Public displays of royals at times of loss can generate powerful symbols of personal unity with the public
From marmalade sandwiches and beribboned beehives to black stilettos and military uniforms, national mourning and preparations for a state funeral have transformed the British landscape.
This week’s extraordinary images – of polished pageantry juxtaposed with piles of stuffed corgis, of five-mile queues and the first sightings of a dramatically reshuffled royal family – reflect a nation’s grief for the late Queen and the complexities of how monarchy fits into modern Britain.
The lions of the royal standard flag – a trio of gold lions for England; the lion rampant for Scotland – have blazed proudly from the royal coffin on its long journey from Balmoral to Westminster Hall.