Night had fallen as she was laid to rest next to the Duke of Edinburgh at the George VI Memorial in Windsor, privately and away from cameras. With only her family present, it was a completely intimate ceremony, one for a mother, a grandmother and a great-grandmother who was also a queen. The contrast with the earlier grandeur of Britain’s official farewell, with its pipers, frames and ringing bells, its kings, queens, prime ministers and presidents in the Gothic splendor of Westminster Abbey, could not have been starker. . Or with the ritual and symbolism, embellished for centuries, of the ceremony at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle. There, in the city she called home, the nation’s longest-reigning monarch was finally removed from the role of her earthly sovereign when the imperial state crown, orb and scepter – her instruments of state – were removed from her coffin and placed on the high altar . . Her senior official, the Lord Chamberlain, broke his staff of office, marking the end of his service to her. The coffin sank gently through the floor of the quire into the royal vault below. The Crown of Imperial State is removed from the coffin at the ceremony for the Queen at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. Photo: Reuters The chapel was filled with the wailing of a piper, which gradually fell into silence as he slowly walked away. Then came a jolting, full-throated, God save the king. At that moment, as one kingdom had slowly faded, a new one had sprung up. It was the last the public would see of their queen, with her family eventually reclaiming her burial for their own. It marked the end of a day that seamlessly wove the historic with the familiar with, perhaps, more personal touches being the presence of Queen Elizabeth II’s two young great-grandchildren. The image of the tiny figures of Prince George, nine, and Princess Charlotte, seven, at the center of this huge cultural event, walking into Westminster Abbey hand-in-hand with their parents, the Prince and Princess of Wales, behind the coffin was strong. For the two, now second and third in line to the throne, it must have been a daunting and unusual introduction to official royal life, walking among 18 royals, including the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, through the silent sea of black mourning dress and hats. Earlier, the late Queen’s coffin had made its short journey from Westminster Hall to Westminster Abbey in the Victorian state gun carriage, pulled by 142 marines, to the wailing and beating of 200 pipers and drummers. The King led the royal procession behind him. In his Royal Navy No.1 uniform, laden with medals, neck orders and leaves, his sword in place, Charles walked with his sister, brothers, sons, the Queen’s grandson, Peter Phillips , nephew, the Earl of Snowdon, his cousin, the Duke of Gloucester and Princess Anne’s husband, Sir Tim Laurence. Prince William was in uniform, Prince Harry was not. She was in her morning dress. Inside, the congregation had taken their seats as the tenor bell in the Abbey tolled for 96 minutes, one for each year of her life. Around 2,000 had been invited – including world leaders, ambassadors, politicians and foreign royalty – to this service on a scale unprecedented in the abbey’s 1,000-year history and the funeral of the first monarch here in 262 years. The late Queen’s six surviving former prime ministers and their spouses had walked to their seats in order – Sir John Major, Sir Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, David Cameron, Theresa May and finally Boris Johnson . Its fifteenth prime minister, Liz Truss, appointed two days before her death, learned a lesson, as did Lady Scotland, secretary general of the Commonwealth. Strict protocol dictated that US President Joe Biden sit in the area reserved for heads of state, about 14 rows back in the south aisle, with governor generals and Commonwealth countries leading the way. The US president was behind Poland and ahead of the Czech Republic. Across the aisle was the Republic of Korea. Foreign VIPs had earlier been removed from coaches, bussed to the abbey from the assembly point at the Royal Chelsea Hospital to avoid traffic congestion. Only Biden’s armored car “the Beast” was allowed special direct access to the abbey. This was the stage on which so many of the Queen’s most auspicious moments had played out. She took her coronation vows and took her wedding vows, at the same altar before which her coffin now lay. Pallbearers carry the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II to St George’s Chapel. Photo: Reuters Myrtle, grown from a sprig of her wedding bouquet, was now placed in her wreath, along with flowers in shades of gold, pink and deep burgundy that reflect the colors of the royal standard and are grown in royal gardens. A handwritten card, hidden between them, read simply: “In loving and devoted memory. Charles R.” The homily was delivered by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby. “People who love service are rare in any walk of life. Leaders of loving service are even rarer,” he said. “But in all cases those who serve will be loved and remembered when those who cling to power and privilege will be forgotten. “The sadness of this day – felt not only by the late Queen’s family but throughout the nation, the Commonwealth and the world – arises from her abundant life and loving service, now gone from us.” Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. As the final call by the state trumpeters died out, a two-minute silence fell over the nation. The skies were silent too – no planes taking off from Heathrow. Then followed the anthem and the national anthem. As the Queen’s piper Paul Burns played the lament Sleep, Dearie, Sleep, the King, Queen Consort, the Prince and Princess of Wales, their children and other members of the royal family followed the coffin outside. The monumental military procession that then accompanied her coffin stretched past the London landmarks to Wellington Arch in a wide rich ribbon of the gold, red, blue and black ceremonial uniforms. Its length was so great that as its front reached Whitehall, its back still extended to Victoria Street. Around 4,000 UK and Commonwealth troops took part. The bell of Westminster Abbey rang completely muffled, as is traditional after the funeral of a monarch. Fine cannons were fired from Hyde Park and Big Ben fell as the group finished in Parliament Square, Whitehall, the Horse Guards, the Mall. The great funeral processions of Mendelssohn and Beethoven took place along the route. As she passed Buckingham Palace, the Queen’s staff lined up outside and bowed and bowed in a final act of obeisance. At Wellington Arch, a royal salute and the national anthem sent her on her way – home to Windsor in the state hearse. He arrived in the city with his bonnet strewn with flowers thrown by the crowds covering the 23-mile route. In Windsor, they were 10 deep on the road, many only managing to capture his passing by holding up the cameras. The bells of Sevastopol and the Castle Curfew Tower rang. Her two corgis, Muick and Sandy, were taken to the castle grounds for the arrival of the coffin. Her fallen pony, Emma, stood among the thousands of flower tributes on the lawn that approached the castle. King Charles and members of the royal family follow behind Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin as it is carried from Westminster Abbey. Photo: Reuters Beneath the silk banners of the Knights of the Garter at St George’s Chapel, where just 17 months ago she had sat alone at Prince Philip’s funeral, her coffin was carried into the chapel, ahead of a guard of honor and under the watchful eye of the Military Knights of Windsor. This was a more intimate and personal service, with many of her past and present staff invited and prayers by ministers from Sandringham, Windsor and Crathy Kirk, the congregations with which she was most familiar. The Dean of Windsor, the Right Reverend David Conner, knew her well. “Here, in St. George’s Chapel, where he worshiped so often, we must remember someone whose simple but profound Christian faith bore so much fruit. Fruitful, in a life of unceasing service to the nation, the Commonwealth and the wider world, but also (and above all to be remembered in this place) in kindness, concern and reassuring care for her family, friends and neighbours’ , said to the bidder. There was one last public act for the King, her son, to undertake. As the final hymn, Christ Is Made the Sure Foundation, ended, Charles walked slowly to the coffin and placed the Queen’s camp colors on it. The Lord Chamberlain’s broken wand was placed next to it. Both were buried with the coffin, which was then gradually lowered as the Dean of Windsor recited Psalm 103. The garter king of arms read aloud the style and titles of the late queen. The piper let out a wail. A prayer was said for the new King and the national anthem was sung. It was the end. At 7.30pm, the late Queen was laid to rest at the George VI Memorial, next to Philip, “her strength and stay” throughout most of her 70-year reign, and close to her mother, Queen Elizabeth, father her, king. George VI, and the ashes of her sister, Princess Margaret “Us Four”, as George VI would refer to his family, were together once more.
