Death And State Funeral Of Elizabeth II
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On 8 September 2022, at 15:10 BST,
Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...
,
Queen of the United Kingdom The monarchy of the United Kingdom, commonly referred to as the British monarchy, is the constitutional form of government by which a hereditary sovereign reigns as the head of state of the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies (the Bailiw ...
and the other Commonwealth realms, and the longest-reigning British monarch, died of old age at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, at the age of 96. The Queen's death was publicly announced at 18:30. She was succeeded by her eldest son,
Charles III Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person t ...
. The death of the Queen set in motion
Operation London Bridge Operation London Bridge was the funeral plan for Queen Elizabeth II. The plan included the announcement of her death, the period of official mourning, and the details of her state funeral. The plan was created as early as the 1960s and revise ...
, a collection of plans including arrangements for her state funeral, and supported by Operation Unicorn, which set protocols for her death occurring in Scotland. The United Kingdom observed a national mourning period of 10 days. The Queen's lying in state took place in
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 14 to 19 September, during which time an estimated 250,000 people queued to pay their respects. The state funeral service was held at
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 ...
on 19 September, followed on the same day by a committal service at St George's Chapel at
Windsor Castle Windsor Castle is a royal residence at Windsor in the English county of Berkshire. It is strongly associated with the English and succeeding British royal family, and embodies almost a millennium of architectural history. The original c ...
. The Queen was interred with her husband Philip 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 ...
later that evening. The occasion of her state funeral was a public holiday in the UK and several Commonwealth states. The state funeral was one of the United Kingdom's most watched special television broadcasts, surpassing the
wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton The wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton took place on Friday, 29 April 2011 at Westminster Abbey in London, England. The groom was second in the line of succession to the British throne. The couple had been in a relationship si ...
, the previous most watched royal event of the 21st century.


Background

The Queen was in good health for most of her life, but began to decline after the death of her husband,
Prince Philip 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 ...
on 9 April 2021. She began to use a walking stick for public engagements in October 2021. On 20 October, the Queen stayed overnight in
King Edward VII's Hospital King Edward VII's Hospital (formal name: King Edward VII's Hospital Sister Agnes) is a private hospital located on Beaumont Street in the Marylebone district of central London. Agnes Keyser, later known as Sister Agnes, established the hospi ...
in central London, requiring scheduled visits to Northern Ireland and the
COP26 The 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, more commonly referred to as COP26, was the 26th United Nations Climate Change conference, held at the SEC Centre in Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom, from 31 October to 13 November 2021. The ...
summit in
Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
to be cancelled. She also suffered from a sprained back in November which prevented her from attending the 2021
National Service of Remembrance The National Service of Remembrance is held every year on Remembrance Sunday at the Cenotaph on Whitehall, London. It commemorates "the contribution of British and Commonwealth military and civilian servicemen and women in the two World Wars and ...
. In February 2022, during the COVID-19 pandemic in England, the Queen was one of several people at
Windsor Castle Windsor Castle is a royal residence at Windsor in the English county of Berkshire. It is strongly associated with the English and succeeding British royal family, and embodies almost a millennium of architectural history. The original c ...
to test positive for
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickly ...
. Her symptoms were described as mild and
cold Cold is the presence of low temperature, especially in the atmosphere. In common usage, cold is often a subjective perception. A lower bound to temperature is absolute zero, defined as 0.00K on the Kelvin scale, an absolute thermodynamic ...
-like, and she later commented that the disease "does leave one very tired and exhausted". The monarch's health became a cause of concern to commentators at this time. The Queen was said to be feeling well enough to resume her official duties by 1 March 2022 and attended the service of thanksgiving for Prince Philip at
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 ...
on 29 March. Despite this, the Queen did not attend several appointments over the following months, including the annual Commonwealth Day service in March, the
Royal Maundy Royal Maundy is a religious service in the Church of England held on Maundy Thursday, the day before Good Friday. At the service, the British monarch or a royal official ceremonially distributes small silver coins known as "Maundy money" (lega ...
service in April, the State Opening of Parliament in May, and the National Service of Thanksgiving for her
Platinum Jubilee A platinum jubilee is a celebration held to mark an anniversary. Among monarchies, it usually refers to a 70th anniversary. The most recent monarch to celebrate a platinum jubilee is Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and the other C ...
in June. During the Jubilee the Queen also suffered "discomfort" after standing during
Trooping the Colour Trooping the Colour is a ceremony performed every year in London, United Kingdom, by regiments of the British Army. Similar events are held in other countries of the Commonwealth. Trooping the Colour has been a tradition of British infantry regi ...
and was largely confined to balcony appearances during the celebrations. Two days before her death, on 6 September 2022, the Queen accepted the resignation of
Boris Johnson Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (; born 19 June 1964) is a British politician, writer and journalist who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 2019 to 2022. He previously served as F ...
and appointed
Liz Truss Mary Elizabeth Truss (born 26 July 1975) is a British politician who briefly served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from September to October 2022. On her fiftieth day in office, she stepped down ...
to succeed him as
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 ...
; these meetings took place at Balmoral Castle, rather than their usual location at Buckingham Palace. On 7 September she was scheduled to attend an online meeting of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom to swear in new ministers in Truss's government, but this was cancelled after she was advised to rest by doctors. The Queen's final public statement, issued that same day, was a message of condolences for the victims of a mass stabbing incident in Saskatchewan, Canada.


Death and national mourning


Death and announcement

The Queen died at 15:10 BST on 8 September 2022 at the age of 96, ending her 70-year reign. She had died of " old age", according to her death certificate which was made public on 29 September. Her death was publicly announced at 18:30. Elizabeth II was the first monarch to die in Scotland since
James V of Scotland James V (10 April 1512 – 14 December 1542) was King of Scotland from 9 September 1513 until his death in 1542. He was crowned on 21 September 1513 at the age of seventeen months. James was the son of King James IV and Margaret Tudor, and du ...
in 1542. Members of the royal family travelled to Balmoral Castle throughout the day. Prince Charles arrived at 10:30 and was met by Princess Anne who was already staying with the Queen.
Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall Camilla (born Camilla Rosemary Shand, later Parker Bowles, 17 July 1947) is Queen Consort of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms as the wife of King Charles III. She became queen consort on 8 September 2022, upon the ac ...
, also travelled to Balmoral from the
Birkhall Birkhall (from the Scots ''Birk Hauch'': "Birch River-meadow") is a estate on Royal Deeside, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, owned by King Charles III. It is located alongside the River Muick to the south-west of Ballater. History The property wa ...
estate. Charles and Anne were by the Queen's side when she died.
Prince William William, Prince of Wales, (William Arthur Philip Louis; born 21 June 1982) is the heir apparent to the British throne. He is the elder son of King Charles III and his first wife Diana, Princess of Wales. Born in London, William was educa ...
,
Prince Andrew Prince Andrew, Duke of York, (Andrew Albert Christian Edward; born 19 February 1960) is a member of the British royal family. He is the younger brother of King Charles III and the third child and second son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince ...
, Prince Edward, and
Sophie, Countess of Wessex Sophie, Countess of Wessex and Forfar, (born Sophie Helen Rhys-Jones, 20 January 1965) is a member of the British royal family. She is married to Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex and Forfar, the youngest brother of King Charles III. She grew u ...
, left
RAF Northolt ("Ready to carry or to fight") , pushpin_map = Greater London , pushpin_label = RAF Northolt , pushpin_map_caption = Shown within Greater London , coordinates = , type = Royal Air Force station , code = , site_area = , height = , owner ...
on board a flight to
Aberdeen Airport Aberdeen International Airport ( gd, Port-adhair Eadar-nàiseanta Obar Dheathain) is an international airport, located in the Dyce suburb of Aberdeen, Scotland, approximately northwest of Aberdeen city centre. A total of just under 3.1&nbs ...
and arrived at Balmoral shortly after 17:00, while
Prince Harry Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, (Henry Charles Albert David; born 15 September 1984) is a member of the British royal family. He is the younger son of Charles III and his first wife Diana, Princess of Wales. He is fifth in the line of succ ...
, who had travelled alone and departed later than the other family members, arrived at Balmoral at 20:00;
Catherine Katherine, also spelled Catherine, and other variations are feminine names. They are popular in Christian countries because of their derivation from the name of one of the first Christian saints, Catherine of Alexandria. In the early Christ ...
and Meghan did not join them. Prime Minister Liz Truss is believed to have been informed of the Queen's declining health that morning by the Cabinet Secretary, Simon Case, and received an update at 12:00. The Leader of the Opposition,
Sir Keir Starmer Sir Keir Rodney Starmer (; born 2 September 1962) is a British politician and barrister who has served as Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the Labour Party since 2020. He has been Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) ...
, was informed by a note passed to him by Deputy Leader
Angela Rayner Angela Rayner (' Bowen; born 28 March 1980) is a British politician serving as Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Shadow Minister for the Cabinet Office and Shadow Secretary of State for the Future of Work since 2021. She has been Sha ...
during a speech he was giving in the
House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. T ...
. At 12:30 Buckingham Palace made a public announcement expressing concern for the Queen's health; the
Speaker Speaker may refer to: Society and politics * Speaker (politics), the presiding officer in a legislative assembly * Public speaker, one who gives a speech or lecture * A person producing speech: the producer of a given utterance, especially: ** I ...
, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, made a brief statement of good wishes in response. Truss was informed at 16:30 that the Queen had died, and the royal family announced her death two hours later via newswires and a post on Twitter. A notice with the same statement was affixed to the railings outside Buckingham Palace and posted on the royal family website.
BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, ...
continuously covered the Queen's condition from 12:40, after the first official statement, and special reports were also run on
ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: ** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...
,
Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a fourth television service ...
, and Channel 5. British television announcements of the Queen's death began at 18:31, when news presenter
Huw Edwards Huw Edwards (; born 18 August 1961) is a Welsh journalist, presenter, and newsreader. Edwards presents ''BBC News at Ten'', the corporation's flagship news broadcast. Edwards also presents BBC coverage of state events, international events, th ...
read the royal family's statement during a live broadcast on the
BBC News BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broad ...
channel and BBC One. At 18:32 the presenters of
BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...
and BBC Radio 5 Live made similar announcements. After the announcement, the Union Flags at Buckingham Palace and 10 Downing Street were lowered to
half-mast Half-mast or half-staff (American English) refers to a flag flying below the summit of a ship mast, a pole on land, or a pole on a building. In many countries this is seen as a symbol of respect, mourning, distress, or, in some cases, a salut ...
. At Balmoral Castle the
Royal Standard of the United Kingdom The Royal Standards of the United Kingdom refers to either one of two similar flags used by King Charles III in his capacity as Sovereign of the United Kingdom, the Crown dependencies, and the British Overseas Territories. Two versions of the ...
was lowered and then raised again, as the new king was present. The
Royal Banner of Scotland The Royal Banner of the Royal Arms of Scotland, also known as the Royal Banner of Scotland, or more commonly the Lion Rampant of Scotland, and historically as the Royal Standard of Scotland, ( gd, Bratach rìoghail na h-Alba, sco, Ryal banner ...
was lowered to half-mast at the
Palace of Holyroodhouse The Palace of Holyroodhouse ( or ), commonly referred to as Holyrood Palace or Holyroodhouse, is the official residence of the British monarch in Scotland. Located at the bottom of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, at the opposite end to Edinburgh ...
, as was the
Welsh flag The flag of Wales ( cy, Baner Cymru or , meaning 'the red dragon') consists of a red dragon passant on a green and white field. As with many heraldic charges, the exact representation of the dragon is not standardised and many renderings e ...
at Cardiff Castle. Crowds gathered outside royal residences, and rainbows were seen above Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle.


Scottish events

The Queen's death in Scotland meant that Operation Unicorn was the first part of
Operation London Bridge Operation London Bridge was the funeral plan for Queen Elizabeth II. The plan included the announcement of her death, the period of official mourning, and the details of her state funeral. The plan was created as early as the 1960s and revise ...
to take effect. The Queen's body was transported to Edinburgh where ceremonial events took place, before her body was transported to London for the state funeral. The Queen's coffin left Balmoral Castle at 10:46 on 11 September, draped with the Scottish version of the
Royal Standard of the United Kingdom The Royal Standards of the United Kingdom refers to either one of two similar flags used by King Charles III in his capacity as Sovereign of the United Kingdom, the Crown dependencies, and the British Overseas Territories. Two versions of the ...
and topped with a wreath consisting of flowers from the castle gardens. The journey of the cortege, which included Princess Anne and Timothy Laurence, was long and passed through Aberdeenshire, Aberdeen,
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, Dundee, Perth and Kinross, and Fife. People lined the route of the cortege to pay their respects, and in Aberdeenshire farmers formed a guard of honour of tractors. The cortege reached the
Palace of Holyroodhouse The Palace of Holyroodhouse ( or ), commonly referred to as Holyrood Palace or Holyroodhouse, is the official residence of the British monarch in Scotland. Located at the bottom of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, at the opposite end to Edinburgh ...
at 16:23 and the coffin was placed in the Throne Room. The coffin was made from oak and was lined with lead, reportedly weighing . On 12 September the Queen's coffin was carried up the Royal Mile to
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 ...
in a procession which included the King, Princess Anne and Timothy Laurence, Prince Andrew, Prince Edward, the Bearer Party from the
Royal Regiment of Scotland The Royal Regiment of Scotland is the senior and only Scottish line infantry regiment of the British Army Infantry. It consists of three regular (formerly five) and two reserve battalions, plus an incremental company, each formerly an indiv ...
, 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 ...
. The Queen Consort and the Countess of Wessex and Forfar followed closely in their car. Guns were fired every minute from Edinburgh Castle during the procession. On arrival the coffin was carried into the cathedral and the
Crown of Scotland The Crown of Scotland ( gd, Crùn na h-Alba) is the crown that was used at the coronation of the monarchs of Scotland. It is the oldest surviving crown in the British Isles and dates from at least 1503, although it has been claimed that the c ...
placed on it. A service of thanksgiving was then held to celebrate the Queen's life and highlight her association with Scotland. The service was led by the minister of St Giles' Cathedral, the Reverend Calum Macleod, and the homily given by the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, the Reverend Dr Iain Greenshields.
Psalm 118 Psalm 118 is the 118th psalm of the Book of Psalms, beginning in the English of the King James Version: "O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: because his mercy endureth for ever." The Book of Psalms is part of the third section of the He ...
was sung in Gaelic by
Karen Matheson Karen Matheson OBE (born 11 February 1963) is a Scottish folk singer who frequently sings in Gaelic. She is the lead singer of the group Capercaillie and was a member of Dan Ar Braz's group L'Héritage des Celtes, with whom she often sang lea ...
. It was attended by the royal party; politicians, including Liz Truss and Nicola Sturgeon; and representatives from the Queen's Scottish charities and organisations. The Queen's coffin lay at rest at the cathedral for 24 hours, guarded by the Royal Company of Archers, which allowed around 33,000 people to file past the coffin. In the evening the King, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, and Prince Edward held a vigil at the cathedral, a custom known as the Vigil of the Princes; Princess Anne was the first woman to participate. On 13 September the Queen's coffin was taken by hearse to
Edinburgh Airport Edinburgh Airport is an airport located in the Ingliston area of Edinburgh, Scotland. It was the busiest airport in Scotland in 2019, handling over 14.7 million passengers. It was also the sixth-busiest airport in the United Kingdom by ...
and flown to
RAF Northolt ("Ready to carry or to fight") , pushpin_map = Greater London , pushpin_label = RAF Northolt , pushpin_map_caption = Shown within Greater London , coordinates = , type = Royal Air Force station , code = , site_area = , height = , owner ...
on a Royal Air Force
C-17 Globemaster The McDonnell Douglas/Boeing C-17 Globemaster III is a large military transport aircraft that was developed for the United States Air Force (USAF) from the 1980s to the early 1990s by McDonnell Douglas. The C-17 carries forward the name of tw ...
, accompanied by Princess Anne and Timothy Laurence. The Royal Air Force Bearer Party carried the coffin onto the aircraft and a Guard of Honour was formed by the Royal Regiment of Scotland. During the journey the Scottish version of the Royal Standard that draped the coffin was replaced by the Royal Standard that is used in the remainder of the United Kingdom.


Lying-in-state

Upon the Queen's arrival in London, she was transported to Buckingham Palace, before being moved 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 ...
the following day for her lying-in-state before the state funeral. When the Queen arrived at RAF Northolt the
Queen's Colour Squadron The King's Colour Squadron, formerly the Queen's Colour Squadron, is the unit of the Royal Air Force charged with the safe-keeping of the King's Colour for the Royal Air Force in the United Kingdom. Since its formation, it has been formed excl ...
(63 Squadron RAF Regiment) assumed the role of the Bearer Party and formed the Guard of Honour. The coffin was placed in the state hearse and transported through London to Buckingham Palace, with people lining the street to watch. The coffin was then placed in the Bow Room at Buckingham Palace in the presence of the royal family. The Queen's coffin was taken in a military procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall on a horse-drawn gun carriage of the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery. The King, male members of the royal family, and Princess Anne followed the coffin on foot. This procession, as well the other processions held later in London and Windsor, marched at the funeral pace of 75 steps per minute and was accompanied by military bands playing marches by
Johann Heinrich Walch Johann Heinrich Walch (1776–1855), was a German conductor, chamber musician and choral master for both the Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg as well as of the Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, in Gotha in the current German state of Thüringen. He wa ...
, Felix Mendelssohn and Frédéric Chopin. Big Ben tolled each minute of the procession and minute guns were fired from Hyde Park by the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery. Members of the three armed forces formed a guard of honour to receive the coffin at Parliament Square, after which soldiers from the Queen's Company, 1st Battalion
Grenadier Guards "Shamed be whoever thinks ill of it." , colors = , colors_label = , march = Slow: " Scipio" , mascot = , equipment = , equipment ...
, placed the coffin 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 Westminster Hall. The Archbishop of Canterbury and the Dean of Westminster then conducted a service in the presence of the royal family. The Queen lay in state in Westminster Hall from 17:00 on 14 September to 06:30 on 19 September. The coffin was guarded by members of both 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 ...
. 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 and foliage from Balmoral and Windsor castles had been placed on the coffin before the procession, and to these were added the
Sovereign's Orb The Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom, originally the Crown Jewels of England, are a collection of royal ceremonial objects kept in the Tower of London which include the coronation regalia and vestments worn by British monarchs. Symbols of ov ...
and the Sovereign's Sceptre with Cross; the Wanamaker Cross of Westminster was placed at its head and the regimental flag of The Queen's Company of The Grenadier Guards at its foot. An estimated 250,000 members of the public filed past the coffin, as did politicians and other public figures. Both the BBC and ITV offered a livestream of the Queen lying-in-state. On 16 September, a 28-year-old man was arrested under the
Public Order Act Public Order Act (with its variations) is a stock short title used for legislation in Malaysia, Rhodesia, Sierra Leone, Hong Kong, Singapore, the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom, relating to public order offences. List Hong Kong *The ...
after he ran from the queue inside Westminster Hall and touched the coffin. In the evening of 16 September the King and his siblings held a vigil around the Queen's coffin for approximately ten minutes, and on 17 September the Queen's eight grandchildren did the same. Prince Andrew and Prince Harry were permitted to wear military uniform on these occasions, who as non-working royals had not done at previous ceremonial events. On 18 September, pipers at four different locations in Scotland played "The Immortal Memory" at 18:00. At 20:00 a minute's silence was observed across the UK.


The Queue

Two queues were formed to view the lying-in-state, beginning 48 hours before Westminster Hall opened to the public. At its maximum extent the main queue was approximately long and had a waiting time of over 25 hours. This queue attracted much media attention, with many commentators noting the stereotype that British people are good at queueing. The accessible queue, for people with a disability or long-term condition, operated a ticket system and was therefore shorter. The queue experience was generally perceived to be positive, however there was an allegation of a man committing sexual assault by exposing himself, and some heckling of queuers. The
London Ambulance Service The London Ambulance Service NHS Trust (LAS) is an NHS trust responsible for operating ambulances and answering and responding to urgent and emergency medical situations within the London region of England. The service responds to 999 phone cal ...
also had to assist 710 people, mainly due to head injuries from fainting.


State funeral


Planning

Plans for the Queen's death had existed in some form since the 1960s, and the Queen was consulted about all the details included in her funeral plan. 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 ...
was in charge of organising the event. The planning and complexity of the funeral was compared to that of Winston Churchill in 1965, the last state funeral held in Britain and also a major international event. It marked the first time that a monarch's funeral service had been held at Westminster Abbey since
George II George II or 2 may refer to: People * George II of Antioch (seventh century AD) * George II of Armenia (late ninth century) * George II of Abkhazia (916–960) * Patriarch George II of Alexandria (1021–1051) * George II of Georgia (1072–1089) ...
in 1760. The Foreign Office handled the invitations, communications, and security arrangements from a headquarters called "The Hangar", redeploying 300 staff to manage the task. 500 foreign dignitaries and heads of state were expected to attend. Invitations were issued to every country with which Britain maintains diplomatic relations, except for
Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...
,
Belarus Belarus,, , ; alternatively and formerly known as Byelorussia (from Russian ). officially the Republic of Belarus,; rus, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Belarus. is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by ...
, and
Myanmar Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...
; Syria,
Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...
and
Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
were also asked not to attend. The timing of the funeral allowed guests who planned to address the general debate of the UN General Assembly the following day sufficient time to fly to New York City. The day of the funeral was a bank holiday in the United Kingdom. Many businesses, workplaces, and educational establishments closed for the day, including major supermarkets and the
London Stock Exchange London Stock Exchange (LSE) is a stock exchange in the City of London, England, United Kingdom. , the total market value of all companies trading on LSE was £3.9 trillion. Its current premises are situated in Paternoster Square close to St P ...
. In the
National Health Service The National Health Service (NHS) is the umbrella term for the publicly funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom (UK). Since 1948, they have been funded out of general taxation. There are three systems which are referred to using the " ...
several
trusts A trust is a legal relationship in which the holder of a right gives it to another person or entity who must keep and use it solely for another's benefit. In the Anglo-American common law, the party who entrusts the right is known as the "settl ...
chose to cancel or reschedule all non-urgent appointments. Several
food bank A food bank is a non-profit, charitable organization that distributes food to those who have difficulty purchasing enough to avoid hunger, usually through intermediaries like food pantries and soup kitchens. Some food banks distribute food direct ...
s announced that they would close on the day of the funeral, though some remained open after facing public backlash. Hotel prices increased in the days before the funeral in London. Extra train services were made available across the country to allow people to travel to and from London and pay their respects for the lying-in-state and funeral service.
Westminster City Council Westminster City Council is the local authority for the City of Westminster in Greater London, England. The city is divided into 20 wards, each electing three councillors. The council is currently composed of 31 Labour Party members and 23 Cons ...
deployed its "Clean Streets" team to clean up different areas within central London.


Procession to Westminster Abbey

At 10:44 on 19 September the Queen's coffin was moved from Westminster Hall to Westminster Abbey on the
State Gun Carriage of the Royal Navy The Royal Navy State Funeral Gun Carriage is a converted Ordnance, BL, 12 pdr 6 cwt, MK II, gun carriage which has been used in the UK to bear the coffin at the funeral processions of Queen Victoria, King Edward VII, King George V, King George ...
. The carriage was drawn by Royal Navy sailors, known as Naval Ratings, maintaining a tradition which began at the
state funeral of Queen Victoria The state funeral of Victoria, Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Empress of India, occurred on 2 February 1901, after her death on 22 January. It was one of the largest gatherings of European royalty. Description In ...
. The King, members of the royal family, and members of the King's household walked behind. Non-working royals, including the Duke of York and the Duke of Sussex, did not wear military uniforms for the state funeral and the committal service. A wreath with foliage cut from the gardens of Buckingham Palace, Highgrove House, and Clarence House was placed on the coffin, together with a note from the King which read "In loving and devoted memory. Charles R." Before the service the tenor bell of the Abbey rang once a minute for 96 minutes, once for each year of the Queen's life. The coffin arrived at Westminster Abbey at 10:52.


Funeral service

Music by British composers was played before the service, and as the coffin entered the abbey the choir sang the five sentences set to music. The service began at 11:00 and 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 ...
,
David Hoyle David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...
, according to the 1662 ''Book of Common Prayer''. The lessons were read by Baroness Patricia Scotland, Secretary General of the Commonwealth, and
Liz Truss Mary Elizabeth Truss (born 26 July 1975) is a British politician who briefly served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from September to October 2022. On her fiftieth day in office, she stepped down ...
,
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 ...
, and the sermon and commendation were given by the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby. Prayers were said by clergy from several Christian denominations. The music included the psalm setting "Like as the hart (Weir), Like as the hart" by Judith Weir and the anthem "Who shall separate us?" by James MacMillan, both written for the funeral, as well as pieces performed at the Queen's coronation and wedding. The Choir of Westminster Abbey and Choir of the Chapel Royal led the singing, and were conducted by James O'Donnell (organist), James O'Donell. The end of the service included a sounding of the "Last Post" and a two-minute silence, which was concluded with the "Reveille". The National anthem of the United kingdom, National Anthem, followed by the bagpipe lament "Sleep, dearie, sleep", marked the end of the ceremony. The "Allegro maestoso" from Edward Elgar, Elgar's Organ Sonata (Elgar), ''Organ Sonata in G'' was played after the service.


Processions in London and Windsor

Two processions followed the service. The first was from Westminster Abbey to Wellington Arch, where the Queen's coffin was placed in the state hearse. From there it was transported to Windsor, where the second procession took place through Windsor Great Park. The procession in London began at 12:15 and included around 3,000 military personnel, stretching for over a mile. It began at the abbey and passed down Whitehall, through Horse Guards (building), Horse Guards, up The Mall, London, The Mall, past Buckingham Palace, and up Constitution Hill, London, Constitution Hill to end at the Wellington Arch near Hyde Park, London, Hyde Park. Around a million people lined the streets of central London to watch the event. At the front of the procession were representatives of Commonwealth forces led by members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police on horseback, then representatives of the Royal Air Force, the British Army, and the Royal Navy and Royal Marines, followed by defence staff and Military chaplain, armed forces chaplains, Officer of arms, officers of arms, and the Royal Households of the United Kingdom, royal household. The Queen's coffin followed, again on the State Gun Carriage pulled by Royal Navy sailors, and surrounded by an escort party. The King and royal family members were next, some marching and some in cars, with a further escort and the household of the former Prince of Wales behind. At the rear of the procession were representatives of civilian services. Seven military bands were dispersed through the procession and again played funeral marches. Big Ben tolled each minute and minute guns were fired from Hyde Park by the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery. Standards were lowered and those in the procession gave salutes as they passed the The Cenotaph, Cenotaph. At Buckingham Palace, the King's Guard gave a royal salute to the Victoria Memorial, London, Victoria Memorial and Palace staff waited outside the gates. At Wellington Arch the coffin was transferred with a royal salute to the state hearse for the journey to Windsor. The hearse left London for Windsor at 13:30, accompanied by Princess Anne and Timothy Laurence, travelling on A roads rather than motorways to allow the public to line the route. At 15:00 the coffin arrived in Windsor, where a final procession involving 1,000 military personnel took place down the Windsor Great Park#The Long Walk, Long Walk to St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, St George's Chapel. Around 97,000 people lined the route. The Queen's fell pony, Emma, and two royal corgis, Muick and Sandy, stood at the side of the procession. The King and royal family joined the procession in the Quadrangle, during which Sebastopol Bell and the Curfew Tower bell tolled and the King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery, fired minute guns from the East Lawn of the castle. At the end of the procession the coffin was taken to St George's Chapel via the West Steps with the guard of honour formed by the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards.


Committal service

The committal service began at 16:00 in the presence of 800 guests, largely made up of the royal household and staff from the Queen's private estates, but also including the royal family, governors general and prime ministers from the Commonwealth realms, and members of foreign royal houses. The Choir of St George's Chapel led the music, which included the Russian "Kontakion of the Departed", also sung at the funeral of Prince Philip. A selection of music was also played before the service. The Dean of Windsor, who conducted the service, read the bidding, the readings, and the commendation. The first reading was Revelation 21, verses 1–7, which was also included in the order of service for the funerals of Elizabeth's grandparents and father. The Rector of Sandringham, the Minister of Crathie Kirk and the Chaplain of Windsor Great Park delivered the prayers, and the Archbishop of Canterbury gave the concluding blessing. Near the end of the service the Imperial State Crown, orb, and sceptre were removed from the coffin and placed on the altar. The King then placed the Queen's Company Camp Colour of the Grenadier Guards on his mother's coffin, before the Lord Chamberlain symbolically broke his Staff of office#White Staves, wand of office and also placed its halves atop the coffin. After this the Garter Principal King of Arms recited the Style (form of address), styles of Elizabeth II and Charles III, between which a Lament for the Children, lament — "A Salute to the Royal Fendersmith" — was played by the Sovereign's Piper as the Queen's coffin was lowered into the Royal Vault. The singing of the National Anthem marked the end of the ceremony.


Interment

After the funeral of the Queen on 19 September, she was later interred beneath of King George VI Memorial Chapel in a private service only attended by her closest family at 19:30, alongside her father King George VI, her mother Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, Queen Elizabeth, and the ashes of her sister Princess Margaret. The remains of Prince Philip, who was temporarily interred in the Royal Vault following his funeral in 2021, were moved to the chapel after the interment of the Queen. Elizabeth II's coffin was constructed more than 30 years before the funeral. It is made of English oak and lined with lead to protect it from moisture damage. Due to the weight of the coffin, eight pallbearers were required for lifting and carrying rather than the usual six.


Organisation and media


Attendees

The service at Westminster Abbey was attended by 2,000 people in total, including holders of the George Cross and Victoria Cross, representatives from the United Kingdom's faith communities, and foreign and Commonwealth heads of state and heads of government. Representatives from 168 countries, out of 193 Member states of the United Nations, UN member states and two United Nations General Assembly observers, UN observer states, confirmed attendance, including 18 monarchs, 55 presidents and 25 prime ministers. Due to the limited number of seats, foreign invitees were asked to keep their delegations as small as possible and to only bring their spouses. The UK government also requested those travelling by air to use commercial flights; private flights were directed away from Heathrow Airport. Additionally, the government asked guests not to use private cars to travel to Westminster Abbey, and instead use government-provided "coach transport from a central assembly point". This was only guidance; leaders including the President of the United States, Joe Biden, the President of Israel, Isaac Herzog, and the Vice President of China, Wang Qishan, were taken to the event through other means. Many dignitaries were present for a reception by the King at Buckingham Palace on the eve of the funeral, and all international guests were invited to attend a reception hosted by the Foreign Secretary, James Cleverly, after the funeral service.


Security

Around 10,000 police officers were expected to be on duty every day in London during the mourning period, a security operation described by the Metropolitan Police as the "biggest the UK has ever seen"; officers from across the country supported the operation under Mutual aid (emergency services), mutual aid agreements. Thames Valley Police announced that they would introduce new water patrols for observing busy waterways in the lead-up to the funeral, and mounted police officers, police dogs, and Unmanned aerial vehicle, drones provided part of the security in Windsor. Prior to the service a special unit, the Fixated Threat Assessment Centre, began to monitor and review individuals identified as having a potentially dangerous obsession with the British royal family. MI5 and GCHQ worked in collaboration with counter terrorism police and the Metropolitan Police to provide security for the funeral. A group of 1,500 military personnel was also deployed, and Westminster was inspected by a military AgustaWestland AW159 Wildcat, Wildcat helicopter. "Hundreds" of stewards from private security firms were hired to aid crowd management.


Cost and economic impact

The total cost of the funeral has not been published, but it is expected to exceed the £5.4million paid for the Death and funeral of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, funeral of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. The UK's economy (as measured by GDP) contracted by 0.6 per cent in September 2022, attributable in part due to Elizabeth's funeral and the period of national mourning that preceded it.


Coverage

The funeral and committal service of the Queen were the first to be broadcast to the public. Filming had been prohibited during the Death and state funeral of George VI, state funeral of George VI, although the procession of his coffin was partially televised.


United Kingdom

The funeral was broadcast by the BBC, ITV, and Sky, with the latter two simulcasting the service on all of their channels and not showing advertisements. The BBC Two broadcast included British Sign Language interpretation. BBC Radio broadcast events on BBC Radio 2, Radio 2, BBC Radio 3, 3, BBC Radio 4, 4, BBC Radio 5 Live, 5 Live, the BBC World Service, World Service, and its BBC Local Radio, Local Radio network. Global Media & Entertainment, Global's Global Media & Entertainment#Radio stations, radio brands also broadcast their own coverage. Channel 5 was the only major public service network that did not air the Queen's funeral. Big screens were set up at cathedrals and public areas to broadcast the service. Shops, licensed establishments, parish and public halls remained open in Jersey to allow people to watch the Queen's funeral. Buckingham Palace requested that video footage did not "intrude on the grief" of individual members of the royal family, that footage of the funeral be avoided from usage on entertainment programmes and allowed only for news coverage, and that five short pieces of video featuring members of the royal family would not be broadcast again.


Commonwealth and other countries

The funeral was broadcast live in Australia, The Bahamas, Canada, India, Mauritius, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, and Sri Lanka. The funeral was also carried live by dozens of broadcasters in most of Europe and across the world.


Viewing figures

The television broadcast was the second most watched broadcast during the 21st century in the United Kingdom (after the prime ministerial statement on COVID-19 during the lockdown) and the third most watched royal event in British history (surpassing the
wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton The wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton took place on Friday, 29 April 2011 at Westminster Abbey in London, England. The groom was second in the line of succession to the British throne. The couple had been in a relationship si ...
, and approaching the weddings of Wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer, Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer, and Wedding of Princess Anne and Mark Phillips, Princess Anne and Mark Philips).


Succession and four-nation tour


Accession

Upon the Queen's death, her eldest child Charles, Prince of Wales, immediately acceded to the British throne as King Charles III. There was some speculation regarding the regnal name that would be adopted by the former Prince of Wales upon succeeding his mother. During her formal televised address outside 10 Downing Street, Prime Minister Liz Truss made the first mention of the King's regnal name during a tribute to the Queen. Clarence House officially confirmed the new King would be known as Charles III shortly after the Prime Minister's address. Buckingham Palace released the King's first official statement as monarch at 19:04: Most of Charles III's pre-accession Scottish titles, as well as the title Duke of Cornwall, were passed to his eldest son and the new heir apparent to the throne, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge. On 9 September, William was named Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester, succeeding his father. The Accession Council assembled on 10 September at St James's Palace to formally proclaim the accession of Charles III. Although about seven hundred people were eligible to attend the ceremony, because the event was planned on such short notice, the number in attendance was two hundred. In addition to other formalities, the Council confirmed "Charles III" as the King's regnal name. At 11:00, 21-gun salutes at the Tower of London, Cardiff Castle, Edinburgh Castle, Castle Cornet, Gibraltar, and naval bases and ships at sea marked the accession of Charles III. The King greeted crowds outside Buckingham Palace after the ceremony. On 10 September, senior MPs swore an Oath of Allegiance (United Kingdom), oath of allegiance to Charles III in a special session of Parliament. The King then met with the Prime Minister for a second time and held audiences with members of Truss ministry, her cabinet and leaders of the opposition parties. The coronation of Charles III and Camilla is expected to take place on 6 May 2023 at Westminster Abbey. No plans have been announced for William to be investiture of Prince William, invested as Prince of Wales.


Four-nation royal tour

King Charles III and Queen Camilla travelled from Balmoral to Buckingham Palace, where they greeted the crowd of mourners outside the gates. The King then held an audience with the Prime Minister before paying tribute to his mother in a Special address by the British monarch#Charles III, publicly broadcast message. In Charles's first address as King he stated that a national period of mourning would be observed until the day after the state funeral (19 September), and an additional seven days would be observed by the royal family, Royal Households of the United Kingdom, royal household, and troops on ceremonial duties. On 11 September, the King met the Commonwealth Secretary-General, Commonwealth Secretary General at Buckingham Palace, after which he hosted the High commissioner (Commonwealth), High Commissioners of Commonwealth realms. On 12 September, the King travelled 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 ...
with the Queen Consort to receive condolences from the House of Commons and the House of Lords and to give a speech to both houses. He and the Queen Consort then travelled to the
Palace of Holyroodhouse The Palace of Holyroodhouse ( or ), commonly referred to as Holyrood Palace or Holyroodhouse, is the official residence of the British monarch in Scotland. Located at the bottom of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, at the opposite end to Edinburgh ...
in Edinburgh, where they greeted members of the public and viewed floral tributes before the King inspected the Guard of Honour from the
Royal Regiment of Scotland The Royal Regiment of Scotland is the senior and only Scottish line infantry regiment of the British Army Infantry. It consists of three regular (formerly five) and two reserve battalions, plus an incremental company, each formerly an indiv ...
. The Ceremony of the Keys (Edinburgh), Ceremony of the Keys followed. The King then had an audience at Holyroodhouse with the First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, and the Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament, Alison Johnstone. The King and the Queen Consort visited the Scottish Parliament to receive a motion of condolence and observed a two-minute silence with Member of the Scottish Parliament, MSPs. On 13 September, the King and the Queen Consort travelled to Northern Ireland, where they met with members of the public in Royal Hillsborough before arriving at the Hillsborough Castle, Castle. The King met the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Chris Heaton-Harris, and party leaders, and the Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly, Alex Maskey, delivered a message of condolence. The King and the Queen Consort also met with major faith leaders in Northern Ireland. A service of reflection was held in St Anne's Cathedral, Belfast, St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast on 13 September, where John McDowell (bishop), John McDowell, the Archbishop of Armagh and head of the Church of Ireland, paid tribute to the Queen for her efforts in bringing peace to Ireland. The service was attended by the King and Queen Consort, the Prime Minister, the President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, and the Taoiseach, Micheál Martin. A delegation from the republican Sinn Féin also attended, but the party did not take part in any events marking the accession. On 16 September, the King and Queen Consort visited Cardiff Castle, where a royal gun salute was fired and crowds gathered inside. A silent protest Welsh republicanism, against the monarchy was held outside by groups including trade unions, and Labour for an Independent Wales. An audience was held for the First Minister of Wales and the Llywydd of the Senedd, Llywydd, or Presiding Officer, of the Senedd. A service of prayer and reflection for the life of the Queen was held at Llandaff Cathedral on 16 September and attended by the King and Queen Consort. The Bishop of Llandaff and leaders of other faiths said the prayers, and the Archbishop of Wales delivered an address in both English and Welsh language, Welsh. The service included the singing of Welsh hymns and anthems. The choir accompanied by harpists Alis Huws and Catrin Finch performed the anthem "A Welsh Prayer" composed by Paul Mealor with words by Grahame Davies. At the Senedd the King received a motion of condolence before addressing the parliament in Welsh and English. At Cardiff Castle, the King had audiences with the First Minister of Wales, Mark Drakeford, and the Llywydd, Elin Jones. At the castle, they also held audiences with individuals associated with their royal patronages, before meeting with members of the public in the castle grounds. Returning to London, the King met leaders of different faith communities at Buckingham Palace. On 17 September, the King met with the Defence Chiefs of Staff at Buckingham Palace and received the Prime Ministers of Anthony Albanese, Australia, Philip Davis (Bahamian politician), the Bahamas, Justin Trudeau, Canada, Andrew Holness, Jamaica, and Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand. The governors-general of the Commonwealth realms attended a reception and lunch at Buckingham Palace, hosted by the King and other members of the royal family. The King met emergency services workers at the Metropolitan Police's Special Operations Room in Lambeth, who were organising aspects of the Queen's state funeral. He also visited The Queue with Prince William to speak to its participants. On 18 September, the King met the prime ministers of Kausea Natano, Tuvalu, Gaston Browne, Antigua and Barbuda, and James Marape, Papua New Guinea at Buckingham Palace. A reception for world leaders was held at Buckingham Palace.


Other activities

On 10 September, a service at Crathie Kirk was attended by Anne and her husband Sir Timothy Laurence, Andrew, Edward and his wife Sophie, and the Queen's grandchildren Peter Phillips, Zara Tindall, Princess Beatrice, Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, Eugenie, and Lady Louise Windsor, Louise Windsor, who then viewed floral tributes outside Balmoral. The King's sons, William and Harry, along with their wives, Catherine and Meghan, viewed floral tributes outside Windsor Castle. On 15 September, members of the royal family viewed tributes and met crowds around the UK. The Prince and Princess of Wales visited Sandringham House, the Earl and Countess of Wessex visited Manchester, and Princess Anne and Sir Timothy Laurence travelled to
Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
. On 16 September, the Prince and Princess of Wales visited the Army Training Centre Pirbright to meet with troops deployed from Canada, Australia, and New Zealand that would take part in the state funeral. The Earl and Countess of Wessex met with members of the public and viewed tributes at Windsor Castle. On 17 September, the Earl and Countess of Wessex met with crowds outside Buckingham Palace. On 18 September, the Princess of Wales held an audience with Olena Zelenska, the First Lady of Ukraine. On 22 September, the Prince and Princess of Wales visited the Windsor Guildhall and the Princess Royal visited HMNB Portsmouth, respectively, to thank volunteers and staff and the Royal Navy for their role in organising the state funeral.


Reactions

Charles III paid tribute to his "darling Mama" in an address to the UK and Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth on 9 September. On 9 September, all flags at royal residences were ordered to be lowered to half-mast except the Royal Standard, which continued to fly at full mast wherever the current monarch was in residence. All royal residences were closed to the public until after the state funeral had occurred. An online book of condolence was set up by the royal website. In a written statement on 18 September, the King thanked the public for their support, and a previously unseen photograph of the Queen from May 2022 was published by the Palace. On 9 September, the Government of the United Kingdom, UK government published guidance on details surrounding the national mourning period, stating that businesses, public service, sports fixtures and public venues were not obliged to close. A 96-gun salute was fired in Hyde Park, London, Hyde Park by the King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery, at the Tower of London by the Honourable Artillery Company, at Edinburgh Castle by the Royal Artillery, at Cardiff Castle and Stonehenge by the 104th Regiment Royal Artillery, at Caernarfon Castle, at York Museum Gardens, and on board Royal Navy ships. Bells tolled at Westminster Abbey, St Paul's Cathedral, and other churches across the UK, Australia, The Bahamas, and Canada. At Windsor Castle the Sebastapol Bell, Windsor, Sebastopol Bell, which is only rung to mark the deaths of senior royals, tolled 96 times to mark the years of the Queen's life. Politicians throughout the Commonwealth paid tribute to the Queen, praising her long public service. Motions of condolences were also passed in the legislatures of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Sri Lanka. Political figures in the rest of the world also offered their condolences and tributes, as did members of Royal family, royal families, religious leaders and other public figures. A service of prayer and mourning was held at St Paul's Cathedral at 18:00 on 9 September, attended by senior politicians and 2,000 members of the public. The ceremony marked the first official rendition of "God Save the King" under Charles's reign. Many organisations paid their respects, and some suspended operations or cancelled events. BBC Television, BBC, ITV (TV network), ITV, and
Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a fourth television service ...
interrupted television programming to cover the news, while print media dedicated entire front covers in tribute. Sporting events that went ahead held minute silences. The Queen's death led to debates about British Empire#Legacy, the legacy of the British Empire and the Abolition of monarchy, abolition of the monarchy in the Commonwealth realms.


Other commemorations

Instructions to fly national flags at half-mast were issued in several countries. In Commonwealth realms like Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, the Bahamas, Belize, Canada, Grenada, Jamaica, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Solomon Islands, national flags were flown at half-mast until the date of the funeral; with the exception of Proclamation Day when flags were returned to full mast. Several other countries also issued instructions to fly their national flags at half-mast, including Sri Lanka, the United States, and many European Union buildings. White flags were also put up in Galle Face Green and other prominent places throughout Sri Lanka. Several Commonwealth countries also declared the Queen's funeral or a specific day as a national holiday, including Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, The Bahamas, Belize, Canada, the Cook Islands, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Papua New Guinea, and Sri Lanka. In addition to the service in the United Kingdom, state memorial services were held in several Commonwealth realms, including Grenada and Tuvalu. Thanksgiving and memorial services were also held in Anglican churches across the world, including St Andrew's Church in Bandar Seri Begawan, Cathedral of Christ the Living Saviour in Colombo, and St John's Cathedral (Hong Kong), St. John's Cathedral in Hong Kong. Many landmarks were illuminated in either purple or royal blue colours to honour the Queen, or illuminated with the name or image of Elizabeth II, her royal cypher, or the Union Flag; including landmarks in Australia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Canada, the Czech Republic, Germany, Israel, Kuwait, New Zealand, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Several landmarks in Canada, France, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom were also dimmed or had their lighting shut off as a sign of respect. Moments of silence were held across several Commonwealth realms. Several institutions also held moments of silence, including the Dáil Éireann, the Parliament of Sri Lanka, and by the Airborne Commemorations Foundation in the Netherlands. Flowers, tributes and wreaths were left at British Embassy, embassies, including Embassy of the United Kingdom, Berlin, Berlin and Embassy of the United Kingdom, Jakarta, Jakarta.


Antigua and Barbuda

Antigua and Barbuda hosted a service of thanksgiving in honour of the late Queen of Antigua and Barbuda on 19 September, which was declared a public holiday throughout the country. The Governor-General's Deputy, Sir Clare Roberts, and the Acting Prime Minister Steadroy Benjamin presided in the absence of Sir Rodney Williams and Gaston Browne, who were both present at the Queen's state funeral in London. The service took place at the Cathedral of St John The Divine and was officiated by Dwane Cassius, Dean of the Cathedral of the Anglican Diocese of the North East Caribbean and Aruba. The service was followed by a parade of members of the Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force and the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda. The parade commenced from the Long Street entrance of the cathedral and concluded at the APUA Telephone Exchange, where the parade was dismissed.


Australia

A 96-gun salute was fired by Australia's Federation Guard on the forecourt of Parliament House in Canberra on 9 September to mark the passing of the Queen of Australia. Monuments and landmarks across the country were lit up to honour the Queen. The Sydney Opera House was illuminated with an image of Queen Elizabeth II on the nights of 9 and 10 September, as a symbolic gesture on behalf of the Government of New South Wales. The Australian Parliament House was lit up with images of the Queen throughout her seven-decade reign, reflecting her long and deep relationship with Australia. The Government of Western Australia also announced that landmarks across Perth, the capital city of Western Australia, would be illuminated "royal purple" as a mark of respect for the Queen. A national memorial service for the Queen took place on 22 September at Parliament House in Canberra. The National Day of Mourning was observed as a "one-off Public holidays in Australia, public holiday". One minute's silence was observed at 11:00 across Australia. Plans were announced for a new public square in central Sydney bearing the late Queen's name.


Bahamas

A state memorial service for Elizabeth II, Queen of the Bahamas, was held at Christ Church Cathedral in Nassau on 2 October. A procession of parliamentarians and law enforcement officers preceded the service, which started at Rawson Square, Bay Street. Governor General Sir Cornelius A. Smith, and Prime Minister Philip Davis were among those who addressed the congregation.


Belize

A memorial service in honour of the late Queen of Belize was held on 22 October 2022 at St. John's Cathedral (Belize City), St. John's Cathedral in Belize City. Governor-General of Belize, Governor-General Dame Froyla Tzalam was in attendance and Bishop Philip S. WPhilip Wright officiated at the service.


Bhutan

Upon royal command, special prayers were performed in all major dzongs, temples and monasteries across Bhutan. King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Queen Jetsun Pema offered 1,000 Butter lamp, butterlamps at Samtse on 9 September for Elizabeth II. Special prayers to offer light (called marme moenlam) were held at the ceremony, which was attended by the prime minister, government officials, and thousands of people in Samtse. Thongdrels of Guru Rinpoche and Zhabdrung were unfurled for the ceremony, to sanctify the important occasion. In Thimphu, former King Jigme Singye and members of the royal family were joined by government officials and foreign dignitaries to offer 1,000 butter lamps and prayers at the Grand Kuenrey of the Tashichhodzong.


Canada

Various locations were illuminated in honour of the late Queen of Canada as a part of the Department of Canadian Heritage's national illumination initiative. The Canadian government also announced a donation of C$20 million to the Queen Elizabeth Scholars program, a program that funds Canadian university exchange programs. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that the date of the Queen's funeral would be a holiday for federal government employees. Among the Canadian provinces and territories, Prince Edward Island was the only one to declare the date of Elizabeth II's funeral a statutory holiday. Alberta, the Northwest Territories, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec declared a day of mourning or commemoration instead of a holiday. In the remaining provinces and territories government offices closed, some also closed schools, and observance was optional for private-sector businesses. The Retail Council of Canada and Canadian Federation of Independent Business were against making the funeral a statutory paid holiday. A national commemorative ceremony for Elizabeth II took place at the Christ Church Cathedral (Ottawa), Christ Church Cathedral in Ottawa on 19 September, which was broadcast live on television as well as on social media. The ceremony was preceded by a parade of the Canadian Armed Forces and Royal Canadian Mounted Police through downtown Ottawa, from Cartier Square Drill Hall and past Parliament Hill to the Cathedral, with a 96-gun salute. A flypast by the Royal Canadian Air Force was cancelled due to inclement weather. The congregation was addressed by former Governor-General Adrienne Clarkson as well as former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney. Provincial commemorative services took place in several Canadian provinces on 19 September: in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Saskatchewan. In Ontario, a memorial service was held in Toronto on 20 September. Two memorial services in Quebec were organized by the Anglican Church rather than the provincial government, which were attended by Lieutenant Governor J. Michel Doyon, Michel Doyon. Moments of silence were held across several provinces on 19 September, with several transit operators having paused their operations for 96 seconds to coincide with the provincial moment of silence. Two British-made bronze cannons from 1810, were fired in Westmount, Quebec, in honour of Elizabeth II.


Fiji

The Holy Trinity Anglican Cathedral in Suva hosted a special Service of Remembrance and Thanksgiving on 16 September in memory of the Queen. The service was attended by hundreds, including President Ratu Wiliame Katonivere and First Lady Filomena, Parliament Speaker Ratu Epeli Nailatikau, Minister for Health Ifereimi Waqainabete, former Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka, Police Commissioner Brigadier-General Sitiveni Qiliho, Head of the Catholic Church in Fiji Archbishop Peter Loy Chong, members of the diplomatic corps and the public. During the service, the Republic of Fiji Military Services accorded The Last Post, signalling the end of the Queen's 70-year reign. On 20 September, President Ratu Wiliame Katonivere hosted a Commemoration and Thanksgiving Service for the Queen at State House in Suva, which was attended by senior officials, government ministers, members of parliament and foreign representatives. The President reflected on the Queen's six visits to Fiji, which he said symbolized strong solidarity between Fiji and the royal family.


France

French postal service La Poste issued a book of four collector stamps featuring the Queen. 50,000 stamps were put on sale on the day of the Queen's funeral. Starting from 14 October, Le Touquet – Côte d'Opale Airport, Le Touquet's local airport was renamed Le Touquet-Paris-Plage Elizabeth II to honour the Queen. In Paris, the George V Métro station, on Line 1 under the Champs-Élysées, was renamed Elizabeth II for the day of the Queen's state funeral.


Hong Kong

Thousands in Hong Kong paid tribute to the Queen, who was the colonial head of the city for 45 years before handover in 1997. Long queues were seen outside the British consulate for days after the announcement of the death and until the funeral, with mourners waiting up to four hours. More than 13,000 signed the condolence books in the consulate in 11 days, eulogising the "boss lady", an affectionate nickname for the Queen by the Hongkongers. The tribute, which was one of the largest public gathering after imposition of the Hong Kong national security law, national security law and the crackdown on democracy movement, was also regarded as a protest to Hong Kong and Chinese authorities and mourning the past. Eric Chan, Chief Secretary for Administration and second-highest ranking official in the city, visited the consulate and signed the condolence book on behalf of the government. Nevertheless, the pro-Beijing newspaper ''Ta Kung Pao'' accused a "minority" of Hong Kong mourners for "indulging in this fantasy that they are subjects of the British Empire", and called for the eradication of colonialism. On the day of the Queen's funeral, hundreds gathered outside the consulate watching a live broadcast of the event. A harmonica player was arrested under colonial-era sedition law after playing ''Glory to Hong Kong'', an iconic protest song, and ''God Save the King''.


Jamaica

Following the announcement of the passing of the Queen of Jamaica on 8 September 2022, bells were tolled nationally in churches throughout all parish capitals for one hour beginning at 6:00 pm. Books of condolence were established at King's House, and in the Offices of the Custodes in all parishes during the mourning period. A 96-gun salute was fired by the Jamaica Defence Force at Up Park Camp in St Andrew on 19 September. A national memorial service for the late Queen of Jamaica was held on 2 October at the St. Andrew Parish Church in Kingston and was attended by government officials and foreign representatives.PARISH MEMORIAL SERVICES FOR THE LATE QUEEN ELIZABETH II
/ref> The service was headed by Governor-General Sir Patrick Allen, Prime Minister Andrew Holness, and Mark Golding, the leader of the official opposition, headed the service. The service included scripture readings by the governor-general, the prime minister and the leader of the opposition, as well as tributes in songs by the church choir and the Kingston College Choir. Apart from the national memorial service in Kingston, services were held on 2 October in Clarendon Parish, Jamaica, Clarendon, Saint Catherine Parish, Saint Catherine, Saint Ann Parish, Saint Ann, Portland Parish, Portland, Saint Mary Parish, Jamaica, Saint Mary, Saint Thomas Parish, Jamaica, Saint Thomas, Saint Elizabeth Parish, Saint Elizabeth, Saint James Parish, Jamaica, Saint James, Westmoreland Parish, Westmoreland, Hanover Parish, Hanover, Manchester Parish, Manchester, and Trelawny Parish, Trelawny. The custodes and mayors headed the memorial services in parishes across Jamaica.


Kenya

In Kenya, former staff returned to the Treetops Hotel, the building where Elizabeth learned about the Death and state funeral of George VI, death of her father and her accession to the throne, to light candles and lay out a condolence book.


New Zealand

A 96-gun salute was fired from the Te Papa Promenade in Wellington on 9 September, by personnel from the 16th Field Regiment, Royal New Zealand Artillery based at Linton Military Camp, to mark the passing of the Queen of New Zealand. At the Auckland War Memorial Museum, a haka was led by members of the Limited Service Volunteer programme to honour the Queen. A state memorial service with a one-off public holiday took place on 26 September to celebrate the life and reign of Queen Elizabeth II of New Zealand. The service took place at the Wellington Cathedral of St Paul at 14:00 and was televised and live-streamed. A national minute of silence took place at the beginning of the service, with people across New Zealand being invited to participate in the moment of silence. During the service, the Queen's Personal New Zealand Flag was paraded for the last time. Memorial services were also held elsewhere in New Zealand including in Auckland, Christchurch, New Plymouth and Hastings, New Zealand, Hastings. South Canterbury Anniversary Day, which was due to be observed on 26 September in the Timaru District, Timaru, Waimate District, Waimate and Mackenzie District, Mackenzie districts, was moved to Friday 11 November.


Cook Islands

The King's Representative, Sir Tom Marsters, proclaimed 30 September a public holiday in the Cook Islands in respect of the Queen's passing. On the morning of the holiday, the government held a memorial service for the Queen at the National Auditorium in Avarua. The service was attended by Marsters, traditional leaders, members of the Religious Advisory Council, Queen's Award recipients, the high commissioners of New Zealand and Australia, Members of Parliament, members of the various uniform organisations, and members of the public.


Niue

Two days of commemoration took place in Niue to mark the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, Monarchy of New Zealand#Cook Islands, Niue and territories, Niue's head of state. A series of events took place on 18 and 19 September, with the latter being a public holiday. On 19 September, a national memorial service was held at the Taoga Niue starting at 08:00. A national moment of reflection took place at 08:15, with people across Niue taking part. People were also asked to plant a tree on 19 September in memory of the Queen.


Papua New Guinea

On 12 September, a 96-gun salute was fired in honour of the Queen, and a moment of silence took place outside Parliament House in Port Moresby. On 18 September, members of various Anglican Church parishes in Port Moresby gathered at St Martin's Anglican parish for a memorial service for the late Queen of Papua New Guinea, which was presided over by the Bishop of Popondota, Lindsley Ihove.


Saint Lucia

On 9 September, a 96-gun salute was fired by the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force on the premises of Government House in Castries.A Royal Farewell
/ref> On 19 September, the day of the state funeral, the public was invited to pause for a 70-second national tribute to reflect on the life and legacy of Elizabeth II, Queen of Saint Lucia. Church bells and sirens from fire stations throughout the nation sounded for one minute and 10 seconds starting at 09:59 to herald the commencement of the 70-second reflection period at 10:00.


Slovakia

A place of remembrance for Elizabeth II was created by Servare et Manere in the Carl Gustav Swensson Park in Žilina. The memorial is located near the first tree planted for The Queen's Green Canopy in Central Europe. In the biblical garden at Vysoká nad Kysucou, Elizabeth II was publicly honoured with the planting of the Rosa 'Queen Elizabeth', Queen Elizabeth rose. The rose planting was a part of the official opening for the gardens and was organized by the Vysoká nad Kysucou parish in cooperation with Servare et Manere.


Solomon Islands

In the Solomon Islands the prime minister declared 12–14 September as days of mourning, and the first a public holiday. The three-day national mourning period began on 12 September with a wreath-laying and signing of the condolence book at Government House by national leaders including Governor-General Sir David Vunagi, Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare, Speaker of the National Parliament Patterson Oti and Chief Justice Sir Albert Palmer; as well as other government officials, former governors-general and prime ministers, members of diplomatic missions and uniformed groups. A memorial church service was held at the Saint Barnabas Anglican Cathedral on 14 September to celebrate the life and reign of Elizabeth II, Queen of Solomon Islands. The service was attended by acting Governor-General Patteson John Oti, Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare, Deputy Speaker Commins Mewa, Chief Justice Sir Albert Palmer, former governors-general, acting British High Commissioner Steve Auld and senior government officials.


Sweden

Sweden honoured the Queen, who was one of the longest-serving members of the Royal Order of the Seraphim, the foremost order of Sweden, on the day of her funeral on 19 September. The Queen was awarded the order by King Gustaf VI Adolf on 26 May 1953, and the chain of the Order was given to her by King Carl XVI Gustaf on 23 May 1975. The Queen was the 722nd member of the Order since its inception in 1748. The Queen's royal coat of arms as a member of the Royal Order of the Seraphim was then taken in procession from the palace to Riddarholmen Church in Stockholm, where the Bourdon (bell), bourdon rang a traditional Seraphim Toll for one hour. The arms were then hung in the church. By command of the King of Sweden, flags above royal residences were flown at half-mast on the day.


United Kingdom

The billboards at Piccadilly Circus and on the BT Tower showed tributes to the Queen, as well as advertising screens on the side of bus stops on billboards across the entire country. The Royal Mail issued four commemorative stamps showing the Queen at different stages in her life. Hackney carriage, Black cab drivers of London lined The Mall, London, The Mall to pay tribute to the Queen.


United States

Billboards on the Las Vegas Strip showed images of the Queen. On 21 September, a memorial service was held at the Washington National Cathedral, arranged in conjunction with the Embassy of the United Kingdom, Washington, D.C., British Embassy in Washington, D.C.. Attendees included Vice President Kamala Harris, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (California politician), Kevin McCarthy, as well as British ambassador Karen Pierce. All living former US Presidents were invited, but none attended. A sermon was delivered by Michael Curry (bishop), Michael Curry, the Presiding bishop#Episcopal Church in the United States, presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church (United States), Episcopal Church.


See also

* State funerals in the United Kingdom * List of largest funerals


Notes


References


External links

;Announcements and arrangements
Announcement of the death of The Queen
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Arrangements for the Funeral of Her Majesty The Queen
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The State Funeral of HM Queen Elizabeth II
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