The Dean of Bristol says the Queen’s death has provided the nation with a chance to properly mourn the past couple of years of Covid as hundreds gather at Bristol Cathedral for Her Majesty’s funeral today. The cathedral is one of several venues across the city opening today to provide a communal space for people to watch the Queen's funeral in London and say their final goodbyes to the monarch.
There were 600 tickets available to attend the cathedral on College Green this morning, with many on a waiting list in case anyone doesn’t show up.
READ MORE: The Queen's funeral updates as Bristol pays final respects to monarch
Speaking to Bristol Live, Dean of Bristol, The Very Revd Dr Mandy Ford, said she felt a “huge degree of privilege” that the cathedral can be a place where people can come and gather. She said: “It’s lovely that so many people have wanted to come and do that, to be together in a religious building to watch the funeral and pray for Her Majesty and in a sense to receive that collected comfort.
“Especially at the end of two years of Covid where there has been a lot of loss that we haven’t been able to mourn properly. I have very vivid memories of the funeral of a very, very, dear friend watching it on my sofa at home with 10 people in a chapel and that devastation, that would have been someone where there would have been a huge cathedral service for example.
“It feels to me as if this is the opportunity for people to do this collective mourning. It’s not just for Her Majesty, it's actually for all those other losses of the last two years.”
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