The funeral of England’s longest-reigning monarch Queen Elizabeth II on Monday consisted of many memorable and heartfelt moments as the world mourned the loss.
Held at Westminster Abbey in London, here is a list of eight memorable moments, including an emotional moment of the queen’s eldest son, King Charles III, a reading from new British Prime Minister Liz Truss, a sermon from Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, and two minutes of silence held in honor of Elizabeth.
JOE AND JILL BIDEN HONOR QUEEN ELIZABETH II IN LONDON AHEAD OF FUNERAL
1. King Charles III gets emotional at mother’s funeral.
Charles, England’s new monarch, was visibly emotional at the funeral of his mother. The queen’s eldest son, Charles became king directly after the death of his mother on Sept. 8.
The new monarch was seen wiping away tears during the service as he sat with other members of the royal family, including his sons Princes William and Harry, and his wife, Queen Consort Camilla. Sophie, Countess of Wessex and wife of the queen’s youngest son, Prince Edward, was also seen in tears during the service.
King Charles III appeared emotional as ‘God Save the King’ was sung at the end of Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral servicehttps://t.co/j1v06ivz7i pic.twitter.com/CkeB5g9l0j
— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) September 19, 2022
2. Key attendees, including global leaders.
The funeral service was attended by many internationally recognized faces, including President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron with his wife Brigitte, and the members of other royal families, such as royals from Spain, Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Belgium. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Italian President Sergio Mattarella, and Irish President Michael Higgins were also in attendance.
Invitations to the funeral were sent to the heads of state of every country except Syria, Venezuela, Afghanistan, Russia, Belarus, and Myanmar. China received an invitation, but it was rescinded on Sunday, according to NBC.
3. Truss and her living predecessors attend funeral
Truss and her living predecessors were also present at the funeral, including Tony Blair, Boris Johnson, David Cameron, Theresa May, Gordon Brown, and John Major.
Truss also partook in the service, delivering the second reading, which came from the Book of John. London Mayor Sadiq Khan was also in attendance.
4. Justin Welby pays tribute to queen’s COVID-19 speech, stating, ‘We will all meet again’
One of the queen’s most influential moments in recent years was her speech during the global COVID-19 pandemic, in which she recited a portion of a World War II song “We’ll Meet Again.”
The Archbishop of Canterbury, in his sermon, paid tribute to her speech, reminding mourners that those who share the queen’s religious beliefs would meet her again in heaven.
“We will all face the merciful judgment of God. We can all share the queen’s hope, which in life and death inspired her servant leadership,” Welby said. “Service in life, hope in death; all who follow the queen’s example and inspiration of trust and faith in God can with her say: ‘We will meet again.'”
5. Welby honors queen’s devotion to God
The archbishop also reflected on how the queen gave allegiance to God before the country gave its allegiance to her.
“Her allegiance to God was given before any person gave allegiance to her,” Welby said. “Her service to so many people in this nation, the commonwealth, and the world had its foundation in her following Christ. In all cases, those who serve will be loved and remembered when those who cling to power and privileges are long forgotten. The grief of this day, felt not only by the late queen’s family but all round the nation, the commonwealth, and the world, arises from her abundant life and loving service — now gone from us.”
6. King Charles III leads royal family in the procession
Charles was the first person behind the queen’s casket after it was taken from Westminster Hall. Other members of the royal family followed behind Charles, including his sister, Anne, the Princess Royal, and two brothers Princes Andrew and Edward. Prince George, 9, also attended the funeral. Anne was the only one of the queen’s children to accompany her mother on all legs of the tour following Elizabeth’s death at Balmoral Castle in Scotland.
7. Two minutes of silence.
Two minutes of silence in honor of the queen occurred toward the end of the service, allowing mourners two minutes to reflect personally on the legacy Elizabeth left behind. All mourners stood and bowed their heads in silence.
The two minutes followed a rendition of “The Last Post,” which is played at remembrance services and military funerals, according to CNN.
8. God Save the King.
The service concluded with a rendition of “God Save the King,” and although it was not the first time since the queen’s death that the commonwealth had switched the genders of the monarch, it was perhaps the most monumental. Queen Elizabeth II reigned for 70 years, so the transition of the phrase from “queen” to “king” marked the conclusion of the commonwealth celebrating a woman as its head of state.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Following the service, the queen was transported to Windsor Castle, where a separate and more intimate service occurred as she was lowered into the royal vault. The queen will be moved to King George VI’s memorial chapel at a later date to rest alongside her husband, Prince Philip.
