WITH dignity and pageantry, the Queen Mother is laid to rest. The world watched her final journey today, a ceremonial set-piece of uniquely British pomp and precision.

At home, the funeral was much more than a spectacle; more even than history in the making. It was a moment to pause and reflect.

For a while, the clatter of commerce was stilled. Shops closed, trading on the Stock Exchange was suspended. Thoughts turned to a remarkable woman who led a remarkable life.

Each generation has a different impression of the Queen Mother. Those old enough to remember her emergence into public life know her as the first people's royal, the Duchess of York who stepped down from the royal pedestal to meet her well-wishers.

She is perhaps held in deepest affection by the war generation, for whom she was the personification of the Blitz spirit.

Most of us, however, have known her only as the Queen Mother, the silent bedrock of the Royal Family. Her ever-smiling presence was enough to lift any occasion. She was always greeted with great warmth in North Yorkshire, as she was throughout the kingdom.

These past ten days have been as remarkable as the aftermath of the death of Diana, Princess of Wales. Once again the monarchy has been taken by surprise by the public's depth of feeling. Tens of thousands of people have queued for hours to pay their last respects to the Queen Mother. Many more have signed condolence books opened everywhere from cathedrals to service stations.

Thousands lined the streets for the procession taking the Queen Mother's coffin to Westminster Hall last week, and for the funeral today.

Although the Queen Mother's age meant that her public appearances dwindled in recent years, the number of young people paying tribute to her has been conspicuous. She was admired by every age, every class.

While the mood in 1997 was excitable and threatening to the monarchy, the mood today is the opposite. The Queen has expressed her thanks for the quiet outpouring of support. It is testament to the Queen Mother that, even in death, she has the power to fortify the monarchy.

Another difference between now and then is that the Royal Family rose immediately to the occasion. Unlike Diana, the Queen Mother's death was not unexpected; indeed, she arranged much of today's service herself.

Yet the Queen's simple but heartfelt television address, and the poignant tribute by the Queen Mother's four grandsons yesterday, mounting a vigil around the coffin, has moved the nation.

With fitting grandeur, today we said a final goodbye to a woman of many roles: Duchess, Queen, mother, grandmother. The Queen Mother's life touched many thousands of others, and her funeral today allowed a grateful national to say thank you, and goodbye.

Updated: 10:26 Tuesday, April 09, 2002