Clerks’ Notes – September 2022

Mark The Clerk

It is a fact that we are all living history as it happens. However, it is rare that we live through a momentous event in history that has such an impact across the entire world. The passing of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was one such event, the like of which we shall not see again during our lifetimes.

The Assistant Clerk and I are both fiercely proud to have served in what was Her Majesty’s Royal Navy, between us accounting for almost 61 years of cumulative service. And so it was with a sense of great pride and admiration that we watched so many members of His Majesty’s Royal Navy bear the late Queen to her final resting place. Indeed we were impressed by everyone involved in the various ceremonial events over the 12-day period, whatever uniform they wore and in/on whatever form of transport they were conveyed.

The dignity of the occasion and way in which His Majesty the King and all the other members of the Royal Family had to bear their personal loss in the glare of the global media was a humbling thing to behold. Along with so many who witnessed it, my heart went out to them at what I know from personal experience is an extremely testing time.

I read that over 4 billion people watched the State Funeral worldwide. I’m not sure if that is a true figure but I bet there were a good many critical eyes across the globe thinking: “crikey, they’ve still got it!” Interestingly, during the various parts of the procession to and from the service in Westminster Abbey, I was able to keep my emotions in check but as the procession made its way up the Long Walk to Windsor Castle and it passed Emma, the late Queen’s favourite Fell Pony, I was caught out by something in my eye. Something similar happened when I saw the driving ponies and carriage of the late Prince Philip waiting patiently in the Quadrangle of Windsor Castle as his cortege passed in 2021; it highlighted the human element of the occasion.

But the world moves on and at the time of writing I have already attended a formal event in the City during which the Loyal Toast was made to His Majesty the King. It felt both strange and yet perfectly normal. God Save the King.

Forthcoming Coachmaker events

The Aerospace Industry Dinner will be held on Tuesday 8th November at Clothworkers’ Hall. Keep an eye on your inbox for details.

The Lord Mayor’s Show will once again include an entry from the Coachmakers Company. Look out for details that will be sent out in the next few days to tell you how you can be involved. And if you’ve ever wondered what it feels like to be cheered by over 30,000 people for doing nothing more than walking down the road waving, you need to sign up.

In conclusion

I must apologise for the limited detail in this edition but post summer, and with the past couple of weeks dominated by one event, not much has emerged from the City this month, so I’ll conclude with a couple of observations about the last couple of weeks.

Notwithstanding the sight of Emma patiently waiting by the side of the Long Walk at Windsor, the other profoundly poignant moment in St George’s Chapel was when Her Late Majesty was required to hand back her kit. As all retiring Fleet Air Arm pilots know, when the time comes to hand back one’s flying watch it is a pretty emotional experience. To have to hand back one’s crown, globe and sceptre takes the idea to an entirely different level.

Finally, as all motorsport fans know, the Italian F1 Tifosi and the Spanish MotoGP crowd are a pretty lively lot. To witness both sets of fans on successive weekends observing an immaculate minute of silence in memory of Her Late Majesty was truly astonishing. Indeed, the tributes paid from around the world to our late monarch were remarkable in both tone and content.

It is rare to see such respect, and in so many cases true affection, for one human being displayed at the global level. Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was an inspiration to everyone and we shall all miss her. I can’t help but think that if more people lived by her example the world would be a better place.