Crowds lined the route of the Queen’s coffin as it made its way from the abbey through the heart of ceremonial London to Wellington Arch, before being moved west to St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle for a committal ceremony, starting at 4pm. .m. Later, at 7.30pm, the Queen will be laid to rest with her late husband Prince Philip in a private ceremony at the King George VI Memorial, named after her father, which is part of St George’s Chapel. In Windsor, crowds formed along the Long Walk as her coffin was carried to its final destination in the state hearse. The royal burials at Windsor continue the relationship between the Berkshire town and royalty dating back to the 11th century, when William the Conqueror founded the castle. The state funeral at Westminster Abbey, Britain’s first since the death of Winston Churchill in 1965, came at the end of 10 days of national mourning in Britain, a period which saw the country come together to mark a watershed moment in its history but also one of unity and continuity. The Queen’s coffin was carried on Monday morning in a gun carriage to the abbey from the cavernous stillness of Westminster Hall, where it had lain for four full days. Her condition expired at 6.30am on Monday. Hundreds of thousands of people from around the world had joined the ‘queue’ – a line stretching for five miles along the banks of the River Thames – to pay their respects to the Queen, who reigned for 70 years. People in line spoke of a rare sense of duty and camaraderie. Before the funeral, King Charles said he was “deeply moved” by the support he had received from around the world. At the ceremony itself, his eyes were fixed firmly on his mother’s casket as the congregation sang the national anthem, “God Save the King.” The state funeral, whose order of service and hymns were agreed in consultation with the late queen, saw an extraordinary cast of world leaders flock to London to remember a woman whose reign spanned Britain’s post-war era. US President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron and Japan’s Emperor Naruhito – making his first trip outside his country since ascending the throne in 2019 – joined European royals at the abbey, where the late queen was married and crowned. Around 200 key workers and volunteers, who were recognized in the Queen’s Birthday Honors List in June, were also among the 2,000 invited to attend. The leaders of Russia, Afghanistan, Syria and Venezuela were among those left off the guest list. The 10 days of carefully choreographed mourning were intended to provide ample space for grief, but also to mark the role of the British royal family as a source of continuity in national life. Westminster Abbey was the site of royal coronations by William the Conqueror in 1066. The Queen’s great-grandchildren, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, joined the King and other members of the royal family as the coffin was processed into the abbey. The event was expected to be watched by one of the largest live broadcast audiences in the world. Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, noted in his homily that “those who serve” will be remembered more than “those who cling to power and privilege”, a remark that may have resonated with some of the politicians gathered at the abbey . He also recalled the late monarch’s national broadcast during the pandemic: “Service in life, hope in death: all who follow the Queen’s example and inspire trust and faith in God, can say with her: ‘We will meet again.’ He said the late monarch had enjoyed “an abundant life”. Those attending the state funeral in person began arriving well before it began at 11am, with many of the world leaders arriving by bus as a major security operation was swung into action. About 10,000 police were on duty at the event, along with 1,500 soldiers. There has been debate this week in the media about whether Britain’s somber and unified response to the Queen’s death, along with the spectacular ceremony, is a reminder of the country’s greatness or a distraction from its many problems. But while this week many world leaders will gather for the UN general assembly in New York, on Monday the gothic church of Westminster Abbey was briefly the center of world power as the world remembered the late Queen. Some of the mourners wiped away tears during the funeral service, which began with the hymn chosen by the Queen herself: “The day you gave, Lord is done.” The ceremonial heart of the service at St George’s Chapel will come when the Queen’s Bartender and a Sergeant-at-Arms remove the instruments of state – the crown, orb and scepter used at the coronation – from the top of the coffin. The moment represents the completion of a cycle that began when George VI died, the organs were removed from his coffin and then presented to the late Queen at her coronation in 1953. Shortly afterwards the Lord Chamberlain, an official personally appointed by the sovereign, will break his staff of office and place it in the coffin. The dean will read Psalm 103 as the coffin is lowered into the royal vault. There will be a further, private funeral for the immediate royal family in the evening as the Queen will be laid to rest.
