Even the most ardent Republican could not have helped but be moved by the sight of the Queen at Prince Philip’s funeral. She looked so vulnerable and forlorn, her face hidden behind her mask, the pew empty beside her.
Perhaps in some ways the mask was a blessing. After all, her whole life has been acted out under the gaze of the cameras. Maybe in this very personal moment of grief it suited her not to have her every expression scrutinised, to be alone with her thoughts and emotions.
Even so, I am sure she would have relished the touch of a hand or even the simple proximity of another human being. But no: Covid rules dictated that, like all those who have lost loved ones during the pandemic, she said her final farewells to her husband of 73 years in total isolation.