Care home chief who attended Queen's funeral says 'it was a long and emotional day'

Major General Tim Tyler, chair of Royal Star & Garter, a charity which runs care homes for military veterans, has revealed what it was like attending the Queen’s funeral in Westminster Abbey.

The Queen had been the charity’s patron since 1953 and paid several visits to one of its former care homes in Richmond.

Major General Tyler represented the charity at the funeral on Monday calling it a “great privilege”.

He said: “My wife and I walked to Westminster from Kensington. The roads were closed; there were police and security personnel to be seen but otherwise silence as if the world had stopped.

“As we got closer people emerged from everywhere, all going the same way; there was a sense of expectation. My wife headed for St James’s Park and The Mall as I walked towards the inevitable security checks before entering the Abbey. I met old friends and made new acquaintances, all united in respect for Her Majesty and her extraordinary legacy.

'Sad but uplifting event'

“The Abbey was filling up. I have been there before for ceremonial occasions but none like this. It was immediately clear that this sad but uplifting event was bringing together peoples and organisations from every corner of the world. The Queen and the Royal Family have a very strong relationship with the Armed Forces which I have enjoyed over the years but Queen Elizabeth had clearly had just as strong and invigorating relationships with everyone!

“I was sitting next to two wonderful people: Brian Roberts, recently awarded the MBE for his work with Healing Hands Network which provides support to those who are suffering from the mental, physical and emotional after-effects of war, particularly in Bosnia and Herzegovina and now to British military veterans; and Victoria Clayton of the Shire Horse Society which, of course, takes a special interest in the Household Cavalry drum horses. We were sitting near holders of the Victoria Cross and George Cross and among representatives of all the orders of knighthood.”

Major General Tyler was soon joined by heads of state, prime ministers, members of the Royal Household, religious leaders and the Royal Family.

'A sense of sadness for an irreplaceable loss'

He revealed that “the atmosphere changed from the moment the coffin was carried into the Abbey. The service was, of course quiet, contemplative and with a sense of sadness for an irreplaceable loss.

“This was the place of the Queen’s marriage and coronation and now the place for us all to say farewell. But the Archbishop of Canterbury reminded us that this was a moment for celebration of a remarkable life and the transition of Her Majesty into the heavenly estate to which Christians aspire. For me the highlight of the service was the singing of the anthem composed for the service by Sir James MacMillen CBE based on St Paul’s letter to the Romans in which, after a quiet opening, the choir erupted into a joyous and almost chaotic ‘Alleluia’.

“After the service I set off to find my wife in the packed St James’s Park. I was crowded with people who wanted a photograph of the Order of Service. People clearly respected the solemnity of the occasion and they wanted to be a real part of it and not just spectators.”

On arriving home “after a long and emotional day" he said: "I would like to extend Royal Star & Garter’s condolences to His Majesty the King and all the Royal Family. We have all had time privately to grieve for a Queen who we all treasured in our own way. They have all lost their Queen, mother, grandmother and great grandmother and been in the spotlight for days, and they now need time to themselves. I am sure we all look forward to their full presence again, in time, in the life of the country and more widely.

“We will continue to provide our ‘Care with courage’ to our veterans, following the example set by Queen Elizabeth and with the continued love and commitment of our President, Her Royal Highness Princess Alexandra.”

click here for more details or to contact Royal Star & Garter