The Funeral of Her Majesty the Queen

The Queen’s funeral took place 11 days after her passing on the 19th September 2022. She had been spending her summer in her Scottish highlands home of Balmoral Castle when she died which meant her coffin needed to be brought back to London. Once in the Capital she spent four days lying-in-state in Westminster Hall, as had been the case for her father King George VI in 1952. Thousands of members of the public queued for hours to pay their respects.

The funeral followed royal procedure for state funerals, starting military processions from Westminster Hall to the Abbey. The Queen’s Coffin was draped in the Royal Standard with the Imperial state crown orb and sceptre on top alongside a wreath of pink flowers. It was pulled on a gun carriage by members of the royal navy and followed by the Queen’s four children: King Charles III, the Princess Royal, the Duke of York and the Earl of Wessex. Behind them was the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Sussex, Peter Philips, the Duke of Gloucester, Earl of Snowdon and Vice Admiral Tim Lawrence.

Once the coffin reached the Abbey the service, which was attended by Head of States from around the world as well as many other members of European royalty, was conducted by the Dean of Westminster with lessons read by Baroness Scotland and the new British Prime Minister Liz Truss. The Sermon and Commendation were read by the Archbishop of Canterbury. The Last post sounded followed by two minutes silence. It was finished with the National Anthem.

The military procession from the Abbey went to Wellington Arch where the coffin was transferred to the state hearse to begin the Queen’s final journey to Windsor. The route taken passed many people lining the sides of the roads to see the coffin and throwing roses at the hearse. Once at Windsor, the hearse joined the military procession and made its way up the Long Walk to St George’s Chapel. The Queen’s fell pony Emma and her two corgi’s were seen as the procession passed.

The Dean of Windsor led the service at St George’s Chapel and the readings were the same as had been done at the funerals of the Queen’s father and Grandfather. Symbolically at the end of the service the Imperial State Crown, the orb and the sceptre were removed from the coffin and the King placed the Queen’s Company Camp Colour of the Grenadier Guards on the coffin while the Lord Chamberlain broke the wand of office and placed it on her coffin. “A Salute to the Royal Fendersmith” — was played by the Sovereign’s Piper. The National Anthem was sung again signalling the end.

Her Majesty’s body was privately interred into the vault in the George VI memorial chapel alongside her parents and late husband Philip. Her sister Margaret’s ashes had also been included in the chapel which meant the family were now together again.

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