Britain and the world said their final goodbyes to Queen Elizabeth II at a state funeral Monday that brought together presidents and kings, princes and prime ministers — and crowds lined the streets of London to honor a monarch whose 70-year reign defined an age. A day packed with events in London and Windsor got off to an early start when the doors of the 900-year-old Westminster Hall were closed to mourners after hundreds of thousands had paid their respects in front of her flag-draped coffin. Many waited in line for hours, including through cold nights, to attend the lay-in-state in an outpouring of collective grief and respect. “I felt I had to come and pay my last respects to our great queen. She has done so much for us and a little thank you really from the world,” said Tracy Dobson, who was among the last to join the queue . . In a country known for pomp and pageantry, the first state funeral since Winston Churchill’s was filled with spectacle: 142 Royal Navy sailors pulled the carriage carrying Elizabeth’s coffin to Westminster Abbey, with King Charles C and his sons, Princes William and Harry, walking behind as the bagpipes played. Pallbearers carried the coffin into the abbey, where about 2,000 people, from world leaders to health workers, gathered to mourn her. Before the service, a bell rang 96 times — once a minute for every year of her life. “Here, where Queen Elizabeth was married and crowned, we gather from all the nation, from the Commonwealth and from the nations of the world, to mourn our loss, to remember a long life of selfless service, and with sure confidence to pledge ourselves to mercy of God our creator and redeemer,” the dean of the medieval abbey, David Hoyle, told mourners as the funeral service opened. It came to a close with two minutes of silence across the UK. The audience then sang the national anthem. Monday has been declared a bank holiday in honor of Elizabeth, who died on September 8 — and hundreds of thousands of people descended on central London to take part in the historic moment. Well before the service began, city officials said viewing areas along the funeral route were full. Millions more were expected to tune in to the funeral live on television, and crowds flocked to parks and public spaces across the UK to watch it on screens. The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby noted during the funeral that “few leaders accept the outpouring of love we have seen” for Elizabeth. The night before, Charles sent a message of thanks to people in the UK and around the world, saying he and his wife Camilla, the Queen consort, had been “moved beyond measure” by the large number of people who came to pay their respects to the queen. After the funeral, the coffin — escorted by uniformed armed forces units and members of her family — was carried through the streets of the capital. At Wellington Arch near Hyde Park, it will be placed in a hearse to be driven to Windsor Castle — where Elizabeth spent much of her time — for another procession before a ceremony at St. She will be buried with her late husband Prince Philip in a private family service. US President Joe Biden was among the leaders to pay their respects at the Queen’s coffin on Sunday as thousands of police, hundreds of British soldiers and an army of officials made final preparations for the funeral. Biden called Queen Elizabeth II “dignified” and “honorable” and “all about service” as he signed the condolence book, saying his heart went out to the royal family. People across Britain observed a minute’s silence at 8pm on Sunday in memory of the only monarch most people have ever known. In Westminster Hall, the steady stream of mourners stopped for 60 seconds as people observed the minute of reflection in profound silence. In Windsor, the rain began to fall as the crowd fell silent for a moment of reflection. Some camped overnight outside the castle to reserve the best spots to view the queen’s coffin. Jilly Fitzgerald, who was in Windsor, said there was a sense of community among mourners as they prepared to wait hours to see the procession carrying the Queen’s coffin. “It’s good to be with all the people who all feel the same way. It’s like a big family because everyone feels the Queen was part of their family,” he said. —— Associated Press reporters Sylvia Hui, Samya Kullab and David Keyton contributed to this report.
