After more than four days of citizenship farewells to Queen Elizabeth II, the body of the sovereign was transferred this Monday, September 19, to Westminster Abbey for the state funeral. Presidents, members of the monarchy and leaders from all over the world gather to attend the funeral ceremonies, while thousands of citizens gather in the vicinity to bid farewell to whoever was her head of state for more than 70 years.
The United Kingdom and the rest of the world say goodbye to who was the longest-lived monarch in history, Elizabeth II.
The state funeral brings together presidents, kings, princes, prime ministers and up to a million people on the streets of London to bid farewell to a monarch whose reign of more than seven decades defined an era.
This Monday, September 19, is a day filled with funeral ceremonies in London and Windsor, which began in the early hours of the morning, when the doors of 900-year-old Westminster Hall were closed for mourners after hundreds of thousands They will appear in front of his coffin since last September 14.
Many of them spent cold nights out in the open, in long lines, to pay their respects around the queen’s flag-draped coffin in a poignant outpouring of national grief and respect.
Follow here the main news of this historic day:
- 5:23 (BOG) Church service begins at Westminster Abbey
Amid songs and bells, the ceremony begins in the historic church, Westminster Abbey.
The service is led by the Dean of Westminster, David Hoyle, and the sermon is delivered by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby.
King Charles III and Camilla, queen consort, are in the ornate chairs of the Canada Club. Joining them are Vice Admiral Timothy Laurence, the Duke of York and then the Earl and Countess of Wessex, in the front row.
Across the aisle are William, Prince of Wales and Kate, Princess of Wales, with their children Prince George and Princess Charlotte.
At the king’s request, the crown over the queen’s casket contains rosemary, English oak and myrtle, cut from a cultivated myrtle plant from the queen’s wedding bouquet, and flowers, in shades of gold, pink and deep burgundy, with hints of in white, cut from the gardens of royal residences.
The religious event is expected to last an hour and at the end a minute of silence will be offered in honor of the deceased monarch.
- 04:44: The coffin of Elizabeth II is transferred to Westminster Abbey for the state funeral
Carried in the State Funeral Carriage and towed by 142 Royal Navy sailors, the queen’s coffin began a procession from Westminster Hall to nearby Westminster Abbey.
Thousands of mourners line the streets to see the coffin of their sovereign pass by, while King Carlos III, accompanied by other members of the royal family, follows the coffin on its way.
Among them are the other children of the sovereign, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward. They are also accompanied by Camilla, the Queen Consort, Sofia, the Countess of Wessex, and Sarah, the Duchess of York.
As The Queen’s Coffin is carried into the Abbey, the Sentences are sung by The Choir of Westminster Abbey.
The five Sentences, which are lines of scripture set to music, have been used at every State Funeral since the early part of the 18th century. pic.twitter.com/iRnGHPsrLd
— Royal Central (@RoyalCentral) September 19, 2022
At its entrance, the bells of the Abbey ring, the historic church where the sovereign married Prince Philip in 1947 and where she was crowned in 1953.
- 4:18 (BOG) Westminster Hall closed its doors to mourners
The closure of the room marked the end of more than four days in which the British people were able to approach the coffin of the queen and the beginning of the first state funeral in the United Kingdom, since the one held in 1965 for Winston Churchill, the first of the 15 prime ministers during the reign of Elizabeth II.
Two days before her death, on September 8, at her summer retreat at Balmoral Castle, the monarch appointed her last prime minister, Liz Truss.
Among the last mourners to join the queue to see the coffin was Tracy Dobson, a resident of Hertfordshire, north London.
“I felt I had to come and pay my final respects to our majestic queen, she has done so much for us and it’s just a little bit of thanks from people,” he said.
This Monday, September 19, has been declared a national holiday in honor of the sovereign, who died at the age of 96.
Police officers from across the country are on duty as part of the largest one-day police operation in London’s history.
- 3:50 (BOG) The main events scheduled for this September 19
At 8:00 am local time, Westminster Abbey was opened for those attending the state funeral.
The funeral service for the sovereign has also become one of the largest gatherings of heads of state and royals that the British territory has witnessed in decades. Includes European royal families and world leaders.
Elizabeth II’s coffin is scheduled to be moved from Westminster Hall to the Abbey at 10:30am, carried by the gun carriage and towed by 142 Royal Navy sailors.
King Carlos III, together with other members of the royal family and members of the monarchy, will follow the coffin in a procession.
A religious ceremony by the Archbishop of Canterbury is scheduled to begin at 11:00 am. Towards the end of the hour-long ceremony, a minute of silence will be offered in his honor.
The funeral service will end at noon when the national anthem will be played. The coffin will then be taken to the state carriage, followed by a procession with the coffin, led by King Charles III, to Wellington Arch.
From there it will later depart for Windsor where it is scheduled to arrive around 3 pm
At 4 pm, a religious ceremony will take place in St. George’s Chapel, attended by the royal family and around 800 people, including Commonwealth leaders and governors-general.
The Queen’s coffin will then be taken to the royal vault.
Around 7:30 pm, the private burial service will proceed. A ceremony led by the Dean of Windsor. Only King Carlos III and the royal family will attend.
Elizabeth II’s coffin will finally rest in St. George’s Chapel, along with the body of her late husband Prince Philip, who died last June, and the monarch’s parents, King George VI and the Queen Mother.
With Reuters, AP and local media
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