Queen Elizabeth II burried in state funeral in London
Britain has held its first state funeral in Windsor Castle since 1965, bidding farewell to Queen Elizabeth II after 70 years on the throne. She was laid to rest with her husband, parents and younger sister.
At about 7:30 p.m. local time on Monday, the coffins of Elizabeth and her husband Philip, who died last year aged 99, were moved from the royal vault to be buried together in the chapel where the remains of her father, King George VI, mother, and younger sister, Princess Margaret, also rest.
This final service was a private one only for the Royal Family, at the end of a 12-day period of national mourning following Elizabeth’s passing. The UK will return to work on Tuesday following a public holiday on Monday to coincide with the state funeral, the first in the UK since the death of Elizabeth’s first prime minister, Winston Churchill, in January, 1965.
Queen Elizabeth II Laid to Rest Next to Prince Philip, Other Royals in Final Resting Place
After days of pomp and circumstance, Queen Elizabeth II's body has finally come to rest at St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle. The late British monarch, who died at the age of 96 on Sept. 8, was laid to rest next to her late husband of 73 years, Prince Philip. Philip died in April 2021 at the age of 99.
Her Majesty died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. Her coffin traveled first to Edinburgh, Scotland, and then to London, England. There was a procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall last Wednesday before the coffin began its lying-in-state for several days, allowing members of the public to pay their respects.
From there, the queen's coffin traveled via the State Hearse in a procession to St. George’s Chapel in nearby Windsor, England, via the Long Walk. A Committal Service took place in St George's Chapel before the coffin descended into the royal vault beneath the chapel. Both coffins of Elizabeth and Philip were then taken to King George VI's Memorial Chapel following a private ceremony.
Queen Elizabeth laid to rest at Windsor Castle after private burial service
King Charles III places the the Queen's Company Camp Colour of the Grenadier Guards on the coffin PHOTO: REUTERS
Queen Elizabeth was laid to rest alongside her beloved husband on Monday after a day which saw Britain and the world pay a final farewell to the nation’s longest-reigning monarch, in a dazzling show of pomp and ceremony.
Hundreds of thousands of well-wishers lined the route her hearse took from London, throwing flowers, cheering and clapping as it passed from the city to the English countryside that she so loved much. Many more had crammed into the capital to witness the procession and funeral, in a moving tribute to Britain’s longest-serving monarch who won global respect during 70 years on the throne.
Later in the evening, in a private family service, the coffin of Elizabeth and her husband of more than seven decades, Prince Philip, who died last year aged 99, will be buried together in the same chapel where her parents and sister, Princess Margaret, also rest. It was in the same vast building that the queen was photographed mourning Philip alone during the pandemic lockdown, reinforcing the sense of a monarch in synch with her people during a testing time.
With pomp and sorrow, world bids final farewell to Queen Elizabeth II
Pall bearers carry the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II with the Imperial State Crown resting on top into St George's Chapel on Sep 19, 2022 in Windsor, England. (Photo: Jeff J Mitchell/Pool via REUTERS)
Queen Elizabeth was laid to rest alongside her beloved husband on Monday (Sep 19) after a day which saw Britain and the world pay a final farewell to the nation's longest-reigning monarch, in a dazzling show of pomp and ceremony.
Amid formality and careful choreography, there were moments of raw emotion. Late in the day an ashen-faced King Charles held back tears, while grief was etched on the faces of several members of the royal family.
Later on Monday evening, in a private family service, the coffins of Elizabeth and Philip, who died last year aged 99, were moved from the vault to be buried together in the same chapel where her father, King George VI, mother, and sister, Princess Margaret, also rest.
A day-by-day guide from now to the funeral
The Queen's coffin is in Edinburgh and is set to move to London, ahead of her state funeral on Monday 19 September.
Members of the public can still view her coffin at Edinburgh's St Giles' Cathedral, while the Queen will lie in state for four days at Westminster Hall from Wednesday. King Charles III will also continue a tour of all four nations that make up the UK.
Here is your guide to what will happen, day by day:
- Tue 13 Sep - The Queen's coffin will continue to lie at rest in St Giles' Cathedral. Officials say a queuing system will be in place for members of the public wishing to pay their respects.
- Wed 14 Sep - The coffin will be moved from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall, where the Queen will lie in state for four days. Lying-in-state describes the formal occasion in which a coffin is placed on view before the funeral ceremony.
- Thu 15 Sep - The day marks the first of four full days that the Queen's coffin will lie in state in Westminster Hall, where she will remain until the morning of the funeral.
- Fri 16 Sep - The Queen's coffin will lie in state for the second full day in Westminster Hall, where people will be able to pay their respects.
- Sat 17 Sep - The Queen's coffin will lie in state for the third full day in Westminster Hall.
- Sun 18 Sep - The Queen's coffin will lie in state for the fourth full day in Westminster Hall. A one minute silence will be held across the UK at 20:00.
- Mon 19 Sep - is the day of the Queen's state funeral. The Queen's lying-in-state will end at 06:30. At 10.44, the coffin will be taken in procession from the Palace of Westminster to Westminster Abbey. The state funeral will begin at 11:00.
Queen Elizabeth’s funeral: Monarch's final resting place
The late Queen will be buried alongside her beloved parents, sister Princess Margaret and the Duke of Edinburgh
Queen Elizabeth's state funeral will take place at 11am on Monday, Sept 19, after she passed away in Balmoral on Thursday. At 6.30am on Monday 19th the public lying in state will end, before a state funeral at Westminster Abbey at 11am that morning. From there, she will be taken to Windsor Castle to her final resting place in St George’s Chapel, where she will be buried alongside her beloved parents, sister Princess Margaret and the Duke of Edinburgh.
The monarch played an active role in the preparations for her funeral. The plans, which have been in place for decades and approved by the new King, are expected to be confirmed in the coming days, with services and processions to display the full pomp and ceremony Britain can muster. The original plans involved the late Queen’s coffin to process on a gun carriage pulled by naval ratings using ropes rather than horses, with military personnel also lining the streets. Senior members of the family are expected to follow behind. Heads of state, prime ministers and presidents, European royals and key figures from public life will be invited to gather in the Abbey, which can hold a congregation of 2,000. The service, which will be conducted by the Dean of Westminster, will be televised, and a national two minutes’ silence is expected to be held.
The late Queen’s coffin will be taken to St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle for a televised committal service. Later in the evening, there will be a private interment service with senior members of the Royal family. The late Queen’s final resting place will be the King George VI memorial chapel, an annex to the main chapel - where her mother and father were buried, along with the ashes of her sister, Princess Margaret. The Duke of Edinburgh’s coffin will move from the Royal Vault to the memorial chapel to join the late Queen’s.
What We Know So Far About Queen Elizabeth II’s Funeral
Queen Elizabeth II’s state funeral will be held on Sept. 19 at Westminster Abbey at 11 AM GMT, according to Buckingham Palace. “Prior to the State Funeral, The Queen will Lie-in-State in Westminster Hall for four days, to allow the public to pay their respects,” the statement also said. The abbey is the site of previous coronation ceremonies, including Queen Elizabeth II’s in 1953. It can hold up to 2,000 attendees.
The funeral will conclude the official 10-day mourning period and King Charles III has confirmed that there will be a public holiday that day. The funeral will be televised and available for viewing online. All Royal Family members are expected to be at the funeral, including Queen Elizabeth II’s children—King Charles III, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward—as well as their partners and children, among them Prince William and Prince Harry. Next, her coffin will be brought to London by Royal Train or possibly by air. It will be taken to Buckingham Palace, before being escorted to the Palace of Westminster by a gun-carriage procession.
When it arrives at Westminster Hall, lying in state will take place for a four days. Other royals have also lain in state here, including the Queen’s parents—the Queen Mother and King George VI. Viewings will reportedly be allowed for 23 hours a day, in hopes of accommodating the expected half-a-million members of the British public wanting to pay their respects. Union flags across the country will be flown at half-mast until the funeral, except for the day when King Charles III formally accedes to the throne, which is expected to take place on Saturday. On that day, flags will be hoisted at full-staff. The Queen’s coffin will be carried in a procession to Westminster Abbey for the funeral service. The country will then observe two minutes of silence at midday. A committal service, and another procession, will subsequently be held in Windsor. There, she will be buried in the Royal Vault at St. George’s Chapel with other deceased British royals, beside her late husband, Prince Philip.
Queen Elizabeth II’s state funeral: How the royal family will say goodbye to their matriarch
Sunday marks the final full day the Queen’s body will lie in state in Westminster Hall. The UK public has also been invited to observe a minute’s silence at 8 p.m. (3 p.m. ET) in a national moment of reflection. On the morning of Monday, September 19 – declared a public holiday across the UK – the Queen’s lying in state will end. The coffin will then travel in procession once more to Westminster Abbey for the state funeral, the details of which will likely come in the following days.
Westminster Abbey, founded in 960 AD by Benedictine monks, is one of the most recognizable landmarks in London. The historic church has been the setting for every coronation since 1066, and was where the then-Princess Elizabeth married Prince Philip in 1947. But there hasn’t been a funeral of a monarch there since that of George II in 1760. Heads of state and dignitaries from around the world are expected to be invited to the British capital to join members of the royal family to celebrate the Queen’s life and unwavering service to the nation and Commonwealth. While a guest list has not yet been announced, US President Joe Biden plans to attend the funeral. Other familiar faces at the televised service will be some of the 15 prime ministers to have served during the Queen’s reign.
At its conclusion, the coffin will travel in procession to Wellington Arch, before making its final journey out of London to Windsor. Its destination is the now-familiar St. George’s Chapel within the grounds of Windsor Castle. It’s where Prince Philip’s memorial service was held, as well as more jubilant occasions like the nuptials of the Queen’s grandchildren. Following the service for the Duke of Edinburgh in 2021, his coffin was lowered into the Royal Vault, set below the chapel, where many royal family members have been laid to rest. However, he is expected to be relocated to lie together with the Queen in the King George VI Memorial Chapel, located elsewhere within St. George’s Chapel.
What we know about Queen Elizabeth II's funeral
Queen Elizabeth II's state funeral will be held at Westminster Abbey on Monday, September 19th. (Alastair Grant - WPA Pool/Getty Images)
The funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, Britain's longest reigning monarch, will be viewed by millions around the world and many in the country. Her Majesty died on Thursday surrounded by family members at Balmoral Castle in Scotland at the age of 96. Her body arrived to Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh on Sunday after leaving Balmoral for the final time. After departing from Scotland, the queen's coffin will be transported to Westminster Hall in London to lie in state four days before her funeral.
Members of the British public will be allowed inside Westminster to pay their respects to one of the world's longest monarchs. Her coffin will rest on a raised platform, covered with the Royal Standard occupied by the Imperial State Crown, orb, and scepter. A military parade and royal family members will accompany her coffin as it passes through the streets of London from Buckingham Palace to Westminster. The state funeral for the queen will occur on September 19th. Her Majesty's coronation took place in the historic church after her ascension to the throne and is where she married Prince Philip in 1947. Not since the 18th century has a funeral service for a monarch been conducted in the Abbey.
Members of Parliament, the government, and former prime ministers will be in attendance, along with heads of state from other countries. The queen's heir, King Charles III, will also have his coronation at Westminster in the coming months. A State Gun Carriage from the Royal Navy will transport her body from Westminster Hall to Westminster Abbey, per the BBC, accompanied by Britain's new king. The Archbishop of Canterbury and the Dean of Westminster will lead the service with sermons before Prime Minister Liz Truss is called to speak.
Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II
On 8 September 2022, Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms, the longest-living and longest-reigning British monarch, died at the age of 96 at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. The prime minister was informed of the Queen's death at 16:30 BST and the official public announcement was made at 18:30 BST.
Her death set in motion Operation London Bridge, a collection of plans including arrangements for her funeral, and Operation Unicorn, which set protocols for the Queen's death in Scotland. The United Kingdom is observing a national mourning period of 10 days. The state funeral service for Elizabeth II is due to be held at Westminster Abbey on 19 September 2022, at 11:00.
Elizabeth II's death was met by reactions from leaders and organisations around the world. She was succeeded by her eldest child, Charles III.
Queen's funeral guests: Who will - and who won't - attend
Representatives from Syria, Venezuela and Afghanistan have not been invited, reports the BBC's James Landale. This is because the UK does not have full diplomatic relations with these countries. No-one from Russia, Belarus and Myanmar has been invited either.
Diplomatic relations between the UK and Russia have all but collapsed since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and a spokesperson for Russian President Vladimir Putin said he was "not considering" attending the funeral. The invasion was launched partially from the territory of Belarus. And the UK has significantly scaled back its diplomatic presence in Myanmar since a military coup last year.
North Korea (DPRK) and Nicaragua have been invited to send only ambassadors, not heads of state.
Russia, Belarus, Myanmar not invited to Queen Elizabeth's funeral
In response to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, the UK and its Western allies have sought to isolate Russia and Belarus globally with economic sanctions and other measures. Also, as the UK government is stepping up support for Myanmar's Rohingya community, it has imposed sanctions on Myanmar and its military regime.
The BBC said some 500 foreign dignitaries will attend the funeral in London, with invitations being sent to the heads of state of most countries with diplomatic relations with the UK. Likely to be the UK's largest diplomatic gathering in years, many world leaders, including U.S. President Joe Biden and the prime ministers of Canada, Australia and New Zealand, will be present at the royal funeral.
For 17 months after death, Prince Philip awaited, to be buried with Queen
In this June. 2, 1953 file photo, Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh wave to supporters from the balcony at Buckingham Palace, following her coronation at Westminster Abbey, London
British History's longest reigning monarch Queen Elizabeth II passed away on Thursday, 8 September at the age of 96. Her husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, passed away on 9 April 2021 at the age of 99. The longest serving consort to the Queen, Prince Philip, had also been a part of a marriage that was the longest of any British monarch, lasting more than 73 years.
After the demise of Queen Elizabeth II, her late husband will now be moved to lie beside his now late wife following her state funeral. The burial arrangements for the royal couple had been disclosed last year when Prince Philip passed away in April. The plan was aimed to lay the pair side by side in burial. Prince Philip's mourning which was attended by his then 95 year old wife during the coronavirus lockdown, was the epitome example of a nation's isolation. Prince Philip had retired from royal duties three years before his death. When he died at the age of 99, his coffin was first placed in St George’s Chapel, within Windsor Castle’s grounds. There he lay in rest for family and invited guests to pay their respects.
According to reports, Prince Philip had wished for a low-key affair for his funeral and rejected any proposals that it should bear the hallmarks of a state funeral. Following the ceremony, Price Philip's mortal remains were taken to the Royal Vault within the St. George's Chapel and became the 25th member of the Royal Family to be interred. He shall remain there until the Queen’s death. The Royal Vault was constructed during 1810–14. The vault is placed underneath the St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle.
A look back at Queen Elizabeth's life in photos
Princesses Elizabeth, left, & Margaret, right, with their mother in June 1936 in the garden of the Royal Lodge at Windsor
From princess to queen, from mother to monarch, Queen Elizabeth II saw a lot in almost a century of life.
On February 6, 1952, the then-Princess Elizabeth received news that would change her life forever: her father, King George VI, had passed away, and she was going to be Queen. Since then, Elizabeth II became the first British monarch to reach the historic milestone of a Platinum Jubilee.
Having overseen the throne for seven decades, she was the longest-reigning British monarch in history. In this gallery, we take a look at the Queen's life.
