Civil leaders from across the county of Hampshire, members of the Armed Forces, representatives from charitable organisations, public bodies, the judiciary, local businesses, educational establishments and Winchester diocesan clergy, together with many hundreds of citizens from all over the south of England, gathered for a beautiful service of music, prayer and reflection.
The Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire, Nigel Atkinson, in a moving personal address, paid tribute to The Queen’s lifelong sense of duty and commitment, describing her as ’the guiding star in times of both crisis and celebration.’ He recalled how, when the then Princess Elizabeth visited Southampton as a ten year old with her parents and grandmother, to view the new liner ‘Queen Mary’, she most enjoyed her time in the ship’s engine room. He described how, on her wedding day in 1947, after their marriage ceremony in Westminster Abbey, she arrived with her new husband Philip at Winchester railway station on their way to spend their honeymoon at Broadlands in Romsey, the home of Lord Mountbatten. One local resident recalled ‘standing in Sussex Street, the setting sun casting a most glorious shade of orange/pink light which lit up their car and the happy couple as they passed by.’
The Lord Lieutenant emphasised how The Queen’s role as ‘Defender of the Faith and Supreme Governor of the Church of England was both an important element of her role as Monarch and a deeply personal part of her life. She respected all faiths, seeing them as a force for good in the world, and a way of bringing communities together.’ He concluded his address by describing The Queen as ‘one of the most outstanding, if not THE most outstanding figure in history. Service, dedication, integrity and honour were watchwords that guided her life. I cannot think of anyone else in the world who has simply NOT put a foot wrong. As citizens we owe her a debt that we can never repay.’
In her sermon, the Dean of Winchester, Catherine Ogle, said that ‘as we meet to mourn the loss of our dear Monarch, we do so with the deepest gratitude and recognise that her life, a shining example and inspiration to so many, was a life of profound Christian faith. The Dean reflected, ‘And now, we can rest assured that she dwells in her heavenly home and life in all its fulness.’
The wide repertoire of music was provided by the Cathedral Choir and the Kensington Brass Ensemble under the direction of Andrew Lumsden. An important and memorable moment in the service was when representatives from other faiths – Judaism, Islam, Hinduism and Bahá’í – alongside different denominations of Christianity, laid wreaths in front of the nave altar, adorned with a photograph of The Queen.
As the service ended and the huge congregation began to leave the Cathedral in fading light, one of them, Joan Redmond from Southampton, described the hour as ‘a stunning, memorable and lovely occasion, wholly fitting to give thanks for a stunning, memorable and lovely grandmother and Queen.’