3.7 National events and history

As a young man (30^th Jan 1965, while I was at Portsmouth), I watched the state funeral of Sir Winston Churchill on TV, with the ceremonies in London, and then the journey by boat along the Thames (with the dockland cranes dipping in salute) and train to Bladon churchyard, near Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire. The whole ceremonial was supervised by the Duke of Norfolk (who is hereditary Earl Marshal of England, and as such masterminds all state ceremonial events … I had no idea that he would later feature in my “family tree”, when his daughter married a 2^nd cousin of mine), and I remember being very moved at the end … after the burial, and the mourners had left, the Earl Marshal himself remained (as I remember motionless) by the side of the grave for an hour, after which he raised his baton three times in salute before leaving – I think the commentators said that was something unprecedented.

Later, I visited the grave in Bladon churchyard (pictured).

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