The Touching Detail You Might Have Missed From Queen Elizabeth's Funeral
The late monarch's groom used one of her iconic possessions to say goodbye.
Somehow two years have already passed since Queen Elizabeth II's funeral at Westminster Abbey. And although royal fans might remember seeing the late monarch's Fell pony, Emma, standing by to watch the procession in Windsor, there's a rather sweet story behind the accessory on her saddle.
Queen Elizabeth's groom, Terry Pendry, brought Emma out to pay her respects at Windsor Castle, with the duo standing in a sea of floral tributes that had been arranged in the grass as the Queen's coffin entered the Windsor Castle grounds.
While millions around the world were touched by the pony's appearance on such a somber day, she also had a special accessory draped across her saddle: one of Queen Elizabeth's famous Hermès scarves.
The late monarch—who died at the age of 96—owned an array of colorful silk designs by the French luxury brand, and Pendry took it upon himself to use one of the scarves in his final goodbye to his longtime boss.
In an interview with the "Rosebud" podcast on Friday, Sept. 6, Pendry shared the story behind his emotional—and somewhat controversial— decision to get Emma involved in the funeral.
The Queen wore the blue version of Hermès's Royal Mews scarf, which Emma would go on to wear during the funeral, in 1994.
"I didn't dare tell anybody," the royal groom said, adding he feared someone at the palace would've prevented him from bringing the pony. "I wasn't going to have any of that."
Pendry told the podcast he did confide in Queen Elizabeth's senior dresser, Angela Kelly, because he needed to ask her for "one of The Queen's scarves."
While Kelly originally told the groom no and that he "mustn't" carry through with his plan, Pendry stayed firm, replying, "I'm going to and I will."
Luckily, Kelly eventually "caved" and Pendry selected a scarf, choosing "one of [Queen Elizabeth's] favorites," a design that was created for the 1993 Royal Windsor Horse Show, per the Carre de Paris blog.
Queen Elizabeth rode Emma until shortly before her Sept. 2022 death at the age of 96.
The scarf pays tribute to the Royal Mews, the official home of Buckingham Palace's horses and carriages. Hermès presented Queen Elizabeth with a light blue version of the special design, which was created in a range of colors such as red and pink.
The silk style highlights a variety of the carriages used by the Royal Family in its pattern, including the Gold State Coach that has been used at every coronation since 1831.
The scarf also reads "Buckingham Palace" at the center, making it the perfect choice for Pendry's final tribute to Queen Elizabeth.
Of course, the late queen was a longtime head scarf aficionado, frequently stepping out in the silk styles for royal functions over the years.
As for Pendry and Emma's sweet gesture, we have a feeling Queen Elizabeth would have approved.
