The funeral procession for the late Queen Elizabeth II Monday morning was attended by thousands of mourners, including heads of state, royals, and foreign dignitaries. Tens of thousands more citizens lined the route outside the formal ceremony to pay their respects.
The late monarch’s coffin was escorted by 142 members of the Royal Navy through the streets of central London for the first phase of the procession. Emotional orchestral music swelled as the royal guards marched down the Mall in central London, which was adorned with large Union Jack flags.
The Queen’s son King Charles and his wife, Queen Consort Camilla Parker Bowles, her daughter Princess Anne, her second son, Prince Andrew, and her grandchildren Prince William and Harry trailed the coffin along the trek. After a mile-and-a-quarter long journey, the casket was received at Westminster Hall, where the elite British infantry regiment the Grenadier Guards carried it into Westminster Abbey.
Many royal funerals have been held at the famous church prior to burial. The last time the Abbey hosted a British monarch’s funeral was 1760 for King George II’s death. A service for the queen’s husband, Prince Philip, was held there in April 2021.
The Queen’s funeral concluded after 1:30 p.m. British time, after which the coffin was loaded into a hearse at Wellington Arch to be transported to St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle for the committal service, open to the queen’s past and present staff.
Queen Elizabeth will be buried in the 200-year-old Royal Vault underneath the King George VI Memorial Chapel. Another private burial service will follow in the evening exclusive to members of the royal family and loved ones.
After 70 years of service, the Queen passed away at age 96. The United Kingdom participated in ten days of mourning to honor the legendary sovereign, who presided over many national and foreign crises and was known for her unwavering allegiance and devotion to the Crown and the commonwealth.