The Queen's funeral: Yorkshire mourners pay tribute in London

MOURNERS from across Yorkshire paid their respects by attending the Queen's funeral in London - and I was lucky enough to witness the historic occasion. 

For many, Queen Elizabeth II's death marks a strange new chapter in the nation's life, and a crazy world once softened by her stability. 

The people I spoke to in Hyde Park often referenced her motherly presence through 70 years worth of tribulations and crises.

Others reflected on the past, perhaps hinting at the clear sense of unease about a future without the figurehead's trusty wisdom. 

Only one thing could be certain: we will never see another event quite like this in our lifetime. 

That was a feeling Horsforth mum Kavitha Nades wanted to pass down to her four children. 

Kavitha, who works at Bradford Royal Infirmary, caught the 7am train on Monday with five year old Sahana, seven year old Ananya, nine year old Rohan and 10 year old Dhilan. 

Kavitha said: "I do love all the Pomp and Circumstance and I thought it would be an experience for the kids to be in London for the funeral. Hopefully they will feel part of it and remember the day in years to come." 

Ananya said: "I’ve picked lavender from my garden to bring to London for the Queen's funeral."

Sahana said: "Hopefully I’ll be able to see the soldiers walking past."

Dhilan said: "I’m excited to be part of the day but slightly nervous I’m going to get lost in the crowds."

Rohan added: "I’m excited to be travelling to London to see things in person." 

As 11am neared, people sat down on picnic blankets, coats and camping chairs in front of the large screens. 

Hyde Park fell almost silent apart from the sound of children asking questions about Prince George's age or the horses. 

Some people stood in the pathways, clearly too distracted by the picture of the Queen's coffin to sit down.

There was a sense in the air that the time for quiet reflection had already begun. 

Moments after Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby referenced The Queen's Covid-driven ode to Vera Lynn - 'we'll meet again' - it was somewhat symbolic that the clouds above London began to part for the first time that day.

"The sun shines for her," one viewer said, as the sound of bagpipes echoed across the green. 

Emotions began to spill out quietly, even if it was a modest and swift sniffle. 

A woman next to me pulled her glasses away from her head, quickly wiped away some tears and kissed her son on his head.

Sisters Ann-Marie and Caroline from Cleethorpes were left with similar emotions after witnessing the Queen lying-in-state on Sunday.

Ann-Marie and Caroline from Cleethorpes (Image: Newsquest)

They made a last minute decision to watch the funeral in London, joined by Ann-Marie's daughter and her partner.

The siblings inherited a great respect for the Queen from their late mum, who was from Scarborough.

Ann-Marie said: "We came last night and we went to see the Queen. We wanted to come because she gave us 70 years of her service. She was a wonderful monarch. We're her people and that's why we're here. Part of us, we're here for our mum." 

Recalling the Queen's character, Caroline said: "Always smiling, very cheeky. She had a great sense of humour." 

Her sister said: "You'd often hear a quip. She was so quick witted. There's a seriousness to the monarch, there's duty, you have to be serious but at the end of the day she was a woman. She paved that way for the rest of us."

"In a man's world," Caroline added. 

The sisters spent just short of 10 hours in the queue to say farewell to The Queen. 

Ann-Marie said: "To be able to walk past and pay our respects personally, it felt very personal. It was so fast after we'd gone through the bag check."

Caroline said: "When you've been watching it on the telly all week and you're there it was very bright, lots of bright colours. It was very quiet." 

"The jewels were glistening on top," Ann-Marie added. 

Yorkshire was well represented among the 2,000 attendees personally invited to the Queen's state funeral service in Westminster Abbey - including Nancy O’Neill, a long-serving nurse from Bradford.

Ms O’Neill, the deputy chief officer and strategic director of transformation and change at Bradford District and Craven Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), was awarded an MBE for her services to the NHS, particularly during the pandemic 

Speaking ahead of the event, Ms O’Neill said: “I think it is going to be surreal. I don’t think it’s really going to sink in until after we have finished."

Tina Leslie MBE, the Leeds-based founder of Freedom4Girls, was invited in honour of her efforts to tackle period poverty. 

She set off to London at 5.30am.

She said: "It’s a true honour to be attending the Queen's state funeral. The Queen had always shown she was a people’s person, even though she led a privileged life, she had a deep understanding of the issues people faced, both here in the UK and around the world. This was shown by awarding in 2021 when Freedom4girls received the Queen's Award for Volunteering with special recognition for COVID response. Then this year myself receiving an MBE for services to period poverty and volunteering. The Queen was an amazing monarch and I am so proud to be representing West Yorkshire at the funeral today."

Carolyn Fitzgerald came down from Doncaster to celebrate her husband Lester being chosen to march in the procession.

She was joined by friends Dianne Spencer and Sharron Gartland.

After struggling to find a viewing point for the procession, the group found a spot in Hyde Park. 

Lester served the Queen as part of the army and prison service for 50 years of her reign.

Many years ago he'd signed a document to say he would be happy to take part in royal events should he be needed, and picked up a special uniform. 

Practice runs for the procession had been taking place daily for 10 hours at a time since last Wednesday, Carolyn said. 

The special honour came after Lester attended the Queen's annual garden party. 

He was yards away from Charles, then in his former role as the Prince of Wales, and his wife Camilla. 

"It was beautiful," Carolyn said. 

"The King was lovely, really nice. They came out and spent a lot of time speaking to people, an hour or hour and a half. He was very personable." 

Fellow royalist Sharron said: "He's got certain ways, certain characteristics but he'll carry on the good work his mum's done. That's how he's been brought up."

She added: "I love the royal family. I've always followed the royal family, I felt like she was one of our own. Somebody said it on the news, she was like a mum or grandma. I love watching old films of her when she was growing up, all the different eras. 96 and she was doing Zoom!"