Chapter 278: Steamboat (1)
The Queen of England had died.
I heard the funeral was magnificent, befitting a monarch of her stature and legacy. Countless people reportedly wore mourning clothes of deep midnight black, their faces solemn and drawn with grief as they followed the funeral procession that wound through Roanoke’s cobblestone streets like a somber river. The colony fell silent that day, even the birds seeming to respect the gravity of the occasion with their unusual quiet.
A wax figure recreating her appearance in life was placed atop the coffin, the artisan having captured with remarkable skill the proud tilt of her chin and the knowing gleam in her eyes. The figure wore her royal regalia—crown polished to a brilliant shine, ermine-trimmed cloak arranged just so—making it seem almost as if she were merely sleeping atop her final bed. Those who had cherished her in life shed bitter tears as they bade farewell on her final journey, many dropping to their knees as the procession passed by, whispering prayers or final words to their departed sovereign.
Of course, Raleigh would have been among the most prominent mourners, his tall figure unmistakable in the front ranks, head held high despite the weight of his grief. But he didn’t say he cried when he recounted the day to me later. His voice had faltered briefly when speaking of the moment the coffin was lowered into the earth, but he quickly recovered, clearing his throat. He seemed to think that displaying such raw emotion wouldn’t be manly, though the redness around his eyes when he returned told a different story than his proud words.
Since London had been abandoned, she couldn’t be buried in Westminster Abbey where her ancestors rested, but that probably didn’t matter. She had considered Roanoke her home, after all.
Elizabeth left behind many things. Having lived her entire life as queen of several countries, her legacy was bound to be substantial.
First, according to her will, all her artworks, treasures, and other possessions went to her most favored Raleigh.
Raleigh traveled to England to collect these heirlooms and filled the house where the Queen had lived, making the now-uninhabited mansion in Roanoke quite busy for a while.
He remembered his sovereign and lover in his own way.
The Queen’s fishing boat, cosmetics, and various trinkets were left to Margaret. Margaret wept profusely while handling the Queen’s cosmetics, then put them in a jewelry box and treasured them.
Since Francis Drake had just recently passed away, the various ships ordered at the Chesapeake shipyard on the Queen’s behalf were transferred to his descendants.