The reason why HM Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin is being towed on rope by sailors rather than horses during its procession has been revealed.
And it’s all to do with bad weather and a disastrous incident at a former Royal’s funeral.
The nation bid a final farewell to our longest-reigning monarch at State Funeral today, with around 2,000 guests attending the official service Westminster Abbey, including world leaders representing nearly 200 countries and territories, 500 foreign dignitaries – such as politicians, civil servants, and some celebrities – and many ordinary members of the public selected for charitable or community works.
Tens of thousands of mourners also travelled to London and Windsor for the funeral and burial service, and many more were seen gathering at different hubs across the UK to watch the historic event in real-time as it was broadcast.
Queen Elizabeth II’s children – including the newly-ascended King Charles III and Queen Consort – were in attendance, as were her grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and other extended family members.
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The service concluded with a two-minute silence observed by the nation.
It’s fair to say that there were many moments from the funeral that will be remembered and talked about for years to come, and one of those talking points appears to be why the Queen’s coffin was taken to Westminster Abbey by being pulled on rope on a carriage by Royal Navy personnel, rather than being towed by horses.
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The coffin was then continued to be transported this way for the majority of the rest of its procession to Windsor Castle , and many viewers took to social media to question why this was the case.
The reason why the coffin was transported this way dates back to 1901.
On the day of Queen Victoria’s funeral on 4 February 1901, her coffin was to be carried on the gun carriage through the streets of Windsor.
But the classic British weather said otherwise.
In the bitter cold of that winter’s day, the horses pulling the carriage panicked and reared up, which threatened to topple the coffin off of the carriage.
Captain Prince Louis of Battenberg – who was then the future First Sea Lord of the Royal Nany – was quick to intervene, and he suggested to the new monarch, Edward VII, that the senior service should step in and take over.
The horses pulling the carriage were then unharnessed and improvised ropes were attached to the gun carriage so the team of sailors brought could carry the coffin safely for the rest of the route.
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The image of the coffin mishap became so famous, that only nine years later at the funeral of Edward VII, the routine of Royal Navy escortation was adopted as a new tradition, and has been seen at every single British monarch’s State Funeral since then.
Featured Image – BBC
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Co-op Live assures fans arena WILL open this week in time for Olivia Rodrigo and other gigs
Daisy Jackson
Manchester’s huge new arena the Co-op Live has assured fans that it will definitely, actually, for sure open this week.
The staggering new music venue beside the Etihad Stadium has been hit by a couple of high-profile delays in the last fortnight.
Although a test event with Rick Astley went ahead on 21 April, giving a small audience a glimpse inside the state-of-the-art arena, the brakes were slammed on soon afterwards.
Co-op Live pushed its opening date back while it ironed out some kinks, namely ‘power supply issues’, and underwent rigorous testing to ‘run all shows safely’.
That meant Peter Kay was rescheduled to 29 and 30 April… but then got postponed again, along with The Black Keys, who were meant to perform last weekend.
All the delays have left fans panicking that their shows will also be delayed, with some huge shows like Olivia Rodrigo, Take That, and Liam Gallagher lined up in the coming weeks and months.
But Co-op Live has now issued a statement reassuring gig-goers that they are full steam ahead and ready to open as planned this week.
The first act to perform here officially will now be A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie on 1 May (not quite as local a name as they were gunning for, but we move).
He’ll be followed by Olivia Rodrigo and her Guts Tour, who will perform two sold-out gigs on 3 and 4 May.
Then Keane will play the Co-op Live on 5 May to mark 20 years since the release of Hopes and Fears.
Co-op Live posted: “Let’s do this! Less than 48 hours until we kick off our full opening season.
“Our scheduled shows with @aboogievsartist, @oliviarodrigo and @keaneofficial are going ahead.
“Ticket holders can expect an email with everything they need to know about this week’s events to land in your inboxes tomorrow!”
Fans have breathed a sigh of relief at the news, with one person writing: “YAY THANK GOD OMG THIS IS AMAZING WAS LITERALLY HAVJNG A MENTAL BREAKDOWN BOUT OLIVIA BEING CANCELLED.”
Another commented: “THANK GOD!!! 4th mayyyy.”
Someone else posted: “IM SO HAPPY AHHHHHH I’VE BEEN NERVOUS ALL WEEK BUT NOW I KNOW ITS GONNA BE FINE AHHH.”
Olivia Rodrigo fans are BIG believers in an all-caps comment, clearly.
Co-op Live will open in Manchester on Wednesday 1 May.
It’s going to be worth the wait, we’re pretty sure…
Salford murder victim named and pictured after human remains found
Daisy Jackson
The victim of a major murder investigation in Salford has been named and pictured by police.
Detectives are ‘confident’ that the victim is Stuart Everett, 67, though formal identification is yet to take place.
A major investigation was launched on 4 April after body parts wrapped in plastic were found in Kersal Dale.
Further human remains were then discovered at Blackleach Reservoir and Colliery Wood over last weekend.
DNA samples have been sent away for urgent forensic analysis, after which the victim’s identity will be formally confirmed.
Stuart’s family are being supported by specially-trained GMP officers.
GMP said: “In the last 48 hours they have heard the most devastating news that anyone could hear, and our thoughts remain with them as they begin to process this.”
Two men have been charged with murder and will appear at Manchester Crown Court this morning.
A large police presence will continue to be deployed around Salford as GMP looks to recover more evidence.
The remains found at the other three locations in Salford are still to be tested, but GMP says it is ‘confident’ that they belong to the same victim.
Detective Superintendent Lewis Hughes from GMP’s Serious Crime Division, said: “My thoughts and the thoughts of officers and staff across Greater Manchester Police are with Stuart’s family at this traumatic time. Family Liaison Officers are supporting them through each update in our investigation.
“On behalf of Stuart’s loved ones, I ask the public and the press to please respect their wishes for peace and privacy while they process this most devastating news.
“My officers and detectives, alongside additional resources from across the force, have worked tirelessly over the last three days to secure charges.
“We are grateful for the public’s continued help and support throughout this case. We understand the shockwaves this has caused throughout the community and beyond, and we hope you are reassured by the pace of our investigation and also our large police presence in the areas as we continue to make enquiries.
“We have officers drawn from different teams and units in GMP who have helped us search and their efforts do not go unnoticed, and they have all played an important role to help us get to this stage in our investigation.
“We said right at the start that our investigation will not stop until we have every stone unturned, and this continues to be the case. Our investigation has been a huge process so far, and we will continue to push forward in our enquiries to find answers for Stuart’s family.”
Michal Jaroslaw Polchowski (25/04/1956) and Marcin Majerkiewicz (10/04/1982) both of Worsley Road, Eccles, have been charged with murder. They are due to appear at Manchester Crown Court this morning (30 April 2024).