A long, tortured hour passed, and then another one. Occasionally, having to obey the calls of nature, people left the room and then returned to it. Throughout it all Willy never moved by so much as an inch, even though, having only one useable arm, he couldn’t take pressure off it by changing sides with Reid.

The January afternoon drew to a close; the sky darkened. The Queen’s breathing changed in rhythm and Reid said gravely, ‘It won’t be long now.’

‘Then let us call out our names to her,’ Louise said. ‘Her children first, then grandchildren and then other close family members.’

Amid floods of tears, and as Reid kept his thumb on the Queen’s pulse, the emotional roll-call began.

As it ended, Reid made a slight motion with his free hand, for the Queen’s face had taken on an expression of inexpressible peace. An awed silence fell. For a moment there was a faint movement of her lips, as if she was about to whisper a name, but all that came was a last long, slow exhalation of breath.

Reid lifted his hand from her wrist and gently laid it back on the coverlet. ‘It is over.’ His voice was raw with emotion. ‘Her Majesty The Queen has peacefully passed from this life into eternity.’

Sobs that had been stifled were stifled no longer. Irène collapsed half-insensible with grief into Heinrich’s arms.

Beatrice said, her voice thick with tears, ‘The name she was trying to say was Papa’s. I know that it was dear Papa’s.’

‘I’m sure you are right, Bea.’ Louise hugged her close. ‘And she will now be reunited with him. For forty years it is all she has longed for. We shouldn’t cry for her. She wouldn’t want us to. She would want us to be happy for her.’

Maudie gripped tight hold of May’s hand, saying with tears streaming down her face, ‘Without Granny Queen, nothing is going to be the same.’

‘No, Maudie dear, it isn’t.’ Not since Eddy had died had May been so close to breaking down.

Bertie rose to his feet, saying unsteadily, ‘With Arthur’s help, I will lay Mama in her coffin.’

It was something Willy had wanted to do and he said, ‘If I am not to perform that service for my grandmother, can I request that the coffin is draped with the Union Jack?’

Vastly relieved that Willy hadn’t asked for it to be draped in a German flag and thankful for small mercies, Bertie said courteously, ‘Yes, of course, Willy. The Union Jack.’