Queen Elizabeth’s funeral will be held at Westminster Abbey in a break with royal tradition
Queen Elizabeth’s funeral will break with a royal tradition, it’s been revealed, as the King expressed his “feelings of sorrow”.
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The funeral service for Queen Elizabeth II will be held at Westminster Abbey – the first funeral at the royal church for a British monarch since King George II in 1760.
Since King George III, royal tradition dictated funerals for British kings and queens be held at St George’s Chapel in Windsor, but the Queen overrode this deciding she wanted her to be in the larger and more public surroundings of Westminster Abbey.
The Abbey has played a significant role in the Queen’s life – it is where she was crowned Queen and where she married Prince Philip. It is also where Princess Anne and Prince Andrew married.
It is also where the funerals of Lady Diana and the Queen Mother were held, as well as Prince Philip’s uncle Earl Mountbatten of Burma in 1979.
While an exact date is yet to be confirmed, Her Majesty’s funeral is expected to be held on Monday, September 19. Her body will lay in state in Westminster Hall for five days before being moved to the Abbey.
While the afternoon funeral service will be televised and beamed around the world to billions of viewers, a private burial service attended only by close members of her family will be held in the evening.
‘MOMENT I’VE BEEN DREADING’: KING CHARLES’ ADMISSION
King Charles III delivered an emotional tribute to his “beloved mother” as he vowed to dedicate his life to duty as the Queen did before him.
In his first address to the nation as monarch, the King expressed his “feelings of sorrow” for the Queen’s passing, calling her an “inspiration and example to me and all my family”.
The first full day of the reign of King Charles III began with his first televised address telling the nation he will be forced to relinquish his beloved charity work to serve his country with “loyalty, respect and love”.
Dressed in a black tie and suit, the King sat next to a photograph of his mother to remember how she “made sacrifices for duty”, which “became the hallmark of her reign”.
“Queen Elizabeth was a life well lived; a promise with destiny kept and she is mourned most deeply in her passing. That promise of lifelong service I renew to you all today,” the King said.
“As the Queen herself did with such unswerving devotion, I too now solemnly pledge myself, throughout the remaining time God grants me, to uphold the constitutional principles at the heart of our nation,” he added.
The King said he shares the grief, loss and sadness for the Queen’s loss with the people of the realm.
“Alongside the personal grief, that all my family are feeling, we also share with so many of you in the United Kingdom, in all the countries where the Queen was head of state, in the Commonwealth and across the world, a deep sense of gratitude for which my mother has served the people of so many nations.
“She made sacrifices to choose for duty, her dedication and devotion as sovereign never wavered through times of change and progress, through times of joy and celebration, and through times of sadness and loss.”
“I know that her death brings great sadness to so many.
“And I share that sense of loss beyond measure with you all,” he said.
The King paid tribute to his “darling wife Camilla”, confirming she has become his Queen Consort.
He also expressed warmth to his sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, and their wives, Kate and Meghan.
“With Catherine beside him, our new Prince and Princess of Wales will, I know, continue to inspire and lead our national conversations, helping to bring the marginal to the centre ground where vital help can be given,” he said.
“I want to also express my love for Harry and Meghan as they continue to build their lives overseas”.
He ended the speech with a message directly for the Queen.
“To my darling mama, as you begin your last great journey to join my dear late papa, I want simply to say this. Thank you, thank you for your love and devotion for our family, and the family of nations you have served so diligently all these years,” he said, holding back tears.
Before his address to the nation, the King was heard on a hot mic recalling the loss of his mother to Ms Truss during their audience at Buckingham Palace.
“The moment I’ve been dreading, as I know a lot of people have,” King Charles was heard saying to the prime minister as they met in the palace’s audience room.
“It has been so touching this afternoon when we arrived, all those people who had come to give their condolences … and flowers,” he added.
FIRST SIGHTING OF KATE
King Charles III met well wishers as he arrived at Buckingham Palace ahead of his first speech to the nation as its Monarch.
And Kate – wearing her $719 18ct gold baroque Annoushka pearl earring – was seen for the first time since Her Majesty’s passing, as she picked up her kids, George, Charlotte and Louis, from school.
Crowds cheered and sang ‘God Save the King’ as His Majesty shook hands on his way into the palace.
One woman was seen hugging and kissing the King on the cheek in a spontaneous breach of protocol that the King seemed to embrace. Another kissed his hand as he made his way down the line.
Initially saddened as he met the public for the first time as King Charles III, he perked up when an enthusiastic fan leaned over the security barriers to kiss him on the cheek.
The King was joined by his wife, Camilla, Queen Consort, as they walked along the gates of Buckingham Palace to see the hundreds of flowers and tributes left to his mother, the Queen, lined up along the gate.
They read messages of condolences and commented on extravagant floral display, which will later be moved inside the palace grounds.
The new King revelled in the adulation of the Londoners, who shouted “hip, hip, hooray” as he finally entered through the gates of Buckingham Palace after the extended welcome.
Wearing a dark suit and tie, the King arrived by car after touching down at RAF Northolt earlier on Friday afternoon local time.
He left Balmoral Castle for London, where he held his first audience with the British Prime Minister, Liz Truss.
Upon the death of his mother he immediately ascended to the throne, just as Queen Elizabeth became monarch the moment her father, King George VI, died.
AUSSIES AMONG MOURNERS IN LONDON
It was a sombre mood as Australians touched down after a long-haul flight at Heathrow Airport having found out of the Queen’s passing in the air.
Michelle Anissee and her husband, Jordan, are on their honeymoon and heard the news while in transit in Abu Dhabi.
“It is actually really quite devastating because I love the Queen,” Michelle, from Sydney, said. “She is one of the reasons I wanted to bring my new husband to London to show him. It is going to be a very different experience now.”
A sign at the baggage carousel read: “All of us at Heathrow are saddened to hear that Her Majesty the Queen has passed away. We offer our condolences to the Royal Family, the British public and all the nations of the Commonwealth at this time.”
Digital billboards throughout the city have been blacked out completely or now share messages of tribute to Queen Elizabeth.
Sylvia Scott from Camden cried on the plane when another passenger told her of the Queen passing.
“I am very sad,” she said.
“There has been a few tears. I will make the effort to do something special, it is really sad. It is just unbelievable, like when Princess Diana died, unbelievable.”
Aleerah Turner from Sydney saw the news while watching CNN on the flight.
She is in London for work but intends to visit Buckingham Palace.
“I will definitely go and lay some flowers,” she said. “I was shocked. Obviously she was a very inspirational lady and she has been around for all of our lives so I just thought she would be around forever.”
PRINCE HARRY FIRST TO LEAVE BALMORAL
Early King Charles III and his wife, Camilla, Queen Consort arrived in London to make their way to Buckingham Palace.
The pair left Balmoral to board an executive RAF jet bound for London where the monarch held his first audience with British Prime Minister Liz Truss.
Senior royals had dashed to the Queen’s Scottish estate to be at her bedside before she passed away peacefully on Thursday afternoon local time.
King Charles III later began his first day as the nation’s new monarch after a 70-year wait for the throne.
A heartbroken Prince Harry left Balmoral a day after his grandmother’s death.
Prince Harry was seen putting his arm around an airport worker after she gave him her condolences as he boarded the plane out of Scotland.
Tragically, he arrived in Scotland too late to say goodbye to the Queen.
The Duke of Sussex, who was on a tour of the UK with wife Meghan Markle and rushed to Balmoral when the Queen’s health worsened, was pictured leaving the castle in a black Range Rover just after 8am local time (5pm AEST).
It is understood the rest of the royal family – including Prince William and Prince Andrew – remained at Balmoral Castle, The Telegraph reported.
King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort, travelled back to London from Aberdeen International Airport as the UK enters a period of mourning.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has spoken with Ms Truss following the passing of the Queen.
The pair exchanged condolences on behalf of our two countries at this sad time.
The pair also spoke about the late Queen’s remarkable life, legacy and dedication to duty.
The PM took the opportunity to congratulate Ms Truss on taking office earlier this week.
BRITISH PM PAYS TRIBUTE
On Friday morning London time, church bells rang at Westminster Abbey, St Paul’s Cathedral and in Windsor proclaiming the death of the Queen and signalling the reign of King Charles.
The Church of England sent out guidance to parish churches, chapels and cathedrals encouraging them to toll their bells or open for prayer or special services following an announcement from Buckingham Palace.
Guidance from the Central Council of Church Bell Ringers recommends tolling muffled bells for one hour from noon.
At the same time Parliament gathered to pay respect to the Queen.
In her tribute to the Queen at the House of Commons, British Prime Minister Liz Truss described a rock on which Modern Britain was born” and thanked her for her sage advice.
“On the death of her father, King George the sixth, Winston Churchill said the US had still the clatter and traffic of 20th century life in many lands.
“Now 70 years later, in the tumult of the 21st century, life was paused again, her late Majesty, Queen Elizabeth the Second, was one of the greatest leaders the world has ever known.
“She was the rock on which modern Britain was built.
“She came to the throne at just 25 in a country that was emerging from the Shadow of War, she bequeathed some modern, dynamic nation, which has grown and flourished under her reign.
“The United Kingdom is the great country it is today because the Commonwealth is the family of nations.
“It is today because of her devotion to the union of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
“She served 15 countries as head of state, and she loved them all.
“How her words of wisdom gave her strength in the most testing times. During the darkest moments of the pandemic, she gave us hope that we would meet again.
“The Supreme governor of the Church of England, she drew on her deep faith.
“She was the nation’s greatest diplomat. Her visits to post apartheid South Africa and to the Republic of Ireland show her unique ability to transcend difference and heal division.
“I have personally greatly valued her wise advice.
“Only last October, I witnessed first-hand how she charmed the world’s leading investors at Windsor Castle. She was always so proud of Britain, and always embodied the spirit of our great country.
She remained determined to carry out her way even at the age of 96.”
UK ENTERS PERIOD OF MOURNING
King Charles III has requested an 18-day mourning period for Queen Elizabeth II, as well wishers are being advised where to lay flowers at royal palaces.
Buckingham Palace released a statement outlining some of the King’s plans to honour his mother.
He has asked for mourning to continue until seven days after her funeral.
A date for the funeral has not yet been announced.
But details in Operation London Bridge, the official plan for after the Queen’s death, pencilled in the funeral for 11 days after her passing.
“Following the death of Her Majesty The Queen, it is His Majesty The King’s wish that a period of Royal Mourning be observed from now until seven days after The Queen’s Funeral,” a statement said.
“The date of the Funeral will be confirmed in due course.
“Royal Mourning will be observed by Members of the Royal Family, Royal Household staff and Representatives of the Royal Household on official duties, together with troops committed to Ceremonial Duties.
King Charles was expected to travel from Scotland to London on Friday night Australian time.
The Queen’s body was also due to return to the nation’s capital, either by train or aircraft, overnight on Saturday, according to the Operation London Bridge plans
Flags were requested to be flown at half mast until 8am on the day after the final day of Royal Mourning, Buckingham Palace said.
“The half-masting of flags at Royal Residences does not apply to the Royal Standard and the Royal Standard in Scotland when The King is in residence, as they are always flown at full mast,” the palace added.
Thousands of people have been leaving tributes to the Queen at the gates of Buckingham Palace.
However, flowers will be laid in “dedicated sites in The Green Park or Hyde Park” nearby.
“Flowers left outside the gates of Buckingham Palace will be moved to The Green Park Floral Tribute Garden by The Royal Parks,” the palace said.
“At Windsor Castle, floral tributes can be left at Cambridge Gate on the Long Walk. These flowers will be brought inside the Castle every evening, and placed on the Castle Chapter grass on the south side of St George’s Chapel and Cambridge Drive.” Buckingham Palace released a statement, saying that the date of the Queen’s funeral would “be confirmed in due course”.
“Following the death of Her Majesty The Queen, it is His Majesty The King’s wish that a period of Royal Mourning be observed from now until seven days after The Queen’s Funeral,” the statement said.
“Royal Mourning will be observed by Members of the Royal Family, Royal Household staff and Representatives of the Royal Household on official duties, together with troops committed to Ceremonial Duties.”
As dawn broke in the UK on Friday, the number of floral tributes outside Buckingham Palace, her home at Windsor Castle and at the gates of Balmoral grew, along with the number of people wanting to remember a woman who had always been there for them.
MOMENTOUS MOMENT IN HISTORY
Mourners arrived in droves to the Buckingham Palace to pay their respects to Queen Elizabeth II less than 24 hours after the announcement of her death at Balmoral Castle.
Marjorie Wallace, 77, from Hastings, broke down in tears as she left a bouquet of pink roses at the palace gates.
“She was everybody’s mother, everybody’s aunt, everybody’s sister, most people have not known the country without her as head of state.
“I feel lost without her, “she said, adding “especially at a time when we’ve just had a new prime minister, the country feels uncertain.
“I came deliberately today to pay my respects, how could I not?“.
Labourer Paul Madigan, 53, from London, paid his respects in his lunch break at the Queen’s residence, saying “I still want a monarchy, I wouldn’t have our country without a monarch, even though they get paid and extortionate amount of money.
“The Queen was a great ambassador for the country and, talk about dedicated, she worked until she was 96 – most people retire at 60. You’ve got to take your hat off to her.”
On Thursday, as news of her death first broke, many wearing suits or business attire went straight from the office to Buckingham Palace to pay their respects.
Unlike the hysteria surrounding Princess Diana’s death, most bore a look of grim stoicism. A few wiped away tears or hugged each other.
Some reflected in silence, others took photos to remember a momentous moment in history and even children paid their respects with drawings of Her Majesty and thank you notes.
Emotions were kept to a minimum. The Queen would have approved. She hated a fuss.
Her death sparked a flood of tributes, led by her son King Charles, who spoke of his “greatest sadness”.
“The death of my beloved Mother, Her Majesty The Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family,” the 73-year-old said in a statement.
“I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world.”
Ms Truss, who was the Queen’s 15th British leader during her time on the throne, met the 96-year-old monarch on Tuesday, just two days before her death, after winning the Conservative Party’s leadership bid.
She said “through thick and thin, Queen Elizabeth II provided us with the stability and the strength that we needed” and that she was “the rock on which modern Britain was built”.
Meanwhile, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese addressed the nation as it woke to the news at 6.30am on Friday.
He said the Queen was a “rare and reassuring constant amid rapid change” during her reign.
He said she “embodied and exhibited a timeless decency and an enduring calm”.
“Australian hearts go out to the people of the United Kingdom who mourn today, knowing they will feel they have lost part of what makes their nation whole,” he said in a statement.
“There is comfort to be found in Her Majesty’s own words: ‘Grief is the price we pay for love.’”
New Zealand Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, said she was woken to the news by a police officer shining a torch into her bedroom at 4.50am (2.50am Friday AEST) to wake her.
“She was extraordinary … The last days of the Queen’s life captures who she was in so many ways, working to the very end on behalf of the people she loved,” Ms Ardern said.
Further afield, US President Joe Biden described the Queen as “more than a monarch – she defined an era” and spoke of her wit, kindness and wisdom.
While German Chancellor Olaf Scholz recalled the Queen’s “wonderful humour”.
In a statement, he said “her commitment to German-British reconciliation after the horrors of World War Two will remain unforgotten”.
Leading up to her death, members of the Royal Family made a last minute dash to Scotland to say their goodbyes.
King Charles, his wife Camilla, Queen Consort and Princess Anne were at the Queen’s bedside when she died, just hours after her personal doctors issued a public statement of concern for her health.
Her grandson Prince Harry was pictured in the back of a car speeding towards Balmoral with his head in his hands, having not made it in time.
It’s still not known whether Prince William, Andrew, Edward and his wife Sophie, the Countess of Wessex, got to Balmoral before Her Majesty passed away, after arriving at Aberdeen by plane at 4pm and then driving 115km.
Both William’s wife Catherine and Harry’s wife Meghan Markle stayed behind in London.
The Queen’s death sparked the launch of Operation Unicorn, the code name for how to deal with events if the monarch died at Balmoral.
The plan was developed because the Queen spends her summer break at Balmoral Castle and it provided for additional ceremonial steps to be observed in Scotland before the Queen’s coffin is transported to London ahead of her funeral.
Once his mother’s body is back in London, King Charles III will begin a four-day tour of his realm, taking in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.
The Queen will lie in state for three days at Westminster Hall, allowing the public for 23 hours a day to view her.
The official period of mourning will culminate with the state funeral at Westminster Abbey on Day 10 after her death.
While Charles became King as soon as his mother died, his coronation could still be months away.
At home Mr Albanese revealed the sails of the Opera House would be lit up over two nights from 7.30pm Friday to midnight and from 6.30pm Saturday to midnight.
Flags across Australia have been lowered to half-mast but will be at full mast on Sunday when the Governor-General David Hurley officially proclaims King Charles as King of Australia.
Flags across Australia will then be lowered to half-mast again at dusk on Sunday and remain in that state for the remaining 14 days of mourning.
The Australian Mint will begin issuing coins from next year with His Majesty’s head in place of the Queen’s.
Our currency is not the only thing that is going to change. Other aspects of Australian life are set for an overhaul, with all references to Her Majesty replaced to His Majesty. Lawyers who still use QC in their titles will have it changed to KC – King’s Counsel.
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