What a wonderful sight — four Balmoral gamekeepers standing vigil over HM The Queen’s coffin and later the six who acted as Her Majesty’s first pallbearers. Heads slightly bowed, ramrod-straight backs, they looked resplendent in the Balmoral estate tweed. I am not sure that resplendent is the correct term here, but somehow smart fails to give their appearance sufficient descriptive significance.
There could not have been a gamekeeper in the country who failed to feel proud of them — and not a gamekeeper in the country who would not have been honoured to take their place.
When I use the term gamekeeper, I do, of course, include stalkers and gillies under that umbrella — the people
