What an extraordinarily powerful and moving farewell - truly a funeral fit for our greatest Queen.
All those involved, from the young guardsmen carrying the coffin to the security services who worked in the shadows to keep world leaders safe, should take quiet pride in having done their duty to perfection.
Thank you too to the organisers of such dignified Cheltenham events including the Proclamation on the steps of the Municipal Offices.
In his sermon, the Archbishop of Canterbury noted that the pattern for many leaders is to be exalted in life but forgotten after death.
Let us instead dedicate ourselves to remembering Queen Elizabeth II's example and the values she so nobly advanced: selflessness, service, integrity and courage.
They embody the best of our nation - not merely values from the past, but what we must stand for in the future.
Now we must turn to the challenges of today.
Because of Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, much of the world now faces a difficult winter.
Energy prices in particular have skyrocketed, and the grim reality is that many Cheltenham businesses will simply buckle without financial aid.
So the Government is right to intervene rapidly and decisively to avoid mass bankruptcies and job losses.
By the time you read this, details of the colossal financial package of support will have become clearer.
It will reach beyond businesses, and will include settings like Cheltenham's schools, which I know have been growing concerned about their energy bills.
The long-run solution has to be to secure our domestic energy supply, so we can't be held to ransom by the actions of other countries.
It also means businesses and homes need to be incentivised to become far more energy efficient.
The word 'resilience' is used a lot these days to talk about making individuals ready to face life's inevitable setbacks.
Now we need national resilience too.
It is by making our country more resilient that we can face the future, and the reign of our new King, with confidence.
[Column first published in the Glos Echo]
