Under the gaze of the onlookers, the Chamberlain first snapped his white staff in two.
"Farewell, Your Majesty," he said solemnly.
Minister Hermes respectfully placed the broken staff atop the queen's coffin and bowed deeply before it.
This signified that Mycroft's loyalty to Her Majesty in this life had come to an end and effectively marked his resignation from his position as Chamberlain.
He felt a tinge of regret and, like a weight had been lifted, turned and walked away from the coffin.
Standing behind him, the Minister of Justice Carter stepped forward, tearing his shoulder strap in half and laying it on the coffin, too.
"Farewell, Your Majesty," Carter said softly, his eyes closed, a look of wistful resignation on his face.
He was not speaking to the queen's soul, but rather to his former self.
