WINDSOR: Britain said farewell to Queen Elizabeth II on Monday at a historic state funeral attended by world leaders, before a ceremonial journey past hundreds of thousands of mourners to her final place of rest.
Huge crowds gathered in London to watch as the flag-draped coffin, topped with the Imperial State Crown, her orb and sceptre, was carried slowly to a gun carriage from parliament’s Westminster Hall where it had lain in state since Wednesday.
To the tune of pipes and drums, the gun carriage — used at every state funeral since Queen Victoria’s in 1901 — was then drawn by 142 junior enlisted sailors in the Royal Navy to Westminster Abbey.
The thousand-year-old church’s tenor bell tolled 96 times at one-minute intervals — one for every year of her life — and stopped a minute before the service began at 11am (1000 GMT).
Thousands line coffin’s route to pay respects; world leaders attend service
In his sermon, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby praised the queen’s life of duty and service to the UK and Commonwealth.
“People of loving service are rare in any walk of life. Leaders of loving service are still rarer,” he told the 2,000 guests, who included US President Joe Biden and Japan’s Emperor Naruhito.
The coffin was then borne, to the rhythmic strains of funeral marches, on a three-hour journey through the streets of London to Windsor Castle.
All along the route, a sea of arms was raised aloft, clutching mobile phones, to record the choreographed display of military precision.
The queen’s eldest son and successor, King Charles III, dressed in ceremonial military uniform, followed the solemn processions, alongside his three siblings.
They were accompanied by Charles’s eldest son Prince William, William’s estranged brother, Prince Harry, and other senior royals.
William’s two eldest children, George, aged nine, and Charlotte, aged seven, who are next in line to the throne, also walked behind the coffin in Westminster Abbey.
Late on Sunday, Charles, 73, and his wife, Queen Consort Camilla, 75, said they had been “deeply touched” by the public’s flood of messages.
The long procession filed past Downing Street, government buildings in Whitehall, through Horse Guards Parade and up The Mall, the tree-lined avenue that leads to Buckingham Palace decked out in red, white and blue.
At nearby Wellington Arch, 6,000 members of the armed forces, who had marched in hypnotic lockstep, halted and the coffin was transferred to the royal hearse.
Charles saluted and the national anthem played again before the hearse headed by road to Windsor Castle.
Royal Vault
At Windsor, the queen’s crown, orb and sceptre were removed and placed on the altar at a committal service.
The most senior officer of the royal household, the lord chamberlain, broke his “wand of office” and placed it on the coffin, symbolising the end of her reign.
The lead-lined oak casket, draped with the queen’s colours, was then lowered into the Royal Vault.
A lone bagpiper played a lament, the mournful tune fading as he walked away.
PM Shehbaz attends funeral
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif joined world leaders and members of the royal family at the state funeral held at the Westminster Abbey.
PM Sharif especially flew in to attend the last rites and funeral of the queen. Over 500 representatives from other countries, including President Biden, China’s Vice President Wang Qishan, Japan’s Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, Jordan’s King Abdullah, Belgium’s King Philippe, and Queen Mathilde attended the Westminster Abbey Service.
Mr Sharif penned his condolatory message in the official condolence book at the Church House, conveying grief to the royal family, the people, and the government of the United Kingdom over the queen’s demise. Earlier, the pm was received at the Great West Door by the Dean and Chapter of Westminster, and escorted to his seat in the Lantern.
Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2022
