IT had been a long goodbye. At the beginning, many made the mistake of assuming that love for the Queen Mother did not run as deeply as it did.

In contrast to the death of Princess Diana, there was no shock, no shuddering disbelief, so the consequent grief took its time to gather strength.

Slowly but surely, the tide turned. The ripples turned to waves as the days passed towards the final farewell. By then, there could be no doubt that respect, care and love ran very deeply indeed through the country.

"The Queen Mother's strength as a person was expressed best through the remarkable quality of her dealings with people - her ability to make all human encounters, however fleeting, feel both special and personal," said the Archbishop of Canterbury in his sermon at Westminster Abbey.

And yesterday, the people did her proud by contributing so memorably to a great British occasion befitting a great British woman.

The Royal Family has done her proud too. From Prince Charles's touching tribute, to the Queen's historic address, and in the way princes and princesses have gone into the crowds to say a simple thank you. Human encounters, however fleeting, mean so much and that is a lesson which must never be forgotten.

So, when the long goodbye finally came to an end, it was everything the Queen Mother would have wanted: dignified, stoical and wonderfully grand, yet affectionate and personal enough to find just the right balance.

In her life, Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother did much to hold the Royal Family together. In her passing, she has given new hope to the monarchy and that must be treasured, not wasted.

On the eve of the funeral, the Queen had asked for more than just sadness to mark the memory of her mother. She called for a thanksgiving - a celebration - of a truly extraordinary life.

Yesterday, that is exactly what we saw as a million people took to the streets to say a million goodbyes.