Queen Elizabeth II laid to rest with elaborate final farewell
LONDON — Britain and the world said a final farewell to Queen Elizabeth II at her state funeral Monday, as the beloved and longest-reigning UK monarch was laid to rest amid scenes of matchless pageantry across the country.
Tens of thousands of people crowded the streets of London as the late monarch made her final journey to and from Westminster Abbey — where the Queen was married and crowned — for the morning service.
More than 2,000 people, ranging from ashen-faced senior royals to world leaders, including President Joe Biden, had gathered inside the church to mourn the 96-year-old.
Ahead of the service, a bell tolled 96 times – once a minute to mark each year of her life.
“Here, where Queen Elizabeth was married and crowned, we gather from across the nation, from the Commonwealth, and from the nations of the world, to mourn our loss, to remember her long life of selfless service, and in sure confidence to commit her to the mercy of God our maker and redeemer,” the dean of the Abbey, David Hoyle, told mourners during the service.
King Charles III could be seen fighting back tears as the national anthem, “God Save the King,” played towards the end of the service and a two-minute silence was observed right across the United Kingdom.
After the funeral, many thousands more lined the 22-mile procession route that saw the Queen taken to her final resting place at Windsor Castle Monday afternoon.
Her state funeral is one of the grandest ceremonies ever seen in the British capital — and included personal touches from the monarch herself, who died Sept. 8 in Balmoral, Scotland.
King Charles himself requested that the wreath on top of the Queen’s coffin contain the same type of florals used in the bouquet from her 1947 nuptials to Prince Philip.
The new monarch also left a touching note on top of his mother’s coffin that read: “In loving and devoted memory. Charles R.”
The meticulously planned funeral events began early Monday when the doors of Westminster Hall finally closed to the public after hundreds of thousands of mourners had filed past her coffin to pay their respects since Sept. 14.
Her Majesty’s coffin was then pulled from the hall on the State Gun Carriage of the Royal Navy — a tradition dating back to the funeral of Queen Victoria.
King Charles and his sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, were among those who marched solemnly behind her coffin en route to the church.
Once inside, Queen Consort Camilla Parker Bowles, the Princess of Wales Kate Middleton, Prince George, 9, Princess Charlotte, 7, and Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle joined the procession as the coffin was brought down the aisle.
Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, were forced to sit behind his royal family — and well away from his once-close brother, new heir Prince William. The exiled couple were in the second row behind Charles, Camilla and other royals.
Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, told the congregation that the grief felt by so many across the UK was testament to the late monarch’s “abundant life and loving service.”
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“Her late majesty famously declared on a 21st birthday broadcast that her whole life would be dedicated to serving the nation and Commonwealth,” he said. “Rarely has such a promise been so well kept. Few leaders receive the outpouring of love that we have seen.”
Pin-drop silence fell over sections of the city as the service, which was being livestreamed on screens erected for the occasion, unfolded.
In the hours before the pageantry had even commenced, authorities said procession viewing areas had already filled up.
“We came down to pay tribute to our Queen, she means a lot to us. We’re right royalists,” Jimmy Jukes told The Post. “We saw her on Wednesday at the Lying-in-State and we want to say our final goodbyes. She taught us the meaning of respect. She taught us the meaning of being kind. As Brits, we are proud she was our Queen.”
Some mourners outside said they were brought to tears by the service.
“We got in at 6. It was a bit of an early start but when else are we going to be able to pay our respects?” Sophie Lanvendar, 52, from Streatham Hill in London said. “Watching the procession it just brought out so many tears. We were so lucky to witness a masterclass of the monarchy.”
Rob Manning, 34, of Shepherd’s Bush, added: “Never thought I’d cry but wow, that was really something. My Mrs cried too, so did our little one. What a sad day for all of us. Kids don’t quite get it now but they are blessed to have been born during her reign.”
Diane Thompson, of Northamptonshire, told The Post she camped near The Mall overnight to catch a glimpse of the procession.
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“I’ve got one word for the procession: Brilliant. It was worth staying overnight for,” Thompson said. “She was my great-grandmother, I like to call it. She’s the only monarch I’ve known.”
She added: “I couldn’t even get through the anthem without crying. We would do it all over again.”
Following the service, the Queen’s coffin was escorted through the streets of London as King Charles, his siblings — Princess Anne, Prince Edward and Prince Andrew — and his two sons trailed behind on foot.
Unlike his father and brother, Prince Harry did not salute his grandmother’s coffin as it was brought out of the church, as he was no longer a working Royal. His disgraced uncle, Prince Andrew, also didn’t join in giving a final salute.
Both Harry and Andrew, who donned mourning suits, were also not allowed to wear military uniforms.
Her coffin was then placed in a hearse at Wellington Arch near Hyde Park to be driven to Windsor Castle — her weekend home outside the city.
Mourners could be seen throwing flowers at the convoy as it passed by.
Another procession was then held in Windsor for a committal service in St. George’s Chapel. There, the instruments of the state — the crown, the sovereign orb, and the specter— were removed from the Queen’s coffin by the Crown Jeweler and passed to the Dean of Windsor. He then placed the items on an altar in a symbol of the crown’s endurance between monarchs. All three pieces will eventually return to the Tower of London.
Lord Chamberlain, the most senior officer of the Royal Household, then broke his wand and placed it on the coffin to show that his work serving the Queen was done.
Family members and religious figures stood in silence as her coffin was lowered into the royal vault after the final rites and traditions were performed.
The archbishop of Canterbury then gave a blessing and began a rendition of “God Save the King.”
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were spotted sitting in the front row at Queen Elizabeth’s committal service in St. George’s chapel at Windsor Castle, unlike their second-row placement during the funeral.
After the song, the royal family exited the church, marking the end of public ceremonial events.
Her Majesty will be laid to rest at Windsor Castle in a private service at 7:30 p.m local time that family will attend.
Her final resting place will be alongside her late husband, Prince Philip, her father King George VI, the Queen Mother Elizabeth, and her sister Princess Margaret.
The Queen’s service marked the first state funeral in Britain since Winston Churchill was afforded the honor in 1965. Dedicated in 960 CE, Westminster Abbey has hosted hundreds of royal milestones, including the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton in April 2011.
The 2,000-strong funeral congregation included some 500 presidents, prime ministers, foreign royal families and dignitaries — including Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
The elected officials rubbed shoulders with other European royalty, including King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands, King Felipe VI and Queen Letitia of Spain, King Carl Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden, as well as Prince Albert and Princess Charlene of Monaco.
Dignitaries and VIP guests started arriving up to three hours before the funeral service began, including Kate Middleton’s parents, Michael and Carole, Princess Diana’s brother Charles Spencer and the Queen Consort’s children.
