The Queen dedicated her life to the service of her people, and carried the weight of such responsibility with a quality that she firmly believed was paramount to the Crown's image: constant visibility. Her Majesty's famous remark "I have to be seen to be believed" was powerfully echoed in her decision-making as sovereign, as she projected herself as a protector of tradition and honour.
Her constant presence is often described by royalists as a 'running thread' throughout British society, and while her extraordinary life is one that few of us could imagine, her visibility no doubt played a part in winning the hearts of the British public - as mourners have warmly described the Queen as someone who 'never let us down'.
