In London the last farewell to Queen Elizabeth II , 11 days after the death of the 96-year-old sovereign. A ceremony marked by a precise protocol unfolded in 13 hours , inaugurated at 6.30 local time (7.30 Italian time) from the closing of the funeral home.
A solemn ceremony followed, on TV and in streaming, by more than 4 billion viewers . In London, around Westminster Abbey, hundreds of thousands of people.
All the greats of the Earth were present: from Joe Biden with the first lady Jill to Sergio Mattarella with his daughter Laura; from Macron with his wife Brigitte to German President Frank Walter Steinmeier . And again, the Japanese emperor and empress, Naruhito and Masako, the leaders of the Commonwealth countries, the royals of Spain, Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Monaco . Numerous heads of state and ambassadors. Chinese President Xi Jinping absent, invited, is his deputy Wang Qishan. Absent Putin, in addition to Russia also excluded Afghanistan, Belarus, Burma, Syria and Venezuela.
The grandiose state funeral arranged in Westminster Abbey are the first since those granted to Winston Churchill in 1965 and the most impressive in the contemporary history of the globe. They arrive after 10 days in which "countless people", as King Charles III also said, paid homage to the coffin of the sovereign " deeply touching the Royal Family with their support and comfort ".
After the service, the transfer of the coffin to Windsor, where the remains of the sovereign will rest forever next to those of her husband Philip.
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10.15 pm - The tribute to Green Park continues, open all night
A carpet of flowers for the floral tribute to Elizabeth II that occupies a large area of Green Park and remains accessible at night. Visitors continue to flock to bring small gifts, letters, thoughts, drawings and flags to the Queen.
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9.40pm - Elizabeth II buried in St George's chapel
Queen Elizabeth II was interred in St George's Chapel, annexed to Windsor Castle, during a private ceremony attended by King Charles III and close members of the British royal family. The sovereign rests in a small chapel of the church, the King George VI Memorial Chapel, next to the Prince consort Philip and near his father George VI, the Queen Mother and his sister, Princess Margaret. According to the media, the inscription "Elizabeth II 1926-2022" appears on the marble slab of the tomb.
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8 pm - After London, Canada greets "its" queen in Ottawa
A few hours after the London ceremonies, Canada greeted its Queen Elizabeth II in the rain, with a parade and religious ceremony in the capital Ottawa. Hundreds of people flocked to the streets of the city center to watch the Canadian Mounted Police parade. About 600 personalities are expected for a ceremony at Christ Church Cathedral in Ottawa. During the commemoration, a speech is planned for former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney (1984-1993). Then 96 cannon shots will be fired to symbolize each year of the queen's life. In her 70-year reign, Elizabeth II visited Canada 22 times, more than any other country.
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18.10 - Elizabeth leaves the royal insignia, ready for burial
Before Elizabeth II's burial, the royal insignia - the crown, scepter and golden globe - were removed from her coffin and delivered in St George's chapel to the celebrant who placed them on the altar. Reverend David Conner once again recalled during the rite how "simple and solid" his faith was, pointing to it as the basis of the example of "courage and hope", as well as service "to the country, the Commonwealth and the world. larger than our sister Elizabeth ". The ceremony then began to conclude when King Charles, eldest son and successor to the throne, approached alone to lay the banner on the coffin that traditionally serves to identify the commander in chief in battle; while following the Lord Chamberlain of the royal house broke the command wand, to seal the end of the earthly power of a deceased sovereign. Both the banner and the broken staff will be buried with Elizabeth.
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5:20 pm - The remains of the Queen in St George's chapel
Elizabeth's remains reached St George's Chapel, annexed to Windsor Castle, for a brief suffrage ceremony officiated by Reverend David Conner, rector of the local religious complex before the burial. Inside there are 800 selected guests. The final liturgical ceremonial follows Elizabeth's wishes in detail: also the singing of a hymn of the Orthodox tradition, Russian Kontakion of the Departed, chosen by her beloved wife Philip for her funeral in 2021.
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5pm - The Queen at Windsor Castle
Elizabeth's coffin reached Windsor Castle, the place of her last burial, in a solemn procession. Inside St George's chapel, guests invited to the suffrage ceremony scheduled before the entombment. Among the latest were Prime Minister Liz Truss, exponents and veterans of British politics (such as Tony Blair and his wife) and reigning monarchs of various foreign dynasties already present at the state funeral this morning in Westminster Abbey.
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Divise, abiti e cappelli neri: la famiglia reale ai funerali
4.10 pm - The last parade towards Windsor
Queen Elizabeth's coffin reached the grounds of Windsor Castle, greeted along the way by the throwing of flowers and cheers from the crowd. The coffin is now carried in procession with a military procession in the long uphill journey to the entrance of the castle and the annexed church of St George for a suffrage ceremony reserved for 800 people: including members of the enlarged Royal Family, collaborators of the staff royalty and monarchy-related personalities with the highest decorations, including celebrities such as former Scottish Formula 1 world champion Sir Jackie Stewart. The rite will then be followed by the (private) burial ceremony of Elizabeth II in the family chapel next to the prince consort Philip.
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2.39pm - The coffin drive to Windsor Castle
Queen Elizabeth away from London forever. The final parade accompanied on foot through London reached Wellington Arch, a monument in honor of the Iron Duke who defeated Napoleon, where the coffin of the deceased sovereign was transferred to a hearse for the final journey to Windsor Castle. The procession stopped at the sound of the whistles of the escort departments of the Royal Navy, followed on foot once again by the 4 children of the matriarch (King Charles and the princes Anna, Andrea and Edoardo) and the two children of Charles, the heir to the throne William and second son Harry. While further back, the royal cars with their wives on board stopped. Now the journey continues for all members of the Royal Family by car.
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13.04 - After the funeral rite, the coffin towards Wellington Arch
Reverend David Hoyle's blessing of the assembly closed the solemn religious rite of Queen Elizabeth's state funeral in Westminster Abbey. The function concluded with a blast of trumpets and two minutes of silence in memory of the sovereign observed in the church, in London and throughout the Kingdom and the singing of the British national anthem, performed in the revised and corrected version of God Save the King. , in honor of the new king Charles III. The long procession starts for Wellington Arch, crossing the Mall and saying goodbye to Buckingham Palace.
Londra, l'ultimo saluto a Elisabetta II
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12.50 pm - Archbishop of Canterbury: "A whole life dedicated to serving the nation"
Elizabeth II "has dedicated her life to serving the nation and the Commonwealth," as she promised on her 21st birthday radio show. This was stated by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, primate of the Church of England, in his sermon during the solemn liturgy at Westminster Abbey in memory of the late queen. Welby also recalled the 'We'll Meet Again' that the sovereign sent in a message to her subjects in the midst of the lockdown for the Covid pandemic, reiterating it now in the name of faith in the afterlife. Prior to her sermon, British Prime Minister Liz Truss had read a passage from the Gospel of John about the promise made by Jesus Christ to his disciples of a place in heaven.
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12.25 pm - Emotion, the fourth born Edoardo wipes his tears
Deep emotion at the funeral of Queen Elizabeth also among the benches of the Royal Family: while reading a passage from the writing entrusted to Baroness Patricia Scotland, a high British diplomat and secretary general of the Commonwealth, Prince Edward, fourth child of the sovereign, was seen drying himself conspicuously a few tears from the eyes with a white handkerchief.
Edoardo sits in the very first row, beside the bier on which his mother's coffin rests, next to King Charles with his wife Camilla; to Princess Anna, second royal child with her husband Tim Laurence; and his wife Sophie.
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12 pm - The coffin is in the abbey, at the start of the funeral
Queen Elizabeth II's coffin was carried on the shoulders by a Royal Guard picket of honor inside Westminster Abbey. Thus began the solemn state funeral of the sovereign who reigned for 70 years, more than anyone else, on the throne of the United Kingdom and who died on 8 September at 96 years of age.
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11.50 am - The funeral procession starts
The funeral procession to accompany Queen Elizabeth's coffin on a Victorian-era cannon carriage to Westminster Abbey where the solemn liturgy is held with leaders and dignitaries from all over the world has started from the funeral parlor of Westminster Hall. King Charles and the other Windsors, Anna, Edward and Andrew, followed by William and Harry, after leaving Buckingham Palace in their car, are leaving on foot at the tolling of the bells from Westminster Hall to follow the coffin. The princes George and Charlotte, unlike what was anticipated by the media, are already in church with the queen and the princesses consorts.
King Charles III marched in the front row with his brothers Anna, Edoardo and Andrea next to him. Behind the 4 children of the queen, the two children of Charles, the heir to the throne William and the second son Harry. The king and princes are all in uniform, except Andrew and Harry, who are in civilian clothes no longer representing - for different reasons - the dynasty as senior "active" members, but have milestone decorations pinned to their chests being the only living Windsors to have served in combat.
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11.15 am - Leaders in Westminster, Mattarella also arrived
Foreign leaders, heads of state and government last, entered Westminster Abbey about an hour before the start of the religious rite of Queen Elizabeth II's solemn funeral. Among them is the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella (accompanied to London by his daughter Laura), who represents Italy at the ceremony.
The cameras have lingered in the last few minutes on the arrival of the American president, Joe Biden, with his wife Jill. Biden was addressed by the British ceremonial in the sector reserved for dignitaries from abroad.
Dignitaries among whom the cameras framed the French president Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte, already seated, with a black hat and veil over her face.
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10.45 am - Abbey already crowded
Westminster Abbey is already very crowded. From the 9 locales (the 10 Italians) only the first rows remain free, destined for foreign royalty and dignitaries who will arrive among the last. The church can accommodate about 2 thousand people, Tom Parker Bowles, a 47-year-old son born from Camilla's first marriage, was also seen entering.
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10.25 am - Trains suspended in Paddington, inconvenience for those going to the funeral
Rail services at London's Paddington station have been suspended, disrupting train travel for thousands of subjects who are attempting to travel to London or Windsor to see Queen Elizabeth's solemn state funeral. All lines between the station in west London and Reading are blocked due to a power cable fault, the Great Western Railway company said this morning. The Heathrow Express service linking the airport to London has also been suspended.
(Unioneonline)
