A royal sendoff. Queen Elizabeth II was honored with an extravagant funeral at Westminster Abbey, 11 days after her passing.
The longest-reigning monarch in British history was 96 when she died on September 8. Following her death, England entered a 12-day mourning period as with tradition. King Charles III, who took over the throne after his mother’s passing, has since pushed the mourning period until seven days after the funeral.
The royal events, which included the coffin’s procession to Westminster Hall and greeting the public, culminated in a service on Monday, September 19, in London. The queen’s four children — Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward — were all in attendance to pay homage to the late monarch. (She welcomed all of her children with late husband Prince Philip, to whom she was married for more than 70 years.)
Elizabeth’s eight grandchildren, Peter Phillips, Zara Tindall, Prince William, Prince Harry, Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, Lady Louise and James, Viscount Severn, were also there to say goodbye to their beloved matriarch.
Ahead of the funeral, a source exclusively told Us Weekly how hard it was for Charles’ children, the Prince of Wales, 40, and Harry, 38, to come to terms with the queen’s death. (Charles shares his boys with late ex-wife Princess Diana, who died in 1997.)
“This is such an intensely difficult time for the princes,” the insider said on Thursday, September 15. “They both adored their grandma and it will take some time to process the reality of her passing.”
Despite having close connections with the monarch, the siblings still feel a “horrendous sense of loss and emptiness thinking that she’ll no longer be around,” according to the source, who added that William and Harry “console themselves with the fact she’s at peace with their grandfather in heaven and watching over them and in their hearts forever.”
That same day, William opened up about his personal grieving process while making a public appearance alongside his wife, Princess Kate, at Sandringham Estate.
“William said he thinks Monday [the queen’s funeral] will be hard,” well-wisher Bex Neeve told People on Thursday. “[Kate] said it’s been overwhelming and she and William are very grateful for everyone being here. She was emotional.”
The following day, the queen’s four children joined together for the official vigil at Westminster Hall. The siblings stood around Her Majesty’s coffin, which was lying in state until her funeral.
William and Harry, meanwhile, led the second vigil at Westminster Hall on Saturday, September 17. While the Duke of Sussex was initially not allowed to wear his military uniform for the event — due to the fact that he is no longer a working royal after his 2020 step back — he was granted a pardon for the special vigil.
Scroll down to see what happens following the queen’s Westminster Abbey funeral:
Following the service at Westminster Abbey on Monday, September 19, Her Majesty’s coffin was transported to the Wellington Arch as a military procession followed. It was then carried to a vehicle that will drive it to Windsor, England. Once on site, there was a procession through the city to Windsor Castle and the coffin ended up at St George’s Chapel. After the Committal Service at St George’s Chapel, CNN reported that the family headed to a private reception. CNN
On the evening of September 19, the coffin will be lowered into the royal vault, according to Reuters. There will also be a private burial service inside the King George VI Memorial Chapel, which is where the queen’s parents, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, are buried and the ashes of her sister, Princess Margaret, are housed. This will be Elizabeth’s final resting place. Shutterstock
Before the longest-reigning monarch’s coffin is buried, her late husband, Prince Philip, will be moved from the royal vault at Windsor Castle to St George’s Chapel. The spouses, who were married for 73 years before Philip’s death in April 2021, will be “buried together,” per the royal family’s official website. Shutterstock
The mourning period for the death of a monarch is traditionally 12 days. Charles, however, requested that the period be extended until seven days after the queen’s funeral. That means that the end of the mourning time in England will be on September 26. Christopher Furlong/AP/Shutterstock
While Charles automatically took over as sovereign once his mother died on September 8, he has yet to formally have his coronation. As of the time of this article, the date had not been set for the event, which is not uncommon. Elizabeth, for her part, had her coronation more than 15 months after her ascension to the throne. Charles’ coronation won’t like take place until 2023, but it has already been given a code name: Operation Golden Orb, according to Vox. When the event does occur, it will keep with tradition and happen in Westminster Abbey. The church has been home to all British coronations since 1066. NEIL HALL/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
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