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| Big Ben |
The world
famous chimes of Big Ben will fall silent for the duration of Baroness
Thatcher’s funeral, it was announced yesterday.
Commons
Speaker John Bercow told MPs there can be ‘profound dignity and deep respect’
in silence, as he announced plans to switch off the chimes for the first time
since Winston Churchill's death.
The move
comes after Lady Thatcher’s family rejected the idea of ringing a bell for each
of her 87 years, a tribute paid to Churchill when his body left the Houses of
Parliament.
Baroness
Thatcher's children, Sir Mark and Carol Thatcher, said they appreciated the
'great honour' of Big Ben and Westminster's Great Clock falling silent during
their mother's funeral.
In a
statement in the Commons, Mr Bercow said: ‘I believe that there can be a
profound dignity and deep respect expressed in and through silence and I am
sure the whole House will agree.’
The last
time the bells were silenced was Churchill's funeral in 1965, although there
has also been routine maintenance since then.
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| A hearse carrying the coffin travelled through London with an escort of police motorcyclists |
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Baroness Thatcher's coffin resting in the Chapel of St Mary Undercroft beneath the Palace of Westminster
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