Queen Elizabeth II died surrounded by her family at her favorite Scottish castle, Balmoral. The Queen’s coffin was taken from Balmoral to Edinburgh and finally to London. Laid out in the Westminster Hall of the British Parliament, the British had the chance to say goodbye to their queen for four days.
There was a queue with a waiting time of up to 20 hours. Flowers were laid outside the front gates of Buckingham Palace and the Royal Green Park, was covered with flowers and also one or the other teddy bear and a few sandwiches could be seen.
State funeral of unprecedented size
Finally, on Monday, the largest state funeral in history took place. The occupation of Queen Elizabeth II was not only followed by a million people in the streets, more than four billion people also gathered in front of the television sets worldwide and watched as the Queen began her last walk.
500 heads of state, high-ranking politicians and monarchs came to London to pay their last respects to the 96-year-old monarch. The Austrian Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen and his wife Doris Schmidauer were among the mourners.
96 chimes
Before the start of the Queen’s state funeral, Westminster Abbey’s bell rang once a minute for 96 minutes. This was to commemorate every year of the life of the queen who died a week and a half ago. “The tenor bell is the largest of the Abbey’s ten bells and is traditionally rung on the death of a member of the royal family,” Westminster Abbey’s Twitter account said.
Coffin made 30 years ago
When the Queen was brought from Westminster Hall, the insignia of state, sceptre, crown and orb were still on the coffin. The coffin was made 30 years ago. It is made from English oak and lined with lead. The Queen was carried by Grenadier Guards. In addition to the soldiers, the close royal family walked behind the coffin. Led by the Queen’s four children – King Charles III, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward.
The Westminister Abby, where the Queen’s farewell service was held, was attended by 2,200. When the Queen was carried into the church, everyone rose. The choir could be heard: “I am the resurrection and the life”. This phrase has been heard at every state funeral in Britain since the 18th century.
Family headed coffin into Westminister Abbey
Eight uniformed men carried the coffin. They were followed by King Charles III. and King’s consort Camilla, then Charles’ siblings Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward. Anne and Edward were accompanied by their partners.
Then followed Prince William and Princess Kate and their older children Prince George (9) and Princess Charlotte (7). They were followed by Prince Harry and his wife, Duchess Meghan, as well as other members of the royal family and the royal household.
Funeral wreath contained wedding flowers
At the Queen’s request, the wreath on the coffin included rosemary, English oak and myrtle from a plant that was already part of the Queen’s wedding bouquet. Gold, pink, deep burgundy and white flowers from the gardens of the royal residences were also part of the coffin decorations.
The flowers on the coffin, the wedding rings and even the songs were all references to the Queen’s wedding. For “The Lord is my shepherd” everyone in the Abbey stood up. This hymn was already part of the ceremony at the wedding of the then Crown Princess to Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten in 1947.
Procession through London
After Mass in Westminster Abbey, the procession began through London. The Queen was laid in a hearse at Wellington Arch. From there the Queen’s coffin was driven by car to St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. Her husband Philip, her sister Margaret and her parents are lying there.
Each regiment was represented in the procession of the coffin towards Wellington Arch. The procession included thousands of soldiers accompanying their supreme commander. For example, a delegation from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police – Canada’s mounted police – was also there.
Silence reigned on London’s streets along the route. You can hear the soldiers and their commands, but the spectators were silent. In addition to brass band music and the regiments stepping in step, Big Ben also accompanied the funeral procession. The big bell strikes once every minute.
Personal letter from King Charles
Inside the wreath of flowers on the coffin was a personal letter from King Charles III. to his dead mother. Charles is an avid gardener and chose the flowers for the wreath himself. In his final message to his mother, he wrote, “In loving and faithful memory. Charles R.” The R.” stands for Rex, the Latin word for “king”.
Every Buckingham Palace employee, no matter how old, no matter how long in the service, has only ever known one boss. As the funeral procession passed the palace, the staff once again lined up for them. Over 100 employees took up positions in front of the late Queen’s workplace.
Princess Anne always at the side of the Queen
At Wellington Arch, “God Save the King” was sung again for the Queen. The hearse then drove to Windsor Castle. Again she was accompanied by Princess Royal, Anne, the Queen’s daughter. From Balmoral Castle, where the Queen passed away, to the Scottish capital of Edinburgh, from Edinburgh to London and now, from the capital to Windsor Castle, Anne is at the Queen’s side.
Children and grandchildren walk behind the coffin
Those royals who took part in the parade usually have a military background – including Princess Anne, who is an honorary admiral. Behind the procession rode the children and wives of the royal family. Queen Camilla, Kate, the Princess of Wales and their children George and Charlotte shared a car.
Another car was shared by Prince Harry’s wife Meghan and Sophie, the Countess of Wessex, wife of Prince Edward. Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice were also in a carriage together. They are Prince Andrew’s daughters.
Corgies and bangs awaited the Queen
The hearse carrying the Queen’s coffin drove to Windsor Township. There the representatives of different regiments lined up along the “Long Walk”, the long, straight promenade to the palace. The Queen’s staff and even her pony, which she rode in old age, stood by the way. The Queen – a lifelong horse lover – spent a lot of time in the stables. The two corgis Muick and Sandy also witnessed the procession. They are to go to Prince Andrew after the Queen’s death, who will continue to look after the dogs.
The crown, scepter and orb go to the Tower of London
The Royal Family follows the Queen’s coffin into St George’s Chapel. The crowned heads of Europe are represented at the mass in the chapel. During Mass, the crown, scepter and orb were removed from the Queen’s coffin – they will then be taken to the Tower of London, where they will be used for the State Opening of Parliament and the coronation of King Charles III. be taken out again.
Lord Chamberlain, Baron Parker, symbolically broke the baton and places it on the Queen’s coffin, with which she will be buried. The staff has historically been used to sanction employee misconduct. The Queen’s coffin was lowered into the royal tomb. This means he will no longer be visible to the public, as St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle is not open to the public.
The hymn God save the King ends the service for Queen Elizabeth II.
Private family church service
A private family service was held in the evening at which the Queen will be buried with her former husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh at the King George VI Memorial Church, located in St George’s Chapel. ELIZABETH II 1926-2022 is engraved on a marble slab.
During the funeral service, family members could be seen fighting back tears. King Charles in particular, who walked behind the Queen’s coffin, struggled with his grief. Harry’s wife also cried during the service. William and Kate’s children, George and Charlotte, were also touched by their grandmother’s funeral.
The Queen’s granddaughter Princess Beatrice left the church in tears after her grandmother’s funeral service.
Little whoops
A police officer on duty outside Westminster Alley at the funeral collapsed. Sailors, also on site, rushed to help and transported the officers away. Due to the prominent use right in front of the church, the pictures of the policeman make it around the world in minutes.
A small mishap also happened on Australian television: a moderation team did not initially recognize the new British Prime Minister Liz Truss at the state funeral. Channel Nine’s Peter Overton and Tracy Grimshaw initially puzzled over who it was. The duo suspected in the TV broadcast that Truss and her husband could be “minor royals” – i.e. less important members of the royal family or local dignitaries. Seconds later, however, the moderators were made aware of their mistake and corrected themselves.
For some of the horses, the crowd and the many spectators become a challenge. On the approach to Windsor, one of the horses became restless and danced out of line. In addition, it nervously flapped its tail – and hit the soldier standing next to it, who was standing guard, right in the face.
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