The Rise Of Australasia - Chapter 55

Chapter Fifty-five: The Funeral Begins

Translator: 549690339 I

On November 29,1900, the long-prepared funeral of Queen Victoria finally began solemnly.

As a highly esteemed former monarch of the United Kingdom, Queen Victoria had very detailed arrangements for her own funeral, all of which Edward allowed.

Among them, a particularly personal touch was Queen Victoria’s specific request that all those attending the funeral should have elements of white present, even the horses at the funeral were to be draped in white cloth.

Of course, this also included the protagonist of this funeral, Queen Victoria. The Queen, dressed in pure white wedding dress with a white veil over her head, symbolized the queen’s fidelity to love and marriage.

In order to abide by Queen Victoria’s will, William II, Edward, Arthur, Princess Beatrice, and the queen’s confidante, James Reed, together with three faithful servants, positioned at the queen’s head and at her sides, gently placed the queen into the coffin.

This was no easy task, as Queen Victoria had been dead for a month already. Despite the well-preserved body, Arthur and the others had to be extremely careful when lifting her, to avoid unnecessary damage to the queen’s remains.

The queen’s massive sarcophagus was filled with thick charcoal, then Princess Albert’s bathrobe was laid on top.

Even though Prince Albert had been dead for over 40 years, Queen Victoria still kept her husband’s bathrobe, demonstrating just how deep their love was.

In the space specifically designated for grave goods, Queen Victoria had specific instructions. Unlike other monarchs who liked to place large amounts of jewelry and gold coins, Queen Victoria’s grave goods were her favorite handkerchiefs, rings, books as well as photos, jewelry boxes and bracelets, and other small items.

After enjoying most of her life in luxury, what Queen Victoria wanted after death was not extreme luxury, but as much warmth and memories as possible. Although each piece of grave goods might not be of high value, they held special meaning for Queen Victoria.

Orphaned in her childhood, widowed in her middle age, and bereaved of a son in her old age, Queen Victoria encounter all the tragic circumstances in life.

Combined with the hegemony of Britain in the Victorian era, various feats had pushed this great queen to the point of legend.

At eight o’clock in the morning, Queen Victoria’s funeral officially began in London.

Even before the state funeral of Queen Victoria began, royal and high-level individuals from various European and world countries had already arrived at Westminster Cathedral, or Westminster Abbey.

Before the funeral began, Westminster Cathedral rang its bell 81 times in tribute to Queen Victoria’s 81-year legendary life.

Due to Queen Victoria’s request for a militarized funeral, the queen’s coffin was placed on a gun carriage before the funeral began, and was pulled by hundreds of Royal Navy soldiers.

According to the arrangements made in Queen Victoria’s will, it should have been pulled by eight white military horses.

But on Arthur’s suggestion, it was changed to have the gun carriage pulled by hundreds of Royal Navy soldiers.

Edward VII and British officials agreed to the change because it would enhance the ceremonial feel of the entire funeral. It was at least more solemn and human than the horse carriage.

The custom of placing the coffin on a gun carriage, and having it pulled by soldiers, which was established by Queen Victoria, subsequently became a high-level royal tradition.

In original history, another queen with an even longer reign, Queen Elizabeth, also recreated Queen Victoria’s funeral style.

With the coffin-laden gun carriage slowly escorted by navy soldiers towards Westminster Cathedral, countless British people along the route vividly expressed their high respect and infinite blessings for this great queen.

Although the entire funeral route was only a few kilometers long, the gun carriage took more than two hours to allow Queen Victoria to receive the final send-off from as many people as possible.

Edward VII and Arthur, along with other senior members of the royal family, followed behind the coffin of Queen Victoria in procession, also taking part in her final journey.

Both Edward VII and Arthur were dressed in military regalia, adorned with the medals and honors of their nation.

But at this time, Arthur’s mood was very heavy. With the loss of Queen Victoria, it seemed he truly only had himself to rely on.

While Duchess Louise and his two sisters did show concern for Arthur, they could provide little more than emotional comfort; their actual ability to assist him was limited.

At eleven o’clock in the morning, Queen Victoria’s coffin officially arrived at Westminster Abbey, marking the start of the state funeral.

Approximately a thousand guests attended the ceremony, among them were numerous heads of state and members of royal families from around the world.

The Archbishop of Canterbury began by praising the Queen’s achievements, lauding her for modeling her life after Christ and dedicating her life to serving the nation and its people.

There were plenty of praises for Queen Victoria, who indeed had an impressive list of accomplishments including the rise of the British Empire as the world’s strongest power, the spread of British territories across the globe, and the establishment of the Indian Empire, among others.

Prime Minister Robert of Britain also read a passage from the Gospel of John in the Bible during the funeral.

The ceremony proceeded with a three-minute silence for Queen Victoria, observed simultaneously throughout the British Empire.

This time of silence was prearranged to start at 11:55 AM on 29th November and to end at 58 minutes past the hour, with every colony and region observing it in synchrony.

At the end of the ceremony, the British national anthem “God Save the Queen” filled the church and the state funeral officially concluded.

After this, Queen Victoria’s coffin would be moved to Wellington Arch at the southeast corner of Hyde Park in London, from where it would be transferred to Windsor Castle for burial.

The procession of Queen Victoria’s coffin was indeed enormous, with over 2000 soldiers and hundreds of civilians involved.

Due to the high prestige of Queen Victoria in Britain, soldiers and police maintained order on both sides of the route.

The Grand Bell Tower chimed every minute. Amidst the slow tolling of the bells, the coffin of Queen Victoria, accompanied by the procession, slowly advanced through the capital’s streets. A continuous mile-long line of mourners lined the streets as the vast procession set off for Windsor Castle.

Upon arrival at Wellington Arch, the coffin of Queen Victoria was transferred to a new state hearse and proceeded directly to Windsor Castle.

At this point, the number of British people present to pay their respects was at its highest, as ordinary citizens would not be allowed to enter once the coffin arrived at Windsor Castle.

Therefore, the journey from Wellington Arch to Windsor Castle was the last opportunity for the British public to catch a glimpse of Queen Victoria’s coffin.

As the hearse passed through these streets, the crowds, oscillating between hysteria and mourning, threw flowers at the carriage and applauded.

People were reluctant to let go of their queen, yet they had to accept her departure. Hence, they expressed their profound respect for Queen Victoria in their frenzy. The bundles of flowers thrown at the hearse were a testament to the place Queen Victoria held in the hearts of the British people.

It’s worth noting that due to Queen Victoria’s funeral, the cost of flowers in the whole of London had skyrocketed.

Under such circumstances, the people purchased bouquet after bouquet of flowers solely to throw as the Queen’s hearse passed, which spoke volumes about the status and popularity Queen Victoria held in Britain..