Today, with billions of others, I watched the funeral of our Queen Elizabeth ll.

I felt proud to be Scottish as the coffin made its way to Westminster Abbey with the pipes playing a beautiful melody I recognised but cannot name.

Our military did a fabulous job of transporting the coffin and making the funeral a fantastic spectacle for the whole world to watch.

Again it brought it home to me the great debt we owe these, mostly young men and women, who make untold sacrifices for us on a daily basis – some the ultimate sacrifice with their lives. They miss births, deaths, Christmas, birthdays, their families’ daily life, as well as seeing and doing things we cannot even imagine. I feel very grateful to them all – past and present.

A family today were mourning the death of a much-loved member of their family. The world was mourning with them. How could we not have the utmost respect for a woman who served her country for 70 years, working right up to her death at 96 years old without ever putting a foot wrong? I think even those who are not huge royalists respected that dedication.

When we lose someone we love our world is never quite the same again. Although most of us had never met the Queen she was part of the fabric of our lives – someone who had always been there, a steady presence even if you were not a huge royalist. She popped into our living rooms at happy times and sad. Personally, I will miss her on Christmas Day delivering her Christmas message. Dinner was always timed to be lifted after she finished speaking – a tradition passed down from my childhood Christmases.

Queen Elizabeth ll, you will be missed by many. You were amazing.