This Monday the state funeral of Elizabeth II was held, considered the “funeral of the century”, with the presence of the British royal family, heads of state from numerous countries, prime ministers, kings and princes in Westminster Abbey, in the Central London. On behalf of Chile, Foreign Minister Antonia Urrejola attended.
The coffin with the remains of Isabel (Elizabeth) II He arrived around 7:00 Chilean time from Westminster Hall, the oldest part of the British Parliament in London, to nearby Westminster Abbey, where the hour-long state funeral began.
It was in this same hall, which holds two thousand people, that she was crowned, and where her wedding subsequently took place.
The coffin was placed on a 1901 Royal Navy gun carriage, pulled with ropes by more than a hundred Royal Navy sailors, while King Charles (Charles) III and his three brothers, Princess Anne (Anne) and the princes Andrés (Andrew) and Eduardo (Edward), as well as the princes Guillermo (William) and Enrique (Harry), grandsons of Isabel II.
As the procession progresses towards the Palace of Westminster, members of Scottish and Irish regiments play bagpipes, and members of the Navy are on either side of the procession, in a colorful ceremony marked by pomp and solemnity. On reaching the Abbey, hymns were sung.
The coffin will remain covered with the Royal Standard, the imperial crown; the royal orb, a piece that represents the Christian world, the gold scepter, which symbolizes power, and a crown of flowers.
The ceremony could be followed through the YouTube channel of the British public broadcaster, the BBC.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_gy9DFtw5U
The funeral is in charge of the dean of Westminster, David Hoyle, who highlighted the dedication of Elizabeth II as head of state for seven decades, before pronouncing the blessing. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, was the one who delivered the sermon, after which the United Kingdom observed two minutes of silence and the national anthem was sung in the abbey.
The funeral was held in the presence of the King and Queen of Spain, Felipe VI and Letizia; US President Joe Biden; of the head of State of France, Emmanuel Macron, as well as the kings of Holland, Guillermo Alejandro and Máxima; and the kings of Belgium, Felipe Matilde, and other dignitaries of the world.
Along the streets through which the procession passed, thousands of people, many carrying British flags, spent the night to take the best place to see the coffin pass.
With coats, hats and scarves, due to the cold of the night, British and also tourists wait for the start of the state funeral -at 11:00 local time (7:00 in Chile)-.
After the religious service at Westminster Abbey, the funeral procession headed for Wellington Arch, near Buckingham Palace, which is expected to have all the pomp reserved for a funeral of this type, in which they will participate, in addition to the royal family, representatives of the three armed forces: the Navy, the Army and the Royal Air Force.
From Wellington Arch, the procession, already in a hearse, will continue to St. George’s Chapel, in Windsor Castle (just outside London).
The remains of her husband, Prince Felipe (Phillip), will be buried next to her, moving them from the royal crypt, where they have rested since his death in April 2021 at almost 100 years old.
Last goodbye
The oldest queen in the United Kingdom died at the age of 96, shocking the country and the world, despite the fact that her health had been worsening for months.
Symbol of an era of great changes, Elizabeth II came to the throne in 1952, in a United Kingdom still mired in the post-world war, and left in 2022 from the post-pandemic and Brexit.
Her eldest son, 73, succeeded her as Carlos III. Until now one of the least appreciated members of the British royal family, his popularity has risen in recent days.