Queen Elizabeth II lies in state in Westminster Hall, London, UK (Yui Mok/PA)

On the day of Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral, I spoke with TalkTV about the ceremonies and about the significance for the UK’s place in the world.

Amid Britain’s self-imposed Brexit isolation — and questions about the future of the Union of England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales — I consider the “soft power” of a queen who took the throne in 1952, as the UK was already facing a reduced Empire and a changed relationship with Europe, the US, and the rest of the globe.