I was home on vacation.  I was relaxing and sleeping in and enjoying not being at work.  However, on Wednesday night I had not slept well.  I woke up on and off all night because I was dreaming about the Queen and her health.  It wasn’t the first time, but it was the most vivid. Unable to sleep I grabbed my phone and looked at my messages and email.  There it was, Susan and Scott talking about the announcement regarding HM The Queen’s health.

“The Queen’s doctors are concerned for Her Majesty’s health and have recommended she remain under medical supervision. The Queen remains comfortable and at Balmoral.”

It was this generations “The King’s life is moving peacefully to its close” used for her grandfather, King George V, over 87 years before hand.

I got out of bed and turned-on BBC World to watch the news.  All the coverage was about the announcement and it early enough that nobody had changed clothes yet.  I texted a friend to give her the news.  I grabbed my laptop and checked a couple of online but “hidden” sources I knew about.  The news there wasn’t good.  I continued to watch BBC as I did a few things around the house, took care of the dogs, and ate a little.  I kept an eye on Unofficial Royalty to make sure it didn’t go down and messaged friends about the situation.  I watched the crowds gather and the talking heads on TV talk.  On my phone I would rotate between the UK Telegraph and the Times of London.  It still didn’t seem real.  I was watching history.  Then I saw it.

The helicopter over Buckingham Palace showed the flag at half-staff.  Just as it was registering in my mind what that meant, Huw Edwards announced The Queen had passed then read the official announcement:

“The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon. The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow.”

It hit me a lot harder than I thought it would.  It was 12:30 my time and quite honestly the rest of the day was a blur.  I watched BBC into the night; it would be my pattern over the next few days as I came to grip with what was going on.

A year later and I’m sure I have fully come to grips with it yet.  Rest-in-Peace Your Majesty, you certainly earned it.

I have been waiting since 1981 for a coronation and since that time I have gotten up early to watch every royal event. I have watched videos of A Queen is Crowned and news reel footage of the coronation of George VI. Needless to say, I was extremely excited about watching the coronation this past Saturday. I got up extra early to watch all the processions and the ceremony and here are my thoughts.

Things experts got wrong:
1. Charles did not wear a military uniform but wore traditional tunics. (He did wear trousers and not britches)
2. Harry was not in the 10th row; he was in the third, which was the first row of nonworking royals.
3. Lady Louise was on the balcony.

Things I did not like:
1. Most peers were not in coronation robes and did not have coronets. That was one of my favorite parts of previous coronations. They could have at least let the peers who were part of the ceremony wear their coronets since they were in coronation robes.
2. The removal of the homage except for the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Prince of Wales.
3. The Queen not holding the consort’s scepter and rod.

Surprising emotional moment for me: After the anointing screens were removed and we see the King kneeling in trousers and white shirt as the bishops prayed over him.

Rock Star of the Coronation: The Lord President of the Council (Penny Mordaunt)

Moment that lived up to all the hype: The actual crowning of the King.

Random Thoughts:
• Louis and Charlotte were every bit a little prince and princess.
• One of the girls in the choir reminded me of a young Lindsay Lohan.
• There were moments when both the King and Queen looked their age.
• No moment brought me to tears, but after the Prince of Wales kissed the King’s cheek, I might have come close.
• The royal salute and three cheers for the King and Queen by the troops was impressive.
• They did an excellent job of making the balcony look full.
• The Queen’s crown looked so big to me.
• God willing, I will live to see one more coronation.
• God save the King!