One of the great privileges of media life is access to important events and prominent people.
So for this blog, a couple of personal stories in memory and tribute...
First, about how our Queen caught the media napping and very nearly embarrassed us, and second, how the King got me out of a hole - literally.
But first, and most importantly, honouring Queen Elizabeth II.
I felt myself called to London on Friday to pay my respects, as you can see above.
Which, to be frank, was a surprise.
I'm not a great royalist, I've covered many big stories in my career with the BBC, and I've never met the Queen.
Yet still, I felt moved to join the crowds at Buckingham Palace.
What struck me, as well as the numbers, was the mix of people.
Old and young, from across the world, all different backgrounds and outlooks...
All called together by the same swell of feeling.
That an extraordinary person, and a remarkable reign, were passing into history.
And that was something which deserved - in fact, demanded - honouring.
As I put it in a social media post, and still can't think of a better summary of the emotion:
For all you did for us...
This was the least we could do for you.
And that's how it felt.
That we were gathered to say thank you for decades of selfless service.
A reign which was never about her, but always about us.
Her people, her Commonwealth, her world.
I was moved to tears, I don't mind admitting.
That was the feeling: spontaneous, sharp and unexpected.
But the thinking side of me wondered... why?
Why so much emotion from so many?
There was the Queen's enduring commitment to public service, of course.
The quiet calm and dignity. The authority and warmth. The humour and spirit.
The ability to speak to us and to reach out to us, to ease the pain of a nation, as Her Majesty so often did during times of trouble.
As I heard someone say: She was like a grandmother to us all.
Wise and caring, yet so strong, leading through kindness and compassion, a rare combination indeed.
The Queen had that remarkable ability to make you think you knew her, could trust her and believe in her.
Even if, like me, you had never so much as exchanged a word with her.
Perhaps it was down to being privy to at least some of her life, as we all were.
Through the anecdotes of others, glimpses at visits, and media reports.
Which brings me to those two stories of my own, tales from my own time as a reporter.
Firstly, when the Queen opened a new building at Exeter University in 2012, there was, as ever, a carefully choreographed plan.
Her Majesty would be shown in, meet some dignitaries, look around, and then unveil a plaque on the wall.
The media duly stood in line, waiting for the key moment, the unveiling...
All happily relaxed, as camera crews and photographers knew they had a few minutes before the Queen was due to pull back the curtains.
But! Being the Queen, a little on the mischievous side, and having unveiled more than a few plaques in her lifetime...
She ignored the itinerary, walked in, spotted the plaque, strode over and pulled back the curtains immediately.
Cue panic!
The assembled media JUST managed to leap into action to get the key shot, the one which would make the headlines.
But it took a breathless scramble to do so.
And, some said, they were sure that... they saw a smile on the Queen's face at her playfulness.
Finally, an insight into the character of our new King.
Way back when I was a junior reporter at the BBC, about 1993, the then Prince of Wales visited the Abbotsbury Swannery in Dorset.
Myself and my cameraman, the wonderful Nick Gilbey (the first cameraman I ever worked with, and boy did I learn so much from him), were in front of the Prince, walking backwards to get a good shot of him looking around.
I was by Nick's shoulder, guiding him, to make sure he was safe, but wasn't looking where I was going properly.
The first I knew of trouble was when we both began slowly disappearing downwards into the ground.
We had, inadvertently, slid into a ditch. A deep one, too.
We were below ground, and stuck.
We looked at each other, wondering what to do, when a face appeared above.
It was Prince Charles. Who said, "Are you all right down there?"
And me, trying to bluff my way, as ever, replied, "Yes, thank you, your Highness. We, um, err... just wanted to get a low angle shot."
Charles, of course, wasn't fooled in the slightest, but was noble enough not to point out my idiocy.
Instead, he offered me his hand and helped pull me out of the ditch.
There was no fuss, none of the mockery I might so richly have deserved, just care, kindness and dignity.
These, I know, are only a couple of brief personal reflections amongst the many millions being shared at this emotional time...
But they will, I hope, add just a little more to our understanding and appreciation of the Queen we have lost, and the King we have found.
