Queen Elizabeth II was bid farewell today with a tour of the most characteristic places of the British capital after several days of mourning and ceremonies to pay tribute to the longest-lived monarch that Britain has ever had. The coffin with the remains of the Queen departed from Westminster on an artillery gun carriage that was transported by members of the Royal Navy in procession. King Charles III and his three brothers – Anne, Andrew, and Edward -as well as his sons, Princes William and Harry, walked behind the remains of the sovereign.
Later on, a religious ceremony was held at Westminster Abbey, before some 2,000 guests, the same place where Elizabeth II was crowned Queen in 1953. The last state funeral for a British monarch held in the London temple was in 1760, after the death of George II. Since then, the funeral ceremonies had been held in St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. Over 200 heads of state, such as the President of the United States, Joe Biden, the President of Canada, Justin Trudeau, the King and Queen of Spain, Felipe VI, and Letizia, were present at the ceremony. A bugle call marked the beginning of two minutes of silence that was observed throughout the United Kingdom, as well as at Heathrow Airport, which halted takeoffs and landings minutes before to ensure a rigorous silence in the British capital. The national anthem and a piece of lament performed by Queen Elizabeth’s official piper ended the funeral service.
The departure of the coffin of Elizabeth II from Westminster Abbey
The coffin was left in a funeral procession from the Abbey to the Wellington Arch at the southeast corner of Hyde Park. Big Ben, the famous bell in the tower, tolled at one-minute intervals during the procession. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police led the march, which was also followed by members of the armed forces of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth countries, representatives of the British police, and the public health service. Charles III walked along with other members of the Royal Family, while Queen consort Camilla, Princess of Wales Catherine, and Duchess of Sussex Meghan followed the procession by car.
At Wellington Arch, the sovereign’s remains were transferred to a hearse to make their final journey to Windsor Castle, some 35 kilometers west of London. The coffin will arrive in the vicinity of the castle, where 40 monarchs have lived uninterruptedly for almost a thousand years. A procession on foot will cover the 5 kilometers of the Long Walk, the characteristic tree-lined avenue that leads to the royal residence.
There will be another ceremony in St. George’s Chapel.
After the procession, the remains of Elizabeth II will enter the castle’s St. George’s Chapel, a regular venue for royal christenings, weddings, and funerals. In recent years, it hosted the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan, as well as the funeral of Prince Philip, the Queen’s husband. Some 800 guests will attend a ceremony officiated by the Dean of Windsor, David Coney. The Crown of the Imperial State, the royal orb, and a scepter will be removed from the coffin, separating Elizabeth II from the symbols of her reign for the last time.
The coffin will descend into the chapel’s royal crypt, where the remains of her husband, who died in 2021 aged 99, are also buried. The official bagpiper of Windsor will play a hymn personally chosen by Elizabeth II, and the ceremony will conclude with the singing of “God Save the King.” The burial ceremony will be private and will be attended only by members of the Royal Family. The marble slab of her grave will be engraved with the words: “Elizabeth II 1926-2022.”
Story originally published in Spanish in Cultura Colectiva News