After days of mourning the death of Queen Elizabeth II, a sense of finality has settled across the UK and Commonwealth following her state funeral on Monday, as crowds lined the streets to honor the late monarch and her historic 70-year reign her. Monday was declared a public holiday in honor of the queen, who died on September 8 at Balmoral Castle in Scotland — and hundreds of thousands of people descended on central London and Windsor to bid her farewell. Full of pomp and pageantry, the official day was widely seen as a time for the public to say goodbye to their former sovereign. Sally Osman, former director of Royal Communications at Buckingham Palace, told CTV News that the Queen’s funeral brought an end to an era and needed reflection before moving forward. Speaking during CTV News’ live coverage of Queen Elizabeth II’s state funeral on Monday, Osman noted that the queen, who was involved in planning her own funeral, offered the public a chance to mourn in front of her family . Osman said it was her last act of service, in a way. “There’s been something very profound going on, not just in the UK I think, but around the world, and now that these ceremonies are over, I think there’s going to be a moment where we just stop and think,” Osman said. Despite the end of the period of public mourning, the royal family will continue mourning until at least September 26. Protocol dictates that the royal family continues to mourn for a week after the public. During this time, the royal family will not make any public engagements unless the King gives special permission. They will also continue to wear black clothing and flags, with the exception of the Royal Standard, will continue to fly at half-mast. “I think the Queen, wherever she is, would look down and be incredibly proud of her family, the way they behaved with such dignity while having to mourn in public,” Osman said. However, despite the additional period of mourning for members of the royal family, Osman said business must continue. “Nevertheless, the wills of the constitution will continue to turn,” he said. “Whether it’s signing legislation, meeting other heads of state who may be in town that the king hasn’t yet had a chance to meet, and starting to take on those important duties of the monarchy.” There has been some downtime for the royal family since the Queen’s death, especially for King Charles III. The new Sovereign has had a “day of reflection” since his mother’s death. The rest of the days he is busy balancing new responsibilities with personal grief and sorrow, even touring the UK’s four nations. In addition, the King does not rest from receiving the famous red boxes containing state papers, which arrive every day of his reign except Christmas Day. After their mourning period, there will likely be more tours and engagements around the country — and the world — not just for the King, but for other members of the Royal Family as they adjust to their new roles. Also, planning will probably begin soon for the coronation of King Charles III. While the King immediately ascended the throne when his mother died, his coronation likely won’t take place until the spring of 2023, as the logistics of such an event require months of planning. Buckingham Palace is also starting planning for its annual Christmas show in September, which will be the King’s first. “You have to think about the band that will play, the hymns that will be sung, the theme… what reading might come from the Bible,” Osman said. “There (are) enormous amounts of symbolism built into what seems like a very, very simple undertaking.” Osman noted that this ongoing workflow – even in the midst of one’s grief – comes with the territory of being a member of the Royal Family. This is a duty, says Osman, Queen Elizabeth II understands deeply. He said the Queen had “a real sense of commitment” and exemplified “true leadership”. “Now we have to give the King and his family as much support as we can,” he said. Osman said the events leading up to and including the funeral not only close the final chapter of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign, but signal the welcome of a new era for the monarchy. He added that this sense of hope is something the late sovereign would like the public to keep in mind amid his grief. “He will want people to remember this time … of how we can come together in times of grief and work, and we should remember that sense of togetherness and being together,” he said. With files from the Associated Press
