Prince William and Prince Harry, who are both in mourning, walked together today behind the Queen’s casket as it was brought into Westminster Abbey for her state burial.
The brothers’ spouses, as well as two of William’s children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, joined them after they once again set aside their differences to form a unified front in honour of their late grandmother.
Following closely behind the Queen’s casket were King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla, Princess Anne and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, Prince Andrew, Prince Edward, and Sophie, Countess of Wessex.
William and Kate attended the celebration as well, while George and Charlotte accompanied their parents and their uncle and aunt, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, along with other members of the royal family. William and Kate were also present.
Before a committal ceremony at Windsor Castle, 2,000 people attended the burial, including members of the royal family. The Queen’s time of laying in state at Westminster Hall, which concluded at 6.30 am, is followed by the service.
The day is the culmination of the largest security operation the United Kingdom has ever seen, exceeding the operation for the Platinum Jubilee weekend and the London 2012 Olympics, which saw up to 10,000 police officers on duty every day.
At 11 am, a large military procession carried the Queen’s casket from the Palace of Westminster to Westminster Abbey in preparation for the funeral.
The tenor bell will ring once every minute for 96 minutes before to the ceremony, which will be led by the Very Rev. David Hoyle, Dean of Westminster, to represent the years of the Queen’s reign.
Leaders from public life, including presidents, prime ministers, and members of European royal families, have congregated at the abbey.
Due to the invasion of Ukraine, invitations were not issued to Belarus and Russia, and they were also not given to the military regime in Myanmar, Bashar Assad of Syria, or the Taliban-run Afghanistan.
The traditional lament Sleep, Dearie, Sleep will be played by Warrant Officer Class 1 (Pipe Major) Paul Burns, the Queen’s Piper, after The Last Post, two minutes of silence, Reveille, and the national anthem.
The Earl and Countess of Wessex will be seated in the first row of the south lantern, followed by Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, Vice Princess Royal Camilla, the Duke of York, and the King and Queen Consort in the elaborate Canada Club seats.
Prince George and Princess Charlotte will be standing across from the Prince and Princess of Wales, followed by Peter Phillips, Zara, and Mike Tindall.
The Duchess of Sussex will be directly behind Camilla, while the Duke of Sussex will be behind the King. Princess Beatrice will be seated close to Meghan.
On the south transept, 14 rows behind the Polish president and in front of the Czech Republic will be US Vice President Joe Biden. The envoy from Switzerland will be seated next to the First Lady.
Senior British politicians, including Prime Minister Liz Truss, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, and previous prime ministers Boris Johnson, David Cameron, and Theresa May, took their places in the abbey among other heads of state, including French President Emmanuel Macron.
Around 125 movie theaters, a number of churches, and a large screen in Holyrood Park in front of the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh will all display the burial live.
The coffin will be carried in procession from Westminster Abbey to Wellington Arch at 12:15 pm, after which it will go to Windsor.
A televised committal ceremony will be held in St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle at 4 p.m., following which the hearse will go there in procession through the Long Walk.
The service will be led by the Dean of Windsor, while the Rector of Sandringham, the Minister of Crathie Kirk, and the Chaplain of Windsor Great Park will offer prayers.
Following the last song, the imperial state crown, the orb, and the sceptre will be brought from the Queen’s casket to the altar by the chapel choir.
Following the last song, the Lord Chamberlain will break his Wand of Office and set it on the coffin while the King places the Queen’s Company Camp Colour of the Grenadier Guards on it.
While the Queen’s coffin is being lowered into the royal crypt, the Dean of Windsor will recite a psalm and the Commendation.
After that, the assembly will sing the national anthem while the Sovereign’s Piper plays a lament and Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby gives the benediction.
We gather together to express gratitude for a long life spent in service to her people and her savior, Jesus Christ, Mr. Welby remarked before the funeral:
The Queen will be reunited with her adored husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, in a special burial ceremony later that evening with senior members of the royal family.
The King George VI memorial chapel, a wing of the main chapel where her parents and the ashes of her sister, Princess Margaret, were interred, will serve as the Queen’s last resting place.
In order to join the Queen’s coffin, Philip’s will be transferred from the royal crypt to the memorial chapel.