In the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
,
state funerals are usually reserved for
monarchs
A monarch is a head of stateWebster's II New College DictionarMonarch Houghton Mifflin. Boston. 2001. p. 707. for life or until abdication, and therefore the head of state of a monarchy. A monarch may exercise the highest authority and power in ...
. The most recent was for
Queen Elizabeth II on 19 September 2022.
A
state funeral may also be held to honour a highly distinguished figure following the approval of the monarch and
Parliament
In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: representing the electorate, making laws, and overseeing the government via hearings and inquiries. Th ...
(of the expenditure of public funds).
The last non-royal state funeral in the UK was that of Sir
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 during the Second World War, and again from ...
, on 30 January 1965.
Other funerals, including those of senior members of the
British royal family and high-ranking public figures, may share many of the characteristics of a state funeral without being categorised as such; for these, the term 'ceremonial funeral' is used. In the last fifty years, ceremonial funerals have been held for
Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma (1979);
Diana, Princess of Wales (1997);
Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother (2002);
Margaret Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher (2013); and His Royal Highness
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, later Philip Mountbatten; 10 June 1921 – 9 April 2021) was the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. As such, he served as the consort of the British monarch from E ...
(2021).
Ceremonial funerals have tended in general to follow the ritual patterns of a state funeral (if on a somewhat smaller scale).
A
gun carriage is used to transport the
coffin between locations, accompanied by a procession of
military band
A military band is a group of personnel that performs musical duties for military functions, usually for the armed forces. A typical military band consists mostly of wind and percussion instruments. The conductor of a band commonly bears the ti ...
s and detachments along with mourners and other officials. There may also be a
lying in state and other associated ceremonies.
Features of a state funeral
Overview
State funeral customs have evolved over time. For the funeral service itself the
Book of Common Prayer
The ''Book of Common Prayer'' (BCP) is the name given to a number of related prayer books used in the Anglican Communion and by other Christian churches historically related to Anglicanism. The original book, published in 1549 in the reign ...
has been used in recent centuries, with readings from the
Authorized Version
The King James Version (KJV), also the King James Bible (KJB) and the Authorized Version, is an English translation of the Christian Bible for the Church of England, which was commissioned in 1604 and published in 1611, by sponsorship of ...
of the Bible; in its essentials the form of service used is the same for a monarch as for any other person.
Besides the presence of national and international dignitaries in large numbers, much of the distinctive character of a state funeral is set by the processions surrounding the conveyance of the coffin from place to place, and by the lying-in-state which generally precedes the funeral (until the 21st century these were the only elements that could be seen by members of the public). In many respects the obsequies of
Queen Victoria
Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previo ...
in 1901 set the tone for the modern state funeral, with her desire to be buried 'as a soldier's daughter' (the use of a
gun carriage to transport the coffin, for example, dates from this time).
The next three state funerals of a monarch (those of
Edward VII
Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910.
The second child and eldest son of Queen Victoria and ...
in 1910, of
King George V
George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936.
Born during the reign of his grandmother Qu ...
in 1936 and of
King George VI in 1952) all conformed to a similar pattern, albeit with individual differences and modifications; (for example, the use of
Westminster Hall
The Palace of Westminster serves as the meeting place for both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Informally known as the Houses of Parliament, the Palace lies on the north bank ...
for the lying-in-state dates from the time of the funeral of King Edward VII).
Full ceremonial details of each funeral are recorded in the ''
London Gazette'' (see 'External links' below).
State funeral of Elizabeth II
The
state funeral of Elizabeth II in 2022 followed the same general pattern and conformed in many of the same details. A notable difference, however, was that the funeral service itself was separated from the committal service (with the former taking place in Westminster Abbey and the latter at St George's Chapel, Windsor). Another distinguishing feature was occasioned by the fact that Queen Elizabeth had died at
Balmoral in Scotland, which allowed an additional procession, service and Lying-in-State to be held in
Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...
, prior to the coffin being brought to London.
For the first time, in 2022, the monarch's funeral service in Westminster Abbey was televised, as was the committal service in St George's Chapel.
The events in London and Windsor took place as follows:
* Conveyance of the body to
Westminster Hall
The Palace of Westminster serves as the meeting place for both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Informally known as the Houses of Parliament, the Palace lies on the north bank ...
. From Buckingham Palace the Queen's coffin was transported to Westminster on a horse-drawn gun carriage of the
King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery
The King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery, is a ceremonial unit of the British Army, quartered at Woolwich. It is a mounted unit and all of its soldiers are trained to care for and drive teams of six horses, each team pulling a First World War-er ...
, escorted by military contingents, preceded by members of the late Queen's Household and followed on foot by the King and other members of the Royal Family. The coffin was draped with the
Royal Standard
In heraldry and vexillology, a heraldic flag is a flag containing coats of arms, heraldic badges, or other devices used for personal identification.
Heraldic flags include banners, standards, pennons and their variants, gonfalons, guidons, and ...
, and on it was placed the
Imperial State Crown
The Imperial State Crown is one of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom and symbolises the sovereignty of the monarch.
It has existed in various forms since the 15th century. The current version was made in 1937 and is worn by the monarc ...
and a wreath of flowers.
The late monarch's current and former
equerries served as pallbearers,
walking alongside the coffin; while the 'bearer party' (which carried the coffin when required) was made up of eight
guardsmen, accompanied by two officers.
* Lying in state in Westminster Hall. The coffin was placed on a
catafalque
A catafalque is a raised bier, box, or similar platform, often movable, that is used to support the casket, coffin, or body of a dead person during a Christian funeral or memorial service. Following a Roman Catholic Requiem Mass, a catafalque ...
in the middle of the hall. Following a brief service, the
Orb and
Sceptre
A sceptre is a staff or wand held in the hand by a ruling monarch as an item of royal or imperial insignia. Figuratively, it means royal or imperial authority or sovereignty.
Antiquity
Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia
The '' Was'' and other ...
were placed on the coffin, in addition to the Crown and flowers. Members of the public were then admitted and, over the course of four days and nights, filed past the coffin to pay their respects. During the lying in state each corner of the catafalque was guarded by units of the
Sovereign's Bodyguard
Sovereign's Bodyguard is the name given to three ceremonial units in the United Kingdom who are tasked with guarding the Sovereign. These units are:
* His Majesty's Body Guard of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Armsformed 1509
* King's Bo ...
and the
Household Division
Household Division is a term used principally in the Commonwealth of Nations to describe a country's most elite or historically senior military units, or those military units that provide ceremonial or protective functions associated directly with ...
.
* Conveyance of the body from Westminster Hall to Westminster Abbey. For this procession the State Gun Carriage was hauled by 138 sailors of the Royal Navy. The coffin was escorted by the sovereign's bodyguards: the
Gentlemen at Arms, the
Yeomen of the Guard
The King's Body Guard of the Yeomen of the Guard is a bodyguard of the British monarch. The oldest British military corps still in existence, it was created by King Henry VII in 1485 after the Battle of Bosworth Field.
History
The king ...
and the
Royal Company of Archers
The Royal Company of Archers, The King's Bodyguard for Scotland is a ceremonial unit that serves as the Sovereign's bodyguard in Scotland—a role it has performed since 1822 during the reign of King George IV when the company provided a per ...
.
* State Funeral Service in Westminster Abbey. The service was attended by the King and seventy other members of the wider royal family,
along with Heads of State and other overseas representatives, those representing the Realms, the Commonwealth, Government, Parliament, the devolved Parliaments and Assemblies, the Church, charities and recipients of state honours.
The service was conducted by the
Dean of Westminster
The Dean of Westminster is the head of the chapter at Westminster Abbey. Due to the Abbey's status as a Royal Peculiar, the dean answers directly to the British monarch (not to the Bishop of London as ordinary, nor to the Archbishop of Canterbu ...
and a sermon was preached by the
Archbishop of Canterbury, who also pronounced the Commendatory prayer. The lessons were read by the
Commonwealth Secretary-General
The Commonwealth secretary-general is the head of the Commonwealth Secretariat, the central body which has served the Commonwealth of Nations since its establishment in 1965, and responsible for representing the Commonwealth publicly. The Commo ...
and the
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The prime minister of the United Kingdom is the head of government of the United Kingdom. The prime minister advises the sovereign on the exercise of much of the royal prerogative, chairs the Cabinet and selects its ministers. As modern ...
.
* Conveyance of the body from Westminster Abbey to Windsor Castle. A large procession accompanied the monarch's body for the first part of its final journey to Windsor (from the Abbey to
Hyde Park Corner
Hyde Park Corner is between Knightsbridge, Belgravia and Mayfair in London, England. It primarily refers to its major road junction at the southeastern corner of Hyde Park, that was designed by Decimus Burton. Six streets converge at the j ...
), including Armed Forces detachments from the UK and the Commonwealth realms.
At
Wellington Arch
Wellington Arch, also known as Constitution Arch or (originally) as the Green Park Arch, is a Grade I-listed triumphal arch by Decimus Burton that forms a centrepiece of Hyde Park Corner in central London, between corners of Hyde Park and ...
the coffin was transferred to the
State Hearse and travelled by road to Windsor. For the last part of the journey, through
Windsor Great Park
Windsor Great Park is a Royal Park of , including a deer park, to the south of the town of Windsor on the border of Berkshire and Surrey in England. It is adjacent to the private Home Park, which is nearer the castle. The park was, for man ...
, the procession was reassembled and accompanied the hearse to Windsor Castle, where it was joined again by members of the Royal Family.
*Committal service in St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle. The service was conducted by the
Dean of Windsor
The Dean of Windsor is the spiritual head of the canons of St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, England. The dean chairs meetings of the Chapter of Canons as ''primus inter pares''. The post of Dean of Wolverhampton was assimilated to the dea ...
, with the Archbishop of Canterbury giving the final Blessing.
Alongside the King and members of the Royal Family, the congregation was made up of past and present members of the Queen's Household along with the Governors General and Prime Ministers of the Commonwealth Realms.
Prior to the lowering of the coffin into the royal vault, the Crown, Orb and Sceptre were removed from the coffin and placed on the altar; the new King placed the
Queen's Company Camp
Colour
Color (American English) or colour (British English) is the visual perceptual property deriving from the spectrum of light interacting with the photoreceptor cells of the eyes. Color categories and physical specifications of color are assoc ...
on the coffin, and following a centuries-old precedent,
the
Lord Chamberlain
The Lord Chamberlain of the Household is the most senior officer of the Royal Household of the United Kingdom, supervising the departments which support and provide advice to the Sovereign of the United Kingdom while also acting as the main c ...
(the head of the late Queen's Household) broke his white
staff of office to symbolize the end of his period of service to the late monarch. The
Garter King of Arms then pronounced the
style
Style is a manner of doing or presenting things and may refer to:
* Architectural style, the features that make a building or structure historically identifiable
* Design, the process of creating something
* Fashion, a prevailing mode of clothing ...
of the deceased monarch, using a form of words that has varied little over centuries of use.
* Burial in the
King George VI Memorial Chapel
The King George VI Memorial Chapel is part of St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle. The chapel was commissioned by Queen Elizabeth II in 1962 as a burial place for her father, King George VI, and was completed in 1969. It contains the final r ...
: this took place privately later on the day of the funeral, with the immediate family only in attendance.
Other state funerals
State funerals of distinguished citizens have followed a similar pattern to those of the monarch, except for the location of the funeral and burial. Churchill's body was taken by gun carriage from Westminster Hall (where it had lain in state) to
St Paul's Cathedral for the funeral, which was said at that time to have been the largest in world history, bringing together representatives from 112 nations.
Afterwards, his body was taken by river (on board the
Port of London Authority launch
''Havengore'') to Waterloo for the railway journey to
Bladon
Bladon is a village and civil parish on the River Glyme about northwest of Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, notable as the burial place of Sir Winston Churchill. The 2011 Census recorded the parish's population as 898.
Places of worship St Mart ...
for burial.
His pallbearers were political and military leaders with whom he had worked closely during the war:
Clement Attlee,
Anthony Eden,
Harold Macmillan,
Lord Ismay
Hastings Lionel Ismay, 1st Baron Ismay (21 June 1887 – 17 December 1965), was a diplomat and general in the British Indian Army who was the first Secretary General of NATO. He also was Winston Churchill's chief military assistant during th ...
,
Lord Slim,
Lord Portal,
Lord Alexander and
Lord Mountbatten.
History
Location
From 1820, up to and including the funeral of King George VI in 1952, funerals of monarchs were held in
St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle
St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle in England is a castle chapel built in the late-medieval Perpendicular Gothic style. It is both a Royal Peculiar (a church under the direct jurisdiction of the monarch) and the Chapel of the Order of the Gart ...
, with the burial also taking place there (or, in the case of Queen Victoria, in the nearby
Frogmore Mausoleum). In earlier centuries, Westminster Abbey was the usual venue for both funeral and burial (albeit with several exceptions: for instance, Henry VIII was buried at Windsor, whilst James II and George I were both buried overseas).
The funeral of Queen Elizabeth II was also held in Westminster Abbey; it was followed on the same day by a committal service in St George's Chapel, Windsor. The burial took place privately that same evening (attended by immediate family only) in the adjacent King George VI Memorial Chapel.
[BBC News television commentary 2022, Sep 9th and https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-60617519]
The funeral of
Admiral Nelson
Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronte (29 September 1758 – 21 October 1805) was a British flag officer in the Royal Navy. His inspirational leadership, grasp of strategy, and unconventional tactics brought abo ...
in 1806 set the precedent for
St Paul's Cathedral being used as a grand venue for funerals of distinguished subjects. The State Funerals of Wellington and Churchill also took place there, as, more recently, did the ceremonial funeral of Baroness Thatcher. In the past half century, royal ceremonial funerals have tended to be held in
Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an historic, mainly Gothic church in the City of Westminster, London, England, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the Unite ...
(e.g. those of Lord Mountbatten, Diana, Princess of Wales and Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother) with the burial in each case taking place privately elsewhere; however, the royal ceremonial funeral of Prince Philip (the consort of Elizabeth II) took place in St George's Chapel, Windsor, in unusual circumstances: because of the
covid restrictions in place at that time, which permitted a maximum of only 30 mourners to be in attendance, the ceremonial was greatly pared down.
![Elizabeth II Lying-in-State - 06](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/78/Elizabeth_II_Lying-in-State_-_06.jpg)
Allowing the body of a monarch or nobleman to
lie in state (for the public to pay their respects) is a long-established custom dating back many centuries, and is analogous to the once widespread practice of laying out a corpse for mourners at their home prior to a funeral. The use of Westminster Hall for this purpose, though, is comparatively modern, having begun with the state funeral of William Gladstone in 1898 (until 1882 the hall had been in use as law courts, and would not have been available for state events at short notice). The first monarch to lie in state there was
Edward VII
Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910.
The second child and eldest son of Queen Victoria and ...
in 1910, and the first consort
Queen Mary (1953). Monarchs in the 19th century all lay in state in Windsor Castle. In the 18th century Kensington Palace was often used, while in the 17th century the
Palace of Whitehall was generally preferred. In earlier times, entry to the lying in state had been restricted to the
gentry
Gentry (from Old French ''genterie'', from ''gentil'', "high-born, noble") are "well-born, genteel and well-bred people" of high social class, especially in the past.
Word similar to gentle imple and decentfamilies
''Gentry'', in its widest c ...
and
nobility
Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. The character ...
, but following the death of King
George III
George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of the two kingdoms on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Br ...
in 1820 the public at large were admitted to the lying in state at Windsor Castle (where around 30,000 people filed past the late king's coffin in the two days before his funeral); this set the pattern for subsequent monarchs (with the exception of Queen Victoria, who had stipulated that her body should not lie in state).
Beforehand, the body will often have lain in a private room or chapel elsewhere (e.g. At the place of death) for private viewing. Both George V and George VI died at Sandringham and their bodies lay in the church there for a time, watched over by estate workers and gamekeepers; whereas the body of Edward VII lay in the throne room in Buckingham Palace. Elizabeth II died at Balmoral Castle; her body lay in the ballroom there for two days, allowing estate workers and family members to pay their respects, before being transported to Edinburgh, where it lay overnight in the Throne Room at Holyrood House prior to a public lying in state in
St Giles' Cathedral
St Giles' Cathedral ( gd, Cathair-eaglais Naomh Giles), or the High Kirk of Edinburgh, is a parish church of the Church of Scotland in the Old Town of Edinburgh. The current building was begun in the 14th century and extended until the early 1 ...
. It then lay overnight in the Bow Room at Buckingham Palace, before being taken in procession to Westminster Hall for the public lying in state.
Rites and ceremonies
Pre-1700: Heraldic funerals
Tudor and
Jacobean State funerals had a strongly heraldic flavour (this in fact had been a distinguishing feature of both royal and noble funerals since the
Late Middle Ages
The Late Middle Ages or Late Medieval Period was the period of European history lasting from AD 1300 to 1500. The Late Middle Ages followed the High Middle Ages and preceded the onset of the early modern period (and in much of Europe, the Renai ...
). The
Exchequer
In the civil service of the United Kingdom, His Majesty’s Exchequer, or just the Exchequer, is the accounting process of central government and the government's '' current account'' (i.e., money held from taxation and other government revenu ...
customarily provided all those taking part in the procession (from 'poor men' and servants to nobles and royalty) with lengths of black cloth for their mourning garb. Noblemen in particular wore full-length black mourning cloaks, and hoods drawn down over their faces; while noblewomen (who played a key role in the funeral processions for a female monarch or consort) wore a long straight gown with a
trained surcoat, coupled with a white
wimple
A wimple is a medieval form of female headcovering, formed of a large piece of cloth worn draped around the neck and chin, covering the top of the head; it was usually made from white linen or silk. Its use developed in early medieval Europe; i ...
-like head covering.
The quality and amount of material in these garments was strictly regulated by the
College of Arms
The College of Arms, or Heralds' College, is a royal corporation consisting of professional officers of arms, with jurisdiction over England, Wales, Northern Ireland and some Commonwealth realms. The heralds are appointed by the British Sovere ...
, according to the rank of the wearer: thus, a seventeenth-century Duke was permitted 16 yards of fabric at 10s a yard, a Knight only 5 yards at 6s.8d.
As well as the mourners, the horses were dressed all in black, and it was customary for black drapes to be hung along the route of the procession. Color was provided by the heralds, who wore
tabard
A tabard is a type of short coat that was commonly worn by men during the late Middle Ages and early modern period in Europe. Generally worn outdoors, the coat was either sleeveless or had short sleeves or shoulder pieces. In its more develope ...
s over their mourning cloaks and carried the late monarch's
achievements
Achievement may refer to:
*Achievement (heraldry)
*Achievement (horse), a racehorse
*Achievement (video gaming), a meta-goal defined outside of a game's parameters
See also
* Achievement test for student assessment
* Achiever, a personality type ...
in the procession. Colorful heraldic banners were also carried at various points in the procession. The coffin was borne on a horse-drawn
bier
A bier is a stand on which a corpse, coffin, or casket containing a corpse is placed to lie in state or to be carried to the grave.''The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language'' (American Heritage Publishing Co., Inc., New York, ...
or 'chariot' and covered by a richly embroidered
pall. Those of the highest rank in society were distinguished by having a canopy carried over their coffin, which remained held in place for the duration of the funeral service.
![Richard2funeral](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Richard2funeral.jpg)
From the fourteenth century onwards it became customary for a lifelike wooden
effigy of the deceased person to be carried on or near the coffin in royal and noble funeral processions; previously, the
embalmed
Embalming is the art and science of preserving human remains by treating them (in its modern form with chemicals) to forestall decomposition. This is usually done to make the deceased suitable for public or private viewing as part of the funeral ...
body itself would probably have been on view. Surviving effigies, with contemporary clothing, are on display in Westminster Abbey; at the funeral of a monarch or queen consort the effigy was dressed in their coronation robes and regalia. The first king for whom a funeral effigy was made was Edward II in 1327, and the last effigy of a monarch to be carried in procession was that of
James I James I may refer to:
People
*James I of Aragon (1208–1276)
*James I of Sicily or James II of Aragon (1267–1327)
*James I, Count of La Marche (1319–1362), Count of Ponthieu
*James I, Count of Urgell (1321–1347)
*James I of Cyprus (1334–13 ...
at his
funeral on 7 May 1625; since the funeral of his successor,
Charles II, a crown on a cushion has instead been placed on the coffin.
Funerals were occasions for royal
almsgiving
Alms (, ) are money, food, or other material goods donated to people living in poverty. Providing alms is often considered an act of virtue or charity. The act of providing alms is called almsgiving, and it is a widespread practice in a numbe ...
, and a feature of medieval royal funerals was the contingent 'poor men' or 'alms men' who would walk in the procession offering prayers for the soul of the deceased. The prayers were suppressed at the
Reformation
The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...
, but poor men (and women) continued to receive charity and to take part in the procession.
A contingent of 266 poor women walked at the head of the funeral procession for Elizabeth I, which made its way from Whitehall Palace to Westminster Abbey in 1603, and the Queen's
High Almoner preached at the service. The procession, which numbered over a thousand participants in all, included peers and peeresses and their children on the one hand, marshalled according to rank, and a multitude of servants on the other, from the 'children of the
scullery
A scullery is a room in a house, traditionally used for washing up dishes and laundering clothes, or as an overflow kitchen. Tasks performed in the scullery include cleaning dishes and cooking utensils (or storing them), occasional kitchen work, ...
' and the 'yeomen of the
boiling house
A boilery or boiling house is a place of boiling, much as a bakery
A bakery is an establishment that produces and sells flour-based food baked in an oven such as bread, cookies, cakes, donuts, pastries, and pies. Some retail bakeries are a ...
' to the late Queen's
sewers and the
Maids of Honour
A maid of honour is a junior attendant of a queen in royal households. The position was and is junior to the lady-in-waiting. The equivalent title and office has historically been used in most European royal courts.
Role
Traditionally, a queen ...
of her
Privy Chamber
A privy chamber was the private apartment of a royal residence in England.
The Gentlemen of the Privy Chamber were noble-born servants to the Crown who would wait and attend on the King in private, as well as during various court activities, f ...
.
The
Great Officers of State
Government in medieval monarchies generally comprised the king's companions, later becoming the Royal Household, from which the officers of state arose, initially having household and government duties. Later some of these officers became ...
were also in attendance, along with the
chief justices, the
Lord Mayor and Aldermen of London and numerous clerks and officials. The
Master of the Horse
Master of the Horse is an official position in several European nations. It was more common when most countries in Europe were monarchies, and is of varying prominence today.
(Ancient Rome)
The original Master of the Horse ( la, Magister Equitu ...
led a
Palfrey
A palfrey is a type of horse that was highly valued as a riding horse in the Middle Ages. It was a lighter-weight horse, usually a smooth gaited one that could amble, suitable for riding over long distances. Palfreys were not a specific breed ...
of Honour directly behind the coffin (a relic of a medieval tradition by which a late monarch's horse would follow them into church and be given as a
perquisite
Employee benefits and (especially in British English) benefits in kind (also called fringe benefits, perquisites, or perks) include various types of non-wage compensation provided to employees in addition to their normal wages or salaries. Insta ...
to the Abbey); and then followed the chief mourner (who for Elizabeth I was the
Marchioness of Northampton, premier noblewoman of England).
At the back marched the
Yeomen of the Guard
The King's Body Guard of the Yeomen of the Guard is a bodyguard of the British monarch. The oldest British military corps still in existence, it was created by King Henry VII in 1485 after the Battle of Bosworth Field.
History
The king ...
. The chief officers of the late Queen's household carried their white staves of office in the procession; at the end of the funeral service (in accordance with tradition) they broke them across their knees and cast them into the grave as a sign that their duties were now at an end.
1700–1900: Heraldic tradition maintained
![The Funeral Ceremony of Her Royal Highness the Princess Charlotte of Wales and Saxe Coburg by James Stephanoff](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d7/The_Funeral_Ceremony_of_Her_Royal_Highness_the_Princess_Charlotte_of_Wales_and_Saxe_Coburg_by_James_Stephanoff.jpg)
Many of the above funeral practices persisted well into the nineteenth century. At the funeral of
William IV
William IV (William Henry; 21 August 1765 – 20 June 1837) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death in 1837. The third son of George III, William succeeded h ...
(the last monarch to die before Queen Victoria) the chief mourner and his attendants still wore black mourning cloaks, black drapes were hung along the route of the procession and a black canopy was borne over the coffin. The coffin itself was covered with a purple velvet pall, embroidered with the Royal arms. The crowns of the United Kingdom and of Hanover were carried on cushions in the procession, and placed on the coffin for the service, and behind the coffin heraldic banners were carried: the banner of the royal arms and banners of the
Union
Union commonly refers to:
* Trade union, an organization of workers
* Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets
Union may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
Music
* Union (band), an American rock group
** ''Un ...
, of England, Ireland and Scotland, and also of
Hanover
Hanover (; german: Hannover ; nds, Hannober) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Lower Saxony. Its 535,932 (2021) inhabitants make it the 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-largest city in Northern Germany ...
and
Brunswick.
At this time, and indeed in previous centuries, the procession at a state funeral was very clearly a state procession: thus, as well as members of the late monarch's household, it usually included the peerage, the privy council, the judiciary and other state officeholders. When King William IV attended the funeral of his late brother George IV, the
Sword of State and
Cap of Maintenance
Typical of British heraldry, a cap of maintenance, known in heraldic language as a ''chapeau gules turned up ermine'', is a ceremonial cap of crimson velvet lined with ermine, which is worn or carried by certain persons as a sign of nobility or ...
were carried before him, as at the
State Opening of Parliament. Until the 20th century, monarchs by custom did not attend the funerals of their predecessors; William IV was an exception: not only did he attend, but he published a personal message of thanks in the ''Gazette'' for all who had participated. It was also rare for women to be seen in attendance, though the women of Queen Anne's royal household did walk in her funeral procession in 1714.
These funerals took place after sunset. At the funeral of William IV, for example, the procession from the lying in state set off at 8 pm; the
Brigade of Guards
The Brigade of Guards was an administrative formation of the British Army from 1856 to 1968. It was commanded by the Major-General commanding the Brigade of Guards and was responsible for administering the guards regiments.
After the Second Wor ...
lined the processional route (as they still do today), and one in four of them held a
burning torch. The regiments involved were accompanied by their regimental bands (according to the ''Gazette'', each band in turn played the ''
Dead March in Saul
''Saul'' ( HWV 53) is a dramatic oratorio in three acts written by George Frideric Handel with a libretto by Charles Jennens. Taken from the First Book of Samuel, the story of ''Saul'' focuses on the first king of Israel's relationship with his ...
'' as the procession approached their position along the route). As today, those bearing arms (swords or rifles), whether lining the route or marching in the procession, carried or held them reversed as a sign of mourning.
A tradition of firing 'minute guns' during the funeral procession is one that has been followed for over 300 years. Indeed, in 1830 and 1837 the guns began at 4 a.m., and they continued firing: once every five minutes for the next seventeen hours, and then once every minute from 9 p.m. Until the end of the ceremony.
Non-royal state funerals in the 19th century were very similar to those for monarchs, even down to a herald reading the style and titles of the deceased, and leading members of their household carrying white staves and breaking them at the graveside. One striking exception, though, was the state funeral of
William Gladstone, which took place entirely without military involvement. Instead, the members of the Lords and the Commons walked in procession, each led by their respective presiding officer.
The funeral of Queen Victoria: an innovative approach
![3373 Atbara in Royal Sovereign livery](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c3/3373_Atbara_in_Royal_Sovereign_livery.png)
The state funeral of Queen Victoria took place in February 1901; it had been 64 years since the last burial of a monarch. Victoria left strict instructions regarding the service and associated ceremonies and instituted a number of changes, several of which set a precedent for state (and indeed ceremonial) funerals that have taken place since. First, she disliked the preponderance of funereal black; henceforward, there would be no black cloaks, drapes or canopy, and Victoria requested a white pall for her coffin. Second, she expressed a desire to be buried as "a soldier's daughter". The procession, therefore, became much more a military procession, with the peers, privy counsellors and judiciary no longer taking part ''en masse''. Her pallbearers were
equerries rather than dukes (as had previously been customary), and for the first time, a gun carriage was employed to convey the monarch's coffin. Third, Victoria requested that there should be no public lying in state. This meant that the only event in London on this occasion was a gun carriage procession from one railway station to another: Victoria having died at
Osborne House
Osborne House is a former royal residence in East Cowes, Isle of Wight, United Kingdom. The house was built between 1845 and 1851 for Queen Victoria and Prince Albert as a summer home and rural retreat. Albert designed the house himself, in ...
(on the
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight ( ) is a Counties of England, county in the English Channel, off the coast of Hampshire, from which it is separated by the Solent. It is the List of islands of England#Largest islands, largest and List of islands of England#Mo ...
), her body was conveyed by boat and train to Waterloo Station, then by gun carriage to Paddington Station, and thence by train to Windsor for the funeral itself. On the train's arrival in Windsor the horses that were formed up at the station broke away from the gun carriage, necessitating the recruitment of a nearby contingent of sailors to pull the coffin.
The rare sight of a state funeral cortège travelling by ship provided a striking spectacle: Victoria's body was carried on board from
Cowes to
Gosport, with a suite of yachts following conveying the new king, Edward VII, and other mourners. Minute guns were fired by the assembled fleet as the yacht passed by. Victoria's body remained on board ship overnight (with Royal Marines keeping vigil) before being conveyed by gun carriage to the railway station the following day for the train journey to London.
Since 1901: innovation becomes tradition
![The funeral of King Edward VII LCCN2014688201 (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/The_funeral_of_King_Edward_VII_LCCN2014688201_%28cropped%29.jpg)
State funerals since have in many respects followed the template set by Queen Victoria, but with the public lying in state reinstated. (The use of Westminster Hall for this purpose immediately proved popular, with over a quarter of a million people taking the opportunity to file past the coffin in 1910; its use as the primary venue for lyings-in-state is now well-entrenched.) Even the unintended drawing of the hearse by a Royal Guard of sailors (from HMS Excellent) became tradition almost immediately when the royal coffin was further conveyed to the Royal Mausoleum at Frogmore two days later, at the command of King Edward, by means of the same naval detachment.
The use of Westminster Hall led to the establishment of another tradition: the practice of tolling
Big Ben as the coffin left Westminster for Windsor on the day of the funeral, sounding as many strokes as there were years in the dead monarch's life. This was first done for King Edward VII, and repeated for George V, George VI and Elizabeth II.
The State procession for the
funeral of Edward VII
The state funeral of Edward VII, King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India, occurred on Friday, 20 May 1910.
The funeral was the largest gathering of European royalty ever to take place, and the last before ma ...
involved a very large number of foreign heads of state, together with royal and other representatives. Nine kings rode behind the coffin, and forty foreign princes;
but pride of place behind the gun carriage was given to the late king's favourite fox terrier,
Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, an ...
(escorted by a highlander). Behind the dog walked the King Edward's
charger
Charger or Chargers may refer to:
* Charger (table setting), decorative plates used to fancify a place setting
* Battery charger, a device used to put energy into a cell or battery
* Capacitor charger, typically a high voltage DC power supply ...
, led riderless, with the late King's boots reversed in the stirrups. The main procession took two hours to get from Westminster Hall to
Paddington station
Paddington, also known as London Paddington, is a Central London railway terminus and London Underground station complex, located on Praed Street in the Paddington area. The site has been the London terminus of services provided by the Great ...
, where the mourners boarded the
royal train
A royal train is a set of railway carriages dedicated for the use of the monarch or other members of a royal family. Most monarchies with a railway system employ a set of royal carriages.
Australia
The various government railway operators of ...
, which took them (along with the King's body) to Windsor for the funeral. The same processional route was followed in 1936 and 1952, and on both occasions foreign kings and princes walked behind the coffin (albeit in diminishing numbers), accompanied by their suites and other foreign representatives;
but this did not take place in 2022, when the funeral took place in Westminster Abbey.
One notable event at the lying-in-state of
King George V
George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936.
Born during the reign of his grandmother Qu ...
was the so-called
Vigil of the Princes: the four sons of the late king (
King Edward VIII
Edward VIII (Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David; 23 June 1894 – 28 May 1972), later known as the Duke of Windsor, was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Empire and Emperor of India from 20 January 19 ...
, the
Duke of York, the
Duke of Gloucester and the
Duke of Kent
Duke of Kent is a title that has been created several times in the peerages of Great Britain and the United Kingdom, most recently as a royal dukedom for the fourth son of King George V. Since 1942, the title has been held by Prince Edwar ...
) all stood guard together for a time. The vigil was recalled 65 years later at the lying-in-state of
Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, with her grandsons the
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales ( cy, Tywysog Cymru, ; la, Princeps Cambriae/Walliae) is a title traditionally given to the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. Prior to the conquest by Edward I in the 13th century, it was used by the rulers ...
, the
Duke of York, the
Earl of Wessex
Earl of Wessex is a title that has been created twice in British history – once in the pre-Conquest Anglo-Saxon nobility of England, and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. In the 6th century AD the region of Wessex (the lands of the We ...
, and
Viscount Linley taking post together. The four children of Elizabeth II stood guard at her lying in state twice: once in Edinburgh and once at Westminster; her eight grandchildren likewise stood vigil at her coffin during the lying in state in Westminster Hall.
An innovation following the death of Elizabeth II was the use of motor vehicles in the funeral processions. Throughout the 20th century, railway trains had been used to move the body of the deceased monarch to London and from there to Windsor; and at each location the coffin was transported using a gun carriage (and those accompanying it in procession, if not walking or riding, rode in horse-drawn carriages from the
Royal Mews
The Royal Mews is a mews, or collection of equestrian stables, of the British Royal Family. In London these stables and stable-hands' quarters have occupied two main sites in turn, being located at first on the north side of Charing Cross, and ...
).
In 2022, by contrast, an RAF aircraft took the Queen's body from Edinburgh to London, and a motor hearse was used for most of the journey to Windsor.
Hearses had been used for private royal funerals since the 1930s,
but this was the first time one had been used for a deceased monarch. Likewise,
state cars were used in preference to carriages for the first time in the formal processions.
Entitlement
The honour of a state funeral is usually reserved for the
sovereign as
head of state
A head of state (or chief of state) is the public persona who officially embodies a state Foakes, pp. 110–11 " he head of statebeing an embodiment of the State itself or representatitve of its international persona." in its unity and l ...
. A few historical civilians of profound achievement, exceptional military leaders, and outstanding statesmen have also been honoured with a full state funeral, including, for example,
Sir Isaac Newton
Sir Isaac Newton (25 December 1642 – 20 March 1726/27) was an English mathematician, physicist, astronomer, alchemist, theologian, and author (described in his time as a " natural philosopher"), widely recognised as one of the g ...
,
Viscount Nelson, the
Duke of Wellington
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, (1 May 1769 – 14 September 1852) was an Anglo-Irish people, Anglo-Irish soldier and Tories (British political party), Tory statesman who was one of the leading military and political figures of Uni ...
,
William Ewart Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone ( ; 29 December 1809 – 19 May 1898) was a British statesman and Liberal politician. In a career lasting over 60 years, he served for 12 years as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, spread over four non-conse ...
and
Sir Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 during the Second World War, and again from 1 ...
. State funerals other than that of the monarch require an Act of Parliament to authorise the use of state funds to cover the cost of the funeral.
Many newspapers and individuals continue to speculate that the spouse of a monarch is entitled to a state funeral, however this is untrue and most spouses and widows of monarchs have received a Royal Ceremonial Funeral.
Distinguishing between a state funeral and a ceremonial funeral
![Queen Elizabeth II Funeral 19 09 2022-70 (52368551137)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ef/Queen_Elizabeth_II_Funeral_19_09_2022-70_%2852368551137%29.jpg)
Many of the features of a state funeral are shared by other types of funerals, and distinguishing between them is not easy. A ceremonial funeral, like a state funeral, often has a lying in state, a procession with a gun carriage and military contingents, and a funeral service attended by state representatives, both domestic and foreign. One clear distinction, however, is that state funerals (like
coronations
A coronation is the act of placement or bestowal of a crown upon a monarch's head. The term also generally refers not only to the physical crowning but to the whole ceremony wherein the act of crowning occurs, along with the presentation of ot ...
and the
State Opening of Parliament) are organized and overseen by the
Earl Marshal
Earl marshal (alternatively marschal or marischal) is a hereditary royal officeholder and chivalric title under the Monarchy of the United Kingdom, sovereign of the United Kingdom used in England (then, following the Act of Union 1800, in the U ...
and his officers the
Heralds
A herald, or a herald of arms, is an officer of arms, ranking between pursuivant and king of arms. The title is commonly applied more broadly to all officers of arms.
Heralds were originally messengers sent by monarchs or noblemen to ...
,
who are prominently placed ahead of the coffin in the procession. They are not so involved in royal ceremonial funerals, which are instead organized by the
Lord Chamberlain
The Lord Chamberlain of the Household is the most senior officer of the Royal Household of the United Kingdom, supervising the departments which support and provide advice to the Sovereign of the United Kingdom while also acting as the main c ...
. (The Lord Chamberlain is a Great Officer of the
Household
A household consists of two or more persons who live in the same dwelling. It may be of a single family or another type of person group. The household is the basic unit of analysis in many social, microeconomic and government models, and is i ...
, whereas the Earl Marshal is a
Great Officer of State
Government in medieval monarchies generally comprised the king's companions, later becoming the Royal Household, from which the officers of state arose, initially having household and government duties. Later some of these officers became ...
).
The visual distinction usually referred to is that in a state funeral, the gun carriage bearing the coffin is drawn by sailors from the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...
rather than horses. This distinguishing feature is not invariable, however, as shown by the use of naval ratings rather than horses at the ''ceremonial'' funeral for
Lord Mountbatten in 1979 (one of a number of features on that occasion which emphasized Mountbatten's lifelong links with the Royal Navy).
![Thatchers funeral 5D3 0185](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/82/Thatchers_funeral_5D3_0185.jpg)
Another distinction made between a state funeral and a ceremonial funeral is that a state funeral for a distinguished subject requires a message from the Sovereign to each of the Houses of Parliament, under the
royal sign manual, informing them of the funeral and inviting their attendance. In the case of the state funeral for a deceased Sovereign, a message from the Earl Marshal, acting at the new Sovereign's command, informs the Houses of Parliament of the arrangements for the funeral and requires their attendance at the lying-in-state. Ceremonial funerals do not require such formal invitation of the Houses of Parliament by the Sovereign. Ceremonial funerals on the death of a member of the Royal Family are preceded by the approval of a motion in each House of Parliament directing that an address of condolence be presented on behalf of the House to the Sovereign. But such addresses are usual for the deaths of all members of the Royal Family, and are therefore moved even for deceased members of the Royal Family who will have private funerals. In the case of a state funeral for a distinguished subject, the parliamentary address takes a different format, because it is moved in reply to the Sovereign's message informing Parliament of the decision to hold a state funeral, and in this case the address thanks the monarch for the decision to hold a state funeral and for all arrangements made, and expresses Parliament's participation in the national grief. In the case of a state funeral for a deceased Sovereign, the new monarch writes a message to each House of Parliament a few days after his accession (and after the delivery to Parliament of the Earl Marshal's message regarding practical arrangements for the funeral), mentioning the demise of the late Sovereign and expressing his sentiments for the new reign, and both Houses of Parliament then reply with addresses expressing condolence for the death of the late monarch and assuring the new Sovereign of their allegiance.
List of state, royal and ceremonial funerals
Members of the Royal Family
State funerals
Ceremonial funerals
Private funerals since 1910
a The former
King Edward VIII
Edward VIII (Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David; 23 June 1894 – 28 May 1972), later known as the Duke of Windsor, was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Empire and Emperor of India from 20 January 19 ...
had opted for a private royal funeral, rather than a full state funeral, with the exception that
Garter King of Arms recited words reserved for the deceased sovereign – a feature of a state funeral.
Outside the Royal Family
State funerals
Several other notable people and former prime ministers have been awarded a full state funeral:
''(Some of the following may not have been state funerals in the strictest sense of the term, even though some sources refer to them as such.)''
Ceremonial funerals
Offers of state funerals
*1881: Upon his death, the estate of
Benjamin Disraeli was offered a state funeral by
William Ewart Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone ( ; 29 December 1809 – 19 May 1898) was a British statesman and Liberal politician. In a career lasting over 60 years, he served for 12 years as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, spread over four non-conse ...
, Prime Minister at the time. In his will Disraeli had made it clear that he did not want a state funeral and that he wanted to be buried in
St Michael and All Angels Church, Hughenden next to his wife. There was later a memorial service in Westminster Abbey.
*1910: The famous nurse and statistician
Florence Nightingale
Florence Nightingale (; 12 May 1820 – 13 August 1910) was an English social reformer, statistician and the founder of modern nursing. Nightingale came to prominence while serving as a manager and trainer of nurses during the Crimean War, i ...
was offered a state funeral, but her family opted for a private ceremony.
*2013: There was some speculation at the time of her death that
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher (; 13 October 19258 April 2013) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990. She was the first female British prime ...
would be accorded a state funeral, but the government announced that she would not receive a state funeral "in accordance with her own wishes".
Instead, she was accorded a ceremonial funeral with full military honours at St Paul's Cathedral, as authorised by Queen Elizabeth II.
Devolved administrations
There is no formalised process or convention for how the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland commemorate important figures. The deaths of
Ian Paisley and
Martin McGuinness
James Martin Pacelli McGuinness ( ga, Séamus Máirtín Pacelli Mag Aonghusa; 23 May 1950 – 21 March 2017) was an Irish republican politician and statesman from Sinn Féin and a leader within the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) during ...
were privately commemorated, reflecting political and religious sensitivities in Northern Ireland. In Scotland, there have not yet been any funerals organised by the state in the modern era. In 2017, the
Welsh Government
, image =
, caption =
, date_established =
, country = Wales
, address =
, leader_title = First Minister ()
, appointed = First Minister approved by the Senedd, ceremonially appointed ...
organised a
humanist funeral for former First Minister
Rhodri Morgan
Hywel Rhodri Morgan (29 September 1939 – 17 May 2017) was a Welsh Labour politician who was the First Minister of Wales and the Leader of Welsh Labour from 2000 to 2009. He was also the Assembly Member for Cardiff West from 1999 to 2011 and ...
at the
National Assembly for Wales
The Senedd (; ), officially known as the Welsh Parliament in English and () in Welsh, is the devolved, unicameral legislature of Wales. A democratically elected body, it makes laws for Wales, agrees certain taxes and scrutinises the Welsh Go ...
, which was televised and billed as a major national event.
See also
*
Funeral directors to the Royal Household
The funeral directors to the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom are selected and appointed by the Lord Chamberlain's Office.
Role
Usually privately owned and commercially operated businesses, the funeral directors to ...
References
Further reading
* Gittings, Clare, ''Death, Burial and the Individual in Early Modern England'', first publ. 1984 by Croom Helm, reprint (London: Routledge, 1988).
* Range, Matthias, ''British Royal and State Funerals. Music and Ceremonial since Elizabeth I'' (Woodbridge: Boydell, 2016).
* Woodward, Jennifer, ''The Theatre of Death: The Ritual Management of Royal Funerals in Renaissance England, 1570-1625'' (Woodbridge: Boydell, 1997).
* Wolffe, John, ''Great Deaths. Grieving, Religion, and Nationhood in Victorian and Edwardian Britain'' (Oxford University Press, 2000).
External links
A site devoted to British military ceremonial, including State Funerals
For the past 300 years, detailed official reports of the events surrounding state funerals have been published in the London Gazette:
* Funeral of Charles II (1685):
* Funeral of Queen Anne (1714):
* ''(The funeral of George I took place in Hanover.)''
* Funeral of Sir Isaac Newton (1727):
* Funeral of George II (1760):
* Funeral of Viscount Nelson (1804):
* Funeral of George III (1820):
* Funeral of George IV (1830):
* Funeral of William IV (1837):
* Funeral of the Duke of Wellington (1852):
* Funeral of William Ewart Gladstone (1898):
* Funeral of Queen Victoria (1901):
* Funeral of Edward VII (1910):
* Funeral of George V (1936):
* Funeral of George VI (1952):
Since the late 19th century state funerals have been filmed and they are now viewable online:
Footage of the funeral of William Gladstone (1898)Footage of the funeral of Queen Victoria (1901)Footage of the funeral of Edward VII (1910)Footage of the funeral of George V (1936)Footage of the funeral of George VI (1952)Footage of the funeral of Winston Churchill (1965)Footage of the funeral of Elizabeth II (2022)
{{DEFAULTSORT:State Funerals In The United Kingdom
Ceremonies in the United Kingdom
British monarchy
Funerals in the United Kingdom