I vow to thee, my country, all earthly things above,
Entire and whole and perfect, the service of my love;
The love that asks no questions, the love that stands the test,
That lays upon the altar the dearest and the best;
The love that never falters, the love that pays the price,
The love that makes undaunted the final sacrifice.
And there’s another country, I’ve heard of long ago,
Most dear to them that love her, most great to them that know;
We may not count her armies, we may not see her King;
Her fortress is a faithful heart, her pride is suffering;
And soul by soul and silently her shining bounds increase,
And her ways are ways of gentleness, and all her paths are peace.
It was impressive. The perfect funeral, for a Military man, member of "The Greatest Generation". Obviously, done as he wished.
ReplyDeleteI just did a post, on this day. I hope you will read it.
And I also hope I do not offend you, with my idea, of the Monarchy. As an American, I do not revere it, as you, in your Country, would naturally do. But I fully applaud it today... A reminder of Duty!!!
In this horrible time, when all such things, are practically spit upon, by the *Woke* and *Cancel* people.
Long live the Queen...
And what an example of being a lady.... Katherine today... I love it!
ReplyDeleteShe who deftly engaged Harry in conversation, leading to the brothers walking from the funeral, beside each other.
Bless her! And all "surviving" Ladies.
We watched it all today and found, entwined with the sadness of the occasion, much glory and love. For me, never ending pride in being a 'Brit' despite not living there for so long, and for Bob the always excellence of the British military. Even his brother called us from Arizona and reiterated our thoughts "Nobody does pageantry like the British."
ReplyDeleteMy heart was heavy for the Queen, bless her and may she reign much longer despite Prince Philip no longer at her side.
What a glorious day weather wise for the funeral - Windsor looked spectacular. My mum grew up there when her father was an officer in the Coldstream Guards and assigned to the castle.
Gosh I recall singing 'I Vow to Thee My Country' in school so often - and I still choke as I hold back the tears! Thanks for the words here Sal.
Mary -
🏴❤️
ReplyDeleteMary, it was just as you say...sad but at the same time not so sad. The weather was glorious and Windsor Castle really did look amazing under those beautiful, blue skies. The music was superb. And yes, this is what my country does best and it gives us our own, unique identity.
ReplyDeleteI always feel very proud when we hold such occasions. But at the forefront of my mind was Prince Philip and his love for his family and his love for his country. All of those years of dedication as well as working well into his 90s...to me that is truly incredible. It was his day and he would’ve known that everyone would do him proud. R.I.P Prince Philip.