Queen Dodges Sword [PHOTO & VIDEO]: Elizabeth II Nearly Sliced by Ceremonial Weapon at Margaret Thatcher's Funeral

Lord Mayor of London, Alderman Roger Gifford, nearly pierced Her Majesty the Queen of England during yesterday's funeral for former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Though reports are saying that Elizabeth II "dodged" the ceremonial sword as Gifford swung it around, she was mainly just startled at how close it came to her. The Queen, who turns 87 this weekend, turned to her husband Prince Philip in shock of the close call, to which the Duke of Edinburgh grinned back in response.

Classy, Phil.

Yes this story might be a little exaggerated. Some media outlets are reporting that the sword came "within millimeters" of Her Majesty's face but as you can see from the following video evidence, that was not the case.

This ceremonial weapon was actually the official state Mourning Sword, which was last seen in public during the state funeral of Winston Churchill. Lord Mayor Gifford apparently had no idea that the Queen Majesty was so close to him as he lifted the sword to start the ceremony.

On top of Queen Elizabethh II and Prince Philip, other mourners in attendance included the current and former prime ministers as well as representatives from 170 countries. They all packed into St. Paul's Cathedral as Bishop of London Richard Chartres presided over the ceremony. The Bishop brought up the strong feelings that the late Thatcher still evokes 23 years after leaving office.

"The storm of conflicting opinions centers on the Mrs. Thatcher who became a symbolic figure - even an -ism," he said. "It must be very difficult for those members of her family and those closely associated with her to recognize the wife, the mother and the grandmother in the mythological figure."

"There is an important place for debating policies and legacy ... but here and today is neither the time nor the place," Bishop Chartres added.