The ceremonial procession in London, attended by hundreds of thousands to bid farewell to Queen Elizabeth II, has ended. The Queen will be buried in a small circle in the St. George’s Chapel in the evening. Her coffin is already being transported to the funeral.
The coffin of Queen Elizabeth II arrived at the triumphal arch “Wellington Arch” after the procession on the way from Westminister Abbey. At the arch in honor of Wellington on the south-east corner of Hyde Park, he was loaded onto a hearse for transport to Windsor. For Londoners, who took to the streets in the hundreds of thousands to pay their last respects to their Queen during the procession, it’s a goodbye forever. Many waved and applauded as the hearse drove past them.
During the procession, the Queen’s four children, King Charles III, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward, as well as grandchildren Prince William and Prince Harry, walked behind the flower-adorned coffin. King consort Camilla and Princess Kate followed in the car with their two children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte.
Also driving in the car were Duchess Meghan and Countess Sophie, Prince Edward’s wife. The coffin was covered with the royal standard, crown, orb and scepter rested on it. The wreath of flowers on the coffin was inscribed with the message “In loving and devoted memory. Charles R”, where the “R” stands for “Rex”, meaning King. The gun carriage, known as the gun carriage, on which it was transported, was pulled by 98 marines.
Countless other soldiers from Great Britain and Commonwealth countries, police officers and employees of the NHS health service accompanied the funeral procession. The royals had previously said goodbye to the Queen at a service in Westminster Abbey along with around 2,000 guests, including hundreds of heads of state and government, crowned heads and dignitaries from around the world.
The coffin is scheduled to arrive in Windsor at 4:06 p.m. CEST. He is then driven via the historic Long Walk to the castle, in the inner courtyard of which Charles III. and other senior royals rejoin the funeral procession around 4:40 p.m. BST. The procession is scheduled to arrive at St. George’s Chapel at 16:53 CEST.
A televised funeral service at St. George’s is attended by more than 800 guests, including members of the Royal Family, politicians and former Queen’s staff. After the service, the coffin is lowered into the royal tomb to the sound of the bagpipes and a blessing from the Archbishop of Canterbury, bringing the public part of the funeral to a close. At the conclusion of the ceremony, the anthem “God Save the King” is sung.
Only close family members will attend the Queen’s funeral at 20:30 CEST in the King George VI Memorial Chapel, a special part of the church. The Queen’s parents and her sister Princess Margaret are also buried there. Prince Philip’s coffin is now also being moved from the royal tomb to the memorial chapel. Prince Harry and Meghan got married in St. George’s Chapel in May 2018, and Prince Philip’s funeral service took place there in April 2021. The chapel is also regularly used for royal baptisms.
