Here are two animal-related moments during this wonderful Monday when the world said goodbye to Queen Elizabeth II at her funeral. The organisers did an amazing job. Quite outstanding. It went like clockwork and was very moving as one would expect. It was truly a magnificent occasion.
Emma
Two little animal-related moments crept in if you consider a spider to be an animal! But the first one concerns her fell pony, Emma. We were told by the BBC that Emma was her favourite horse before her passing and the cameras caught Emma standing adjacent to that mile-long walk towards Windsor Castle along which the ceremonial procession of the coffin took place. The pony was accompanied by head groom Terry Penry in their final tribute to her Majesty on the Long Walk in Windsor.
I did not attend the funeral or any procession in person, but I captured a snapshot of the television screen and marked up on the image. Emma is circled in yellow and the Queen’s hearse is circled in red.
Spider
The other animal story concerns a spider which must have been within the wreath on top of the Queen’s coffin. The news media called it a stowaway spider. As Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin was proceeding down the nave of Westminster Abbey carried by the bearer party of the Queen’s Company, 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards, a tiny spider appeared on the card which I believe is the one written by King Charles III. If it is the one, I saw it said, “In loving and devoted memory Charles R”. The Charles R means King Charles of Charles Rex.
The spider clung to the card for several seconds before returning to the safety of the wreath. It was made from flowers in the royal gardens of Buckingham Palace, Clarence House, the King’s official residence while he was Prince of Wales, and Highgrove House, the King and Queen’s private residence in Gloucestershire. So that wreath is an important object and within it, tucked away very comfortably, was a tiny spider who has become a bit of a celebrity as has Emma the fell pony.
Here is a Twitter video of the spider:
Below are some more horse stories.