Queen's funeral

The coffin of Queen Elizabeth II is transported through London after her state funeral on Monday, September 19. King Charles III and his sister, Princess Anne, ...

While Monday was all about remembering and celebrating the Queen, there was one moment that underscored the transition that began with the monarch's death. Thousands of British service members took part in the ceremony, marching through central London to accompany the Queen on her last journey. The Queen was the head of state in 15 independent countries as well as heading the Commonwealth of Nations. The flower arrangement included myrtle grown from a sprig that was in the Queen's wedding bouquet. The Queen's husband of 73 years died last year. It was a celebration of the late monarch's life and a reminder of the many roles she held during her life.

“Like most hospitality staff, I wasn't able to mark this historic occasion. I'm in a kitchen, working, feeding burgers to the mourning British people. I think I ...

I’m sure he’s perfectly nice in person, but in order to come across this way, you have to believe that you’re special and different. It suddenly occurred to me that the monarchy can only exist if we believe in it, and I feel I’m being coerced into believing King Charles to be a superior human being, while any sensible person knows we are all equal. “I once sat in the same cinema as Charles, and as he walked past, it was a little bit like when a fridge door opens. Personally, I was incensed when Charles Windsor, in his first address as monarch, gave the title “Prince of Wales” to his son William. I get that there’s a time to grieve but the fact that the next king goes straight into power – this should be the time to talk about it and the future of the monarchy. I’m in a kitchen, working, feeding burgers to the mourning British people.

The Bearer Party takes the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II into St George's Chapel. Servicemen carry the Queen's coffin into Windsor Castle. Photograph by Richard ...

The Queen was not just the head of the nation but also the head of the Church of England: “In grief and also in profound thanksgiving we come to this House of God, to a place of prayer, to a church where remembrance and hope are sacred duties,” the Dean of Westminster said. She was among the handful of those in attendance who had also been present at the previous royal funeral: that of the Duke of Edinburgh, in April, 2021, which was held in Windsor in accordance with COVID restrictions, the Queen seated alone and masked in the Quire of St. “It’s been a case of giving the news to them over and over again, and going through their raw emotions with them, whether it’s crying or telling you the same story of when they met the Queen,” she said. They would include representatives of the charities of which she was a patron, members of the royal household, heads of state from the Commonwealth and beyond. “John Donne poem in that,” the writer and broadcaster Matthew Sweet remarked on Twitter. It was the first of a monarch to be held in the Abbey since that of George II, in 1760, though the Abbey contains the tombs of a number of England’s kings and queens, including Edward the Confessor, during whose reign the Abbey was first built and who died in 1066, and Elizabeth I, the Queen’s Tudor namesake, who was crowned there in 1559 and laid to rest in the Lady Chapel in 1603. President Emmanuel Macron, of France, whose tribute to the Queen had been among the most immediate and most eloquent from a country’s leader—“Above the fluctuations and upheavals of politics, she represented a sense of eternity,” he said—took his seat. Gyles Brandreth, the broadcaster, noted that only two days before her death the Queen had performed the royal duty of asking Liz Truss to form a new government, and then immediately afterward watched her own horse, a two-year-old filly called Love Affairs, win the 3:05 from Goodwood: “What a way to go!” he marvelled. Lady Susan Hussey, the youngest daughter of the twelfth Earl Waldegrave and, at eighty-three, one of the Queen’s longest-serving ladies-in-waiting, who joined the royal household in 1960, entered the Abbey. There was the Duke of Norfolk’s announcement of the accession of King Charles from a balcony of St. The Queen, who was intimately involved with planning the sequence of events for her future appointment with the eternal, knew that for her own exit anything less than the full cessation of metropolitan and civic life would seem inadequate. Over the ten days prior to the funeral, which in Britain had been officially designated a period of [mourning](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/09/19/britain-wakes-up-without-queen-elizabeth-ii), [the Queen’s death](https://www.newyorker.com/news/postscript/the-reign-of-queen-elizabeth-ii-has-ended) and the accession of [King Charles III](https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/where-does-the-british-monarchy-go-under-king-charles-iii) dominated the nation’s headlines.

On Monday morning, Hyde Park was like a sombre festival ground as masses gathered to pay their final respects.

A fleet of volunteers removed plastic wrappings and rubber bands, and arranged the offerings around the trees and in specific shapes along the grass. My gym closed, “out of respect.” We learned that flights from Heathrow would be cancelled at points to insure a lack of noise during the two minutes of silence planned for the end of [the funeral](https://www.newyorker.com/news/letter-from-the-uk/the-queens-funeral-went-off-without-a-hitch). [Queen’s death](https://www.newyorker.com/news/postscript/the-reign-of-queen-elizabeth-ii-has-ended) but before her state funeral—the largest in the U.K. Uniformed men marched up and down a courtyard; on the Mall, horses clomped by. “Our lovely queen,” a seven-year-old wrote, “I wanted to tell you that my name is Elizabeth and my initials are ER like you, thank you.” Nearby, a band was practicing. [the queue](https://www.newyorker.com/news/letter-from-the-uk/in-the-queue-to-say-goodbye-to-the-queen) to see the Queen’s coffin stretched to five miles—people were less reverent.

Windsor Castle's Long Walk full of people for the Queen's committal service at St George's Chapel.

Mrs Monono, who was born in Cameroon, said she had "huge respect" for the Queen as head of the Commonwealth. Emma Boryer served in the Army for 17 years and said she wanted to pay her respects to the woman who had ultimately been her "boss". "I am glad that she is in Windsor now, this was her favourite place." Marie Wood, 56, who lived in the town for eight years while training to be a nurse, was one of those. "I wanted my family to be part of this occasion and this atmosphere of gratitude - to be in Windsor rather than at home," she said. He said he wanted to watch the Queen "come home for the last time", describing her as a "magical being" and Windsor's "pride and joy". Many of those living in Windsor would have seen the Queen in the area over the years. Ms Biron said she considered it her "duty" to attend and felt she "had to see her coffin come home". The crowds were able to watch the funeral at Westminster Abbey on big screens, and they were later entertained by marching bands as they waited for the arrival of the Queen's coffin. Those waiting to see the procession said it was fitting for the Queen's journey to end in the place The mood in the town was thoughtful, the relative quiet in stark contrast to the scenes of joyful crowds seen here for recent royal weddings and jubilees. The Queen will be laid to rest next to her husband the Duke of Edinburgh.

Millions of people around the world watched Queen Elizabeth II's funeral today as the late monarch was laid to rest. Approximately 2,000 mourners gathered ...

Reports have suggested it could be in the spring or summer of 2023. [Man hit and killed by Luas in horror overnight incident in Dublin](https://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/man-hit-killed-luas-tram-28019204) [Man on anniversary holiday with wife dies after suffering stomach pains and vomiting blood](https://www.irishmirror.ie/lifestyle/man-anniversary-holiday-wife-dies-28023889) [Maia Dunphy slams psychics 'preying on the bereaved' after death of beloved mother](https://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/maia-dunphy-slams-psychics-preying-28023689) [Ireland weather: Met Eireann confirm date for return of miserable conditions before another major turnaround](https://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/ireland-weather-met-eireann-confirm-28023497) [Gardai and emergency services rush to crash on N3 as motorists warned to expect delays](https://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/gardai-emergency-services-rush-crash-28024173) The Princess of Wales could be seen placing a tender hand on her daughter's shoulder and gently guiding her in the right direction. One memorable moment of the day captured on camera was a snap of Kate Middleton and her daughter Princess Charlotte as they arrived for the Queen's funeral. The pair travelled to Westminster Abbey in the same car and walked behind the queen’s coffin before the service. Westminster Abbey was packed with foreign royalty and heads of state who flew in from around the world to pay their respects to the queen.

While tens of thousands of people travelled to London and Windsor for the funeral, people from South Africa, to Nepal and Japan tuned in to watch the ...

In Cape Town in South Africa, people gathered at a waterfront to watch the funeral on big screens. While tens of thousands of people travelled to London and Windsor for the funeral, people from South Africa, to Nepal and Japan tuned in to watch the service at Westminster Abbey. People across the world in cities from Cape Town to Tokyo and Beijing tuned in to watch the service.

The world is saying goodbye to Queen Elizabeth II on a historic day marked by moments of emotion and celebration. Tens of thousands of people have travelled ...

The young dogs - one on a red lead and one on a blue lead - were brought out into the quadrangle by two pages in red tailcoats for the arrival of the Queen's coffin. The Queen was a huge lover of horses and racing. Most were descended from her first corgi, Susan, who was gifted to her on her 18th birthday. Mr Biden is the only world leader who was able to travel to the Westminster Abbey under his own steam, arriving in a "scaled down" motorcade of six cars. He was seen fighting back tears and biting his lip as they followed the Queen's coffin to the abbey. Among the guests at the service was Chief Scout Bear Grylls. Beforehand, Kate was also seen holding Princess Charlotte's hand, reassuring her with a touch on the shoulder. There, it was carried through Wellington Arch, also known as Constitution Arch. And she also loved her beloved dogs, too. The necklace, consisting of four strands of pearls and a clasp, was worn regularly by the Queen in the late 1980s and 1990s. Catherine, Princess of Wales, wore one of the Queen's necklaces for the occasion, as well as a pair of pearl and diamond earrings previously owned by the monarch. The Queen was a patron of the organisation and awarded the TV star an OBE in 2019.

Mourning Elizabeth II showed her kingdom at its best. By Helen Lewis. Queen Elizabeth's coffin in a procession. Daniel Leal / Getty.

[got stuck](https://twitter.com/SkyNews/status/1571794023035158528?s=20&t=ooA4BeHryjvc5Ie7ybNsuQ) in traffic.) Women in hijabs sat next to guards in helmets with ostrich plumes, and somewhere deep in the transept, I got a glimpse of a Union Jack kippah. Prince Harry was allowed to wear his army uniform for the vigil of the grandchildren, having earlier put out a statement saying that he was happy to wear a suit for the rest of the events. [getting frustrated](https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/sep/13/oh-god-i-hate-this-king-charles-expresses-frustration-over-leaking-pen) about a fountain pen for the second time that week. Commonwealth leaders sat next to charity campaigners rewarded with an OBE—the Order of the British Empire. Indeed, the entire family has taken note of Elizabeth II’s sentiment that she had to “be seen to be believed.” At a time when the British union feels fragile, Charles III made a point of visiting Northern Ireland, then Wales. [one-fifth of Britons](https://www.theneweuropean.co.uk/peter-kellner-on-king-charles-polling/) want to replace the monarchy with a republic. For anyone passionately opposed to the monarchy—or perhaps even mourning their own loss—the atmosphere of the past 10 days must have been suffocating. Now that the 10 days of remembrance are ending, we can admit that some of it was a bit, well, North Korean. For the past week, the south bank of London’s River Thames has been transformed into a living art installation, as mourners have waited for up to [24 hours](https://news.sky.com/story/over-24-hour-wait-as-queue-to-see-queen-lying-in-state-reopens-12699047) to file through Westminster Hall and spend a moment with the coffin of Elizabeth II. [sporrans](https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofScotland/The-Secret-of-Scotsmans-Sporran/) the size of a shih-tzu. That wasn’t [always the case](https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2022-09-19/british-pageantry-and-majesty-the-royals-used-to-be-terrible-at-it): The coffin nearly fell off the gun carriage at Queen Victoria’s funeral, and at Edward VII’s coronation, the archbishop couldn’t read the proclamation, because the abbey was too dark. Travelers at British [airports](https://twitter.com/joshglancy/status/1571802897578336259?s=20&t=ooA4BeHryjvc5Ie7ybNsuQ) stopped to watch the ceremony on television.

Many Londoners opted to watch the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II closer to home.

I wouldn't have been able to see a thing down there." "Having been in the service myself, it meant more to me". We're all gathering as a community here in Bromley to watch this special day," says Emily. "Last week, there were a lot of crowds and six-hour wait for the procession. What was the atmosphere like? "There are lots of places you can watch it." "She was such a wonderful lady who touched all our lives. "It was nice to be with people who have a lot of respect for the Queen. "In Bromley, there is quite a community and it's been nice to be with - and meet - other people." "I didn't just want to be at home for a historic moment," the 28-year-old says. But many didn't want to watch alone either. "I wanted to be here amongst everybody, it's not the same at home," he says.

Powerful images dominated the newspaper front pages after a nation gathered to say goodbye to its longest-serving monarch.

Adelaide’s Advertiser went with the headline “Eternal Queen”, and Queensland’s Courier Mail went for “Thank you, our Queen”. Across a picture of the funeral cortege processing along the Long Walk to Windsor, the upbeat headline is “We sent her victorious”. [whether Charles should be Australia’s head of state](https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/sep/19/guardian-essential-poll-australians-divided-on-whether-king-charles-should-be-head-of-state), Tuesday’s papers were united in covering the occasion in subdued tones. The Queen’s coffin dominates the front page alongside the headline “God rest our Queen”, while a tearful, saluting The Times again chooses a wrap front page, showing the coffin entering Westminster Abbey with the headline: “Carried to her rest”. “An outpouring of love” is the headline, above Hannah Furness’s five-column report on the day.

Editorial: Ministers want to reduce workers' rights and increase bankers' bonuses. They should be brave enough to reform the crown.

The great success of Elizabeth II as Queen was to keep her [exercise of power](https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/jul/14/queen-immunity-british-laws-private-property) out of the public view, so that it was not threatened by public scrutiny. It’s hard to imagine the late Queen letting it be known – as her son, the King, did last Friday – that there were royal concerns that people would not be able to cope during a “ [difficult winter](https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/royals/king-charles-concerned-brits-coping-28013967)”, especially as the cost of living crisis did not prevent a [17% increase](https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/uk-news/prince-charles-very-conscious-cost-24359354) in palace spending last year. [community and solidarity](https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/sep/19/in-times-of-uncertainty-we-seek-a-sense-of-belonging). In such an era of change and flux, it is bizarre that the crown remains territory where parliamentarians fear to tread. [infantilising coverage](https://www.lrb.co.uk/blog/2022/september/the-death-parade), and some real sorrow for a loved monarch, seems to have muffled any talk of reform. [honourable exceptions](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/sep/16/idea-of-monarchy-as-symbol-of-duty-or-sacrifice-a-lie-says-labours-clive-lewis), of voices sceptical of the crown. [laid to rest](https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/sep/19/all-six-living-former-prime-ministers-among-queens-funeral-congregation) on Monday beside that of her husband in a private ceremony in the King George VI memorial chapel at Windsor Castle. Perhaps the death of the monarch sparked an upsurge in It is not necessary for such a debate to be conducted in a respectful manner – but it would be better if it was. Cowing people into [silence](https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/police-berated-for-arresting-dissenters-qd5rvkfpv) won’t end discussions about the monarchy’s role in modern life. Monarchy’s power rests upon a central myth; that traditions and ceremonies have remained unchanged over [1,000 years](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/britains-royal-history-more-than-1000-years-of-family-drama/) of family drama. [contrived affairs](https://theconversation.com/queen-elizabeth-ii-the-history-of-royal-funerals-and-how-this-one-will-be-different-190499) meant to generate popular attachment to a privileged institution and to serve as reminders of a glorious past.

In an emotional day for grieving members of the Royal Family, tens of thousands of people lined the streets to catch a glimpse of the procession carrying ...

to remember her long life of selfless service". Leaders of loving service are still rarer." [The history and significance of Queen's final resting place](http://https://news.sky.com/story/st-georges-chapel-windsor-queen-elizabeth-iis-final-resting-place-12698731) [Windsor says goodbye to a much-loved Queen - and neighbour](https://news.sky.com/story/windsor-says-goodbye-to-a-much-loved-queen-and-neighbour-12701590) [Read live updates as they happened from Queen Elizabeth II's funeral](https://news.sky.com/story/queens-funeral-live-updates-elizabeth-king-charles-royal-family-12692812) At the end of the final hymn, the King placed a flag - the Queen's company camp colour of the Grenadier Guards - on the coffin. The Queen's four children - the King, the Princess Royal, the Duke of York and Earl of Wessex - walked behind the coffin in the procession, followed by three of her grandsons, the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Sussex and Peter Phillips. Flowers were thrown into the road by members of the public after the Queen's coffin was transferred to the state hearse at Wellington Arch and then travelled to Windsor Castle. Charles R." The Dean of Windsor told members of the congregation they were at the venue where the Queen "was married and crowned... [the final members of the public had queued overnight](https://news.sky.com/story/queens-lying-in-state-ends-as-last-person-passes-through-westminster-hall-12701217) to see the monarch lying in state, and was carried on a gun carriage to the abbey in a procession including the monarch's children. In an emotional day for grieving members of the Royal Family, tens of thousands of people lined the streets to catch a glimpse of the procession carrying the Queen's coffin and millions more watched on television around the world. It followed an emotional day for grieving members of the Royal Family, with tens of thousands of people lining the streets to catch a glimpse of the procession carrying the Queen's coffin and millions more watching on television around the world.

The long, public life of Queen Elizabeth II drew to a close as she was laid to rest in the family vault in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle after a ...

The youngest of the royal mourners included Princess Charlotte and her older brother George, who is a future heir to the throne. The symbolism and architecture of the long-planned funeral exceeded any comparable ceremony for a public figure. The queen’s 70-year reign as monarch has coincided with the dissolution of Britain as a colonial power and, in more recent decades, with intense media scrutiny and a series of controversies which have cast the royal family in an unflattering light.

Royals and world leaders were inside Westminster Abbey. But outside there were many more, ordinary mourners lining the streets of central London. And further ...

As she watched the committal service on the screens at Windsor, she wept. Margaret's mind was on 1953, when she had been taken to watch the Queen's coronation at her nan's house and later to a street party. As the Queen's coffin made its way towards them, spectators stood on tiptoes, with children lifted on to shoulders, as the crowd collectively craned its necks for a final glimpse. The Queen's coffin began making its way to Windsor. "For the first time, it felt real," she said. For Emma Parsons-Reid, 55, watching at home in Ely, Cardiff, with family and neighbours, it was at this point that the Queen's death struck home. Others, said Nick, had lost parents or grandparents and saw the Queen as a reminder of times past. At 06:32 BST, the final mourner filed past the Queen's coffin at Westminster Hall as her four-and-a-half-day lying-in-state drew to a close. It was, Liz thought, as if a blanket had been draped over the entire street - clearly, all her neighbours were tuning in too. A screen above the altar was showing the service. All three had spent the night on the ground in their sleeping bags. In Doncaster, Alistair Mitchell brought afternoon tea and sandwiches for his mother, who had not been able to make the journey to London.