U.K. and the rest of the world say final goodbye to Queen Elizabeth II
Posted September 19, 2022 4:58 am.
Last Updated September 19, 2022 3:00 pm.
The United Kingdom and the world bade farewell to Queen Elizabeth II on Monday with a state funeral that drew presidents and kings, princes and prime ministers — and crowds in the streets of London and at Windsor Castle — to honor a monarch whose 70-year reign defined an age.
In a country known for pomp and pageantry, the first state funeral since Winston Churchill’s was filled with spectacle: 142 Royal Navy sailors drew the gun carriage carrying Elizabeth’s coffin to Westminster Abbey, with King Charles III and his sons, Princes William and Harry, walking behind as bagpipers played.
“In loving and devoted memory”
The trappings of state and monarchy abounded: The coffin was draped with the royal standard and atop it sat the Imperial State Crown, sparkling with almost 3,000 diamonds, and the sovereign’s orb and scepter.
But the personal was also present: a handwritten note from her son, King Charles III, that read, “In loving and devoted memory” and was signed Charles R — for Rex, or king.
Pall bearers carried the coffin into the abbey, where around 2,000 people ranging from world leaders to health care workers gathered to mourn her.
“Here, where Queen Elizabeth was married and crowned, we gather from across the nation, from the Commonwealth, and from the nations of the world, to mourn our loss, to remember her long life of selfless service, and in sure confidence to commit her to the mercy of God our maker and redeemer,” the dean of the medieval abbey, David Hoyle, told the mourners.
Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby said in his sermon that “few leaders receive the outpouring of love we have seen” for Elizabeth.
The funeral drew to a close with two minutes of silence observed across the United Kingdom. The attendees then sang the national anthem.
Queen’s final resting place at Windsor Castle
The coffin of Queen Elizabeth II completed a procession at walking pace through central London and headed in a hearse for her final resting place at Windsor Castle.
After being pulled more than 1.6 kilometers from Westminster Abbey on a gun carriage by 142 Royal Navy sailors, the coffin was transferred to a hearse at Wellington Arch, near Buckingham Palace.
The procession of Queen Elizabeth’s coffin to Windsor Castle. CITYNEWS
Dozens of Buckingham Place staff stood in a neat line in the palace courtyard, and many bowed or curtseyed as the procession passed by.
As the queen’s coffin arrived at the castle, there were poignant reminders of her love of animals: A groom stood at the roadside with one of her ponies, Emma, and another member of staff held the leashed of two of her beloved corgis, Sandy and Muick.
The coffin was then driven to Windsor for another procession along the Long Walk, a five-kilometer avenue leading to the town’s castle.
Later, during the committal ceremony in St. George’s Chapel on the grounds of Windsor Castle, the Imperial State Crown and the sovereign’s orb and scepter were removed from the coffin and placed on the altar — separating the queen from her crown for the last time. Her coffin was then lowered into the royal vault through an opening in the chapel’s floor.
She will later be laid to rest with her husband, Prince Philip, at a private family service.
Related: IN PHOTOS: State funeral of Queen Elizabeth II
Monday had been declared a public holiday in honor of the Queen, who died Sept. 8 at the age 96.
Her funeral was broadcast live to more than 200 countries and territories worldwide and screened to crowds in parks and public spaces across the U.K.
You can watch the full Citytv live special, hosted by Lisa LaFlamme, Cynthia Mulligan and Tammie Sutherland, on Citytv, CityNews 24/7, and citynews.ca.
Ahead of the Queen’s funeral, King Charles III sent out a message saying he and his wife were deeply touched by the many messages of condolences they have received from around the world.
“As we all prepare to say our last farewell, I wanted simply to take this opportunity to say thank you to all the countless people who have been such a support and comfort to my family and myself in this time of grief,” read the new monarch’s statement.
For the funeral, Elizabeth’s coffin was be taken from Westminster Hall, across the road to Westminster Abbey, on a royal gun carriage drawn by 142 Royal Navy sailors.
Hours before the service was set to begin, London authorities said all viewing areas along route of the funeral procession were full.
Prior to the Queen’s funeral service, the tenor bell tolled every minute for 96 minutes, reflecting the years of Queen Elizabeth II’s life.
Canada pays tribute to the Queen
A national memorial service for Elizabeth II took place in Ottawa.
A military parade led by members of the armed forces and RCMP officers on horseback marched past the National War Memorial and Parliament Hill to a cathedral on the western edge of downtown.
Small crowds of people lined the route despite rainy, cool weather blanketing the national capital.
A 96-gun salute, one salvo for every year of the queen’s life, took about 16 minutes to complete at the National War Museum a few blocks from the church.
Inside Christ Church Cathedral Albert Dumont, Ottawa’s English poet laureate and Algonquin spiritual adviser, began the service with a short tribute.
He said the queen has returned to her husband, Prince Phillip, and her mother.
“The queen is dead, and the land of the red maple leaf, the sorrow of many citizens fills the skies, the tears the prayers of her admirers take flight, like the geese of spring and autumn, making their way to the queen mother, who waits to hold her daughter close to her bosom, once again.”
Former governor general Adrienne Clarkson spoke for about 10 minutes at the service.
She included anecdotes of the queen’s visits to Canada such as in 1982 when Queen Elizabeth II signed Canada’s new constitution, including the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
“Canadians will always remember the queen for coming to sign over to us. What is rightfully ours, our human rights, our human freedom.”
Following her speech, a short video of the queen’s visits to Canada was shown.
Indigenous playwright and author Tomson Highway then performed a musical interlude.
Former prime minister Brian Mulroney delivered a speech, remembering his time as her Canadian prime minister with fondness.
He said the queen was “extremely intelligent” as well as very witty and kind.
He also said the end of apartheid in South Africa, which was led by Nelson Mandela, “would never have taken place in the Commonwealth had it not been for her majesty’s discreet, brilliant, and generous guidance and unerring instinct for the victory we all sought.”
The pews were filled with a who’s-who of Canada’s political elite, including Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh.
After the church service, Royal Canadian Air Force CF-18 fighter jets performed a flypast over the cathedral and Parliament Hill.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife, Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, led the Canadian delegation attending the Queen’s funeral.
They were seated a few rows behind Gov. Gen. Mary Simon and her husband, the Canadian delegation members sitting closest to King Charles III and other senior royals.
Canada’s delegation also includes former governors general Michaelle Jean and David Johnston, as well as former prime ministers Kim Campbell, Jean Chretien, Paul Martin and Stephen Harper.
With files from Meredith Bond of CityNews
