World leaders bid adieu to Queen Elizabeth

New Delhi, September 19

Queen Elizabeth II, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, was buried at St George’s Chapel in Windsor, one of the royal residences. The official lying-in-state period ended at 11 am on Monday after four days, in which hundreds-of-thousands filed past the Queen’s casket at historic Westminster Hall.

The monarch has been lying in state in Westminster Hall on the parliamentary grounds along the banks of River Thames since Wednesday. The Queen passed away on September 8 at the age of 96 at the Balmoral Castle in Scotland.

World leaders, including US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden, were present at the service at Westminster Hall. President Droupadi Murmu attended the State Funeral, said the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Over 500 world leaders and nominal or ruling monarchs were among the 2,000 invited inside the imposing building.

Her coffin was then transferred in a procession through Central London to its final resting place in Windsor, next to her husband Prince Philip, who died last year at the age of 99. Thousands lined the route to Windsor, 40 km from London, and threw flowers at her coffin.

Britain’s new monarch King Charles III, Queen Consort Camilla and other royals led the procession to Westminster Abbey, where her coronation had also taken place in 1953. The state funeral concluded with UK’s national anthem and the piper’s lament. The Queen was laid to rest alongside her late husband during a private service and burial.

President Murmu, who had arrived in London late on Saturday, attended a reception for world leaders hosted at Buckingham Palace by King Charles III on Sunday. Earlier, she visited Westminster Hall, London and offered tributes, said a Rashtrapati Bhawan tweet. She also signed the condolence book at Lancaster House.

King Charles III pens a note

• King Charles paid tribute to his late mother Queen Elizabeth II on Monday with a handwritten note laid on top of her coffin reading: “In loving and devoted memory, Charles R”
• The note was placed amid a colourful wreath for the late monarch that Buckingham Palace said contained, at Charles’s request, rosemary, English Oak and myrtle

Britons gather in parks to say goodbye

• In airport lounges, parks, pubs and city squares, people gathered in front of screens across Britain on Monday to watch the state funeral
• Usually busy, streets fell silent as young and old came together in towns, villages and cities outside London for the live broadcast of the service
• Some kept their heads bowed, others wiped away tears as Britain said goodbye to its longest serving monarch, who died on September 8 aged 96. Reuters

BIG BEN SILENT

The chimes of the Big Ben fell silent and hymns rang out as the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II was carried into Westminster Abbey on Monday