guest. Isn’t that worth commending?

When members of the public started paying their last respect to the Queen, queue management experts were able to accurately predict and warn other people from joining the long queue, indicating ‘latecomers’ may not be able to make it to Westminster Hall within the allotted time. This is another proof of the many things that were factored into the planning of the funeral.

The ceremony was generally incident-free and everything returned to normal after the short period of national mourning.

Before I conclude my thoughts, I again observed that there was no special ‘funeral cloth’ for the Queen’s funeral; mourners were in any decent black outfit. Elsewhere, an ‘Abusuapanyin’ would have ‘selected’ a funeral cloth and spent hard-earned currency procuring same just because it is a ‘royal funeral.’

I must say we are good at planning and organising state funerals and other kinds of funeral our own way but there is certainly something to learn from the Queen’s funeral. We can pay the needed respect to the departed without wasting time and resources.

Frank Adutwum,

Kpong, Eastern Region.