Latest: Queen laid to rest at St George’s Chapel

The royal family gathered at Windsor Castle for the Queen’s committal service after the state funeral in Westminster Abbey earlier on Monday.

VIPs, dignitaries and mourners said a final farewell to the late monarch with the broadcast of the services and processions watched by millions around the world.

The final moments of the committal service saw the Queen’s coffin being lowered into the vault below St George’s Chapel as a lone piper played a lament from the doorway between the chapel and the dean’s cloister, with the music gradually fading away.

A private burial service will be held in the King George VI Memorial Chapel on Monday evening.

5pm

The King appeared emotional as those in attendance at St George’s Chapel sang the national anthem.

Charles sat in the same seat the Queen had used for the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral during the Covid-19 pandemic.

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The service ended with the Sovereign Piper playing the lament A Salute To The Royal Fendersmith from the doorway between the chapel and the dean’s cloister, with the music gradually fading away as he walked towards the deanery.

The Archbishop of Canterbury then concluded the service with a blessing before the congregation sang the national anthem.

4.50pm

The Queen’s coffin has been seen in public for the last time after being lowered into the Royal Vault at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle.

As the coffin was lowered, the Dean of Windsor recited Psalm 103, which includes the traditional line: “Go forth upon thy journey from this world, O Christian soul”.

He also offered the commendation – a prayer in which the deceased is entrusted to God’s mercy.

The Garter King of Arms then pronounced the styles and titles of the Queen.

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The final hymn was sung as the King prepared to drape the Queen’s Company Camp Colour of the Grenadier Guards on the coffin.

Once in place, the colour was accompanied by the Lord Chamberlain’s Wand of Office, which he symbolically broke.

The purpose of breaking the wand is to create a symmetry with the three Instruments of State that had been removed from the coffin.

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The Duke of Sussex and Princess Charlotte shared a moment during the service at St George’s Chapel.

Princess Charlotte was seen adjusting her hat before looking over at her uncle.

Harry then briefly looked up and caught her eye and smiled at the princess.

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The Dean of Windsor, the Rev David Conner, gave a reading from Revelation 21.1-7 during the service.

The same passage was read at the funerals of the Queen’s father King George VI in 1952 and her grandparents, King George V in 1936, and Queen Mary in 1953.

The reading ends with: “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.

“He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.”

4.38pm

The Imperial State Crown, the Orb and the Sceptre have been removed from the coffin by the Crown Jeweller.

With the Bargemaster and Serjeants-at-Arms present, they were passed to the Dean to place on the altar of St George’ Chapel.

The removal of the crown from the coffin to the altar is poignant, because in 1953 the crown was taken from the altar in Westminster Abbey and placed on the Queen’s head, marking the start of a 70-year reign.

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Princess Charlotte sat between the Duke of Sussex and her mother the Princess of Wales on the front bench on one side of St George’s Chapel.

The Prince of Wales sat on the end of the row next to his son Prince George, followed by the Princess of Wales, Charlotte, and then Harry and his wife the Duchess of Sussex.

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The bearer party was once again the same members of the Queen’s Company 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards.

The procession entered the chapel and the coffin was taken along the centre aisle of the nave to the catafalque in the quire.

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The service began with the choir singing Psalm 121, set to music by Sir Henry Walford Davies, who previously served as an organist of the chapel.

Over a number of years, the Queen was involved in discussions about the order of service for her funeral, to approve the choice of prayers, hymns and other accompanying music.

Following the psalm, which includes the line “the Lord shall preserve thee from all evil”, the choristers move on to sing The Russian Contakion Of The Departed, which was also performed at the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral in April last year.

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The King has lead his family into St George’s Chapel behind the coffin of his mother borne by eight pallbearers.

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The gruelling job of guarding the Queen’s funeral procession faced by thousands of police officers and military personnel took its toll with a number collapsing on duty.

Three military personnel had to be assisted by colleagues after appearing to get into difficulty by Wellington Arch shortly before 2pm.

One appeared to collapse to the ground after the royal family had left, while two others were also seen being helped away before and after the transfer of the Queen’s coffin to the state hearse by the monument.

At Hyde Park Barracks another member of military personnel stumbled and was taken away by a colleague.

Earlier in the day, a police officer on duty just off Parliament Square was photographed being carried away on a stretcher by Naval personnel after collapsing.

4.07pm

The crowds who had gathered along The Long Walk spoke of their emotion at seeing the Queen return to Windsor, one of her favourite royal homes.

Retired teacher Susan Luppetti, 72, who came from Somerset to see the coffin procession, said: “I did not expect it to be so emotional when it went past. It is the ending an era.

“What surprised me is how everyone went silent. It felt very personal and it did not feel like a state funeral at all.

“The silence was wonderful and to see that level of respect was quite amazing.”

Her daughter Janine Boyce, 44, from Maidenhead, said: “I felt very nervous when you could hear the soldiers and the sound of the horses coming nearer. It was all a very historic moment but it was also a very personal moment.”

4.04pm

The Queen’s beloved corgis Muick and Sandy and one of her favourite horses made a special poignant appearance at Windsor during the procession.

The young dogs – one on a red lead and one on a blue lead – were brought out into the quadrangle by two pages in red tailcoats for the arrival of the Queen’s coffin.

Emma, the Queen’s fell pony, had greeted the procession, standing on grass in a gap in the floral tributes along the Long Walk in honour of her late owner.

4pm

The King and other members of the Royal Family have re-joined the funeral procession behind the Queen’s coffin.

Charles, the Princess Royal, the Duke of York, the Earl of Wessex, the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Sussex were among those who met the procession at the Quadrangle, as it moves towards Engine Court.

Minute Guns are being fired by The King’s Troop, Royal Horse Artillery from a position on the East Lawn as the coffin heads in the direction of the West Steps of St George’s Chapel.

The Castle’s Sebastopol and Curfew Tower bells also tolled as the State Hearse continued its journey.

3.58pm

Crowds flooded up the hill to follow the Queen’s coffin as it reached the end of the Long Walk in Windsor and entered the grounds of the castle.

Gentle claps rippled through the thousands of people as the coffin passed by.

This was followed by loud celebratory applause and cheers as the remainder of the procession passed through the gates.

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The state hearse has arrived at Windsor Castle as the procession of the Queen’s coffin down the Long Walk was led by the Dismounted Detachment of the Household Cavalry Regiment, the 1st Division of the Sovereign’s Escort and massed pipes and drums.

The procession approached the castle to the applause of members of the public lining the route.

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The Queen’s family have gathered in St George’s Chapel ahead of the arrival of the coffin.

Mike and Zara Tindall were seen arriving with her brother’s children Savannah and Isla Phillips and their eldest daughter Lena, while Zara’s cousins Lady Louise and Viscount Severn were sitting inside together.

3.42pm

Millions of people around the world have watched the Queen’s funeral on television, including British actor and comedian Stephen Fry who said he watched from a New York hotel room at 3am.

Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay shared a photo of the Queen in a bright pink outfit and wished her farewell, writing on Twitter: “The very definition of an inspiration, who touched the lives of us all.”

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Dozens of members of staff gathered outside Buckingham Palace to bid farewell to the Queen they served on her final journey.

Palace employees filed out of the royal residence and lined up outside its gates. When the procession reached Buckingham Palace, employees bowed and curtsied.

Many stood with their hands clasped in front of them, with some dressed in black and others wearing uniforms such as chef’s whites with black armbands.

There are a variety of roles within the royal household, spanning from HR and finance professionals to curators and chefs.

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Back in London, the Ministry of Defence has shared a striking image of the state gun carriage moving across Horse Guards Parade on its way to Wellington Arch earlier.

3.30pm

The crowds fell silent as the state hearse carrying the Queen’s coffin turned into the Long Walk in the final stretch of her journey to Windsor Castle.

The hearse is travelling in procession to St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle via the Long Walk, which is lined by members of the armed forces.

The crowds, made up of people of all ages, who flanked the Long Walk, fell quiet as the sound of drummers in the procession grew louder.

Children were lifted on adults’ shoulders and camera phones were raised in the air as people struggled to get a glimpse of the scene.

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The clean-up has already begun in London, with barriers being removed from the roadsides and street sweepers at work.

3.20pm

The congregation in St George’s Chapel stood as His Majesty’s Body Guard of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms and The King’s Body Guard of the Yeoman of the Guard took up their positions in the nave.

Before that, mourners stood as the Canons of Windsor, the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Archbishop of York made their way out to the West Steps.

Among the guests are former prime minister Tony Blair and wife Cherie.

3.20pm

London Mayor Sadiq Khan tweeted: “I want to thank the hundreds of thousands who came to London today and in the past week to pay their respects to Her Majesty The Queen.

“Countless police officers, emergency service staff, transport workers, volunteers, stewards, military, civil servants, local government, businesses, charities and other agencies have worked tirelessly to make this possible in our city.

“My sincerest thanks to everyone involved.”

3.18pm

Adventurer Bear Grylls, who attended the funeral service in his capacity as Chief Scout, tweeted: “It’s a day we will never forget … a truly beautiful testament to our nation’s Sovereign, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth.

“Rest in peace. Your duty done. Long live King Charles…”

3.15pm

Penny Lancaster has described working as a special police constable during the Queen’s funeral as “the biggest honour.”

The TV presenter and former model, who is married to Sir Rod Stewart, was one of the 15,000 police officers working the funeral procession in London on Monday.

Special Constable Lancaster, who joined City of London Police in April 2021, was on the barriers near Queen Victoria’s Memorial where she made sure the public remained safe during the procession and offered advice to them about exiting the Mall as part of her duties.

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The hearse carrying the Queen has arrived in Windsor, with a procession including a military band forming up for the slow march into the Berkshire town where the monarch spent much of the past few years during lockdown.

A committal service will be held in St George’s Chapel at 4pm.

3pm

As the hearse approached Windsor, the Long Walk to the castle was lined on either side by members of the armed forces standing in front of the well-wishers who had gathered since the early morning.

Three generations of one family had gathered and said they were feeling “emotional” moments before they were due to watch the Queen’s final journey through Windsor.

Ten-year-old Isabelle Dauncey, who was with seven family members, said she cried at home in Maidenhead, Berkshire, before she set off with her parents and grandparents.

She told PA: “I was a bit upset this morning, I cried quite a lot, it’s quite emotional but it’s also a good thing that we can have a King.”

Speaking about seeing the Queen’s final journey, her father, Steve Dauncey, a 36-year-old sales consultant, said: “It’s a great event to celebrate both their reign and an opportunity to see such a diversity of people coming together, united for the same cause of celebration but also mourning – it’s really special.”

2.55pm

The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead says the Berkshire town is very busy as the Queen’s hearse nears.

It said The Long Walk leading to Windsor Castle is now closed as it would not be safe to allow access to any more visitors to view the Queen’s coffin being drive to St George’s Chapel.

Visitors are being redirected to Home Park, where this are big screens.

2.52pm

The Royal Standard has been raised above Windsor Castle, signifying that King Charles has arrived at the royal residence ahead of the committal service for the Queen.

2.50pm

Sonia Cove, a 54-year-old secretary from Bedford, travelled to London with her 16-year-old daughter to watch the Queen’s funeral procession.

She said: “It was amazing, I think the British put on such a show to see all the military personnel marching in step and to hear the music was really moving.

“The amount of people that have been here since really early this morning just shows how much the Queen was loved by everybody.”

When asked why she decided to come and see the funeral procession in person, Ms Cove said: “Our friend that we came with said yesterday ‘on the television you can watch it but you can’t feel it. When you’re here, you feel it’. And that’s the difference.

“You can’t get that at home when you’re sitting at home.”

They got on the train at 6.15am on Monday and travelled to London.

Ms Cove said: “Everyone’s been so friendly, we’ve been sharing battery packs for phones and food and sweets and drinks. It’s been a lovely friendly atmosphere.”

Her daughter, Lauren Cove, said: “I can say in loads of years time ‘oh I saw that, oh I went to that’, it’s just nice.”

2.46pm

Members of the armed forces are standing guard outside St James’ Park station to prevent it being overwhelmed by well-wishers making their way home.

Three men in army fatigues prevented passers-by from walking in, while at least five others were seen buying coffee in the Starbucks opposite.

While some mourners appeared frustrated with the disruption, one man picked up his dog to pose for a photograph with a soldier.

2.43pm

Ukraine’s first lady Olena Zelenska said in a tweet it was a “great honour” to be the Queen’s funeral.
“She wished us better times and shared our desire for freedom. We will always remember it with deep gratitude,” she said.

2.35pm

Noreen Roberts, who watched the procession in London after losing her friend on the same day the Queen died, said she had imagined them in heaven together after the coffin was borne along The Mall.

Ms Roberts, 63, from Hitchin, Hertfordshire, said she had felt the late monarch’s presence as the cortege passed.

“I definitely felt her presence today. It was nice to feel close to her one last time,” she said.

“For such a little person she had this huge presence.

“I lost my friend on the same day she died and I can imagine the two of them up there at the pearly gates.”

2.27pm

People queued for hours on South Carriage Drive in a bid to see the Queen’s coffin. Many had tried to line the funeral procession route but were unable to gain access.

Jonathan and Heidi Johnson, both 73, from Worthing, stood for four hours to catch a glimpse of the coffin.

Mrs Johnson said: “I felt it was our duty to come. We have had another monarch but she has been our Queen since we were three.

“I have plates with her picture on and have followed her. I thought she was wonderful.”

Mr Johnson added: “She did us proud.”

Colette O’Hart, originally from County Sligo in Ireland, who lives in Pimlico, south London, stood for three hours to try to see the coffin.

The 86-year-old said: “Everyone was very respectful. I wanted to come because she was such a very good woman – always cheerful and a hard worker, even at the very end.”

2.23pm

Former US president Barack Obama has paid tribute to the Queen’s “kindness and consideration” as he recalled his meetings with the monarch.

In a video posted to Twitter, Mr Obama said the first time he met the Queen she reminded him of his grandmother, when she “could not have been more kind or thoughtful” to him and his wife, Michelle.

“Which surprised me not just in appearance but also in manner… (she was) very gracious but also no nonsense, (with a) wry sense of humour,” he said.

On another occasion Mr Obama described, his wife and two daughters were invited to tea at Buckingham Palace and later driven in the Queen’s golden carriage around the grounds – a moment that he said “left a mark in my daughters’ lives that’s still there”.

In another meeting, a state dinner in 2011 at Buckingham Palace, Mr Obama said the Queen was “dressed up quite a bit” which was concerning for Mrs Obama who had selected a “small, modest broach” of “nominal value” as a gift for the Queen.

However the following evening at a dinner at the US Embassy the Queen was wearing the then First Lady’s broach, in a moment Mr Obama said “was an example of the subtle thoughtfulness that she consistently displayed, not just to us but to everybody she interacted with”.

“The combination of a sense of duty and a clear understanding of her role as a symbol for her nation and as the carrier of a certain set of values, combined with a very human quality of kindness and consideration I think that’s what made her so beloved not just in Great Britain but around the world,” Mr Obama concluded.

2.22pm

Alexandra Cussons, 28, said the crowd in central London watching the procession had been full of mother and daughter pairs, which illustrated the Queen’s importance as a matriarch.

Ms Cussons along with her mother Sheila Martin, both from London, befriended another pair, Clare Ronai and Lister Bolton, in the crowd.

She said she had been brought to tears when the service commenced and was comforted by Ms Ronai, also from London.

“(The Queen) was in a sense an icon for women and mothers,” Ms Cussons said.

Ms Ronai, an account manager, said: “Everything went really quiet when the service started and then when the hymn started you could not only hear the audio from the abbey, but a murmur through the crowd who were singing along, which was incredibly emotional, and I think started the tears for me.

“People were hugging all around us and crying.”

2.20pm

The coffin procession heads down the Mall towards Wellington Arch before the Queen was transferred to a hearse for the drive to Windsor.

2.15pm

Dr Caroline Harper, chief executive of the charity Sightsavers, of which the Queen was patron, was inside Westminster Abbey for the funeral.

She told the PA news agency the atmosphere inside was sombre “but also one of community”.

She added: “One of the most special moments was when the Queen arrived accompanied by pipers.

“You could just hear the pipers getting closer and closer. It was an incredible atmosphere, with people bowing their heads. It was very moving.”

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The streets of London were lined with mourners and well-wishers as the hearse made its journey to Windsor.

There appeared to be few gaps along the roadside as the public paid their respects to the late monarch.

2.07pm

Last-minute travellers are continuing to pour out of Windsor and Eton Riverside Station to catch the final journey of the Queen’s coffin through the Berkshire town.

Hundreds of people were flooding out of the station at 2pm, joining the thousands already lining the streets.

2.05pm

Mourners have started to arrive at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle, Berkshire, where a committal service will be held at 4pm.

2.04pm

Three military personnel had to be assisted by colleagues after appearing to get into difficulty by Wellington Arch.

One appeared to collapse to the ground after the royal family had left, while two others were also seen being helped away before and after the transfer of the Queen’s coffin to the state hearse by the monument.

2.02pm

Television presenter Dan Walker has shared a newspaper cartoonist’s drawing of an elderly man watching the Queen’s funeral on the television while glancing at an empty chair beside him.

Walker wrote: “I spoke to a woman on my way into work today still grieving the loss of someone in her own family.

“Today has brought it all back. Funerals are hard. We can all look out for the lonely”

1.59pm

Thousands of mourners clapped and waved Union flags as a marching band paraded down the Long Walk in Windsor.

Dressed in official regalia, the band was led by officials on horseback as they marched from Windsor Castle down the pathway ahead of the Queen’s final journey through Windsor.

Outside the viewing areas, crowds struggled to catch a glimpse of the hearse carrying the Queen’s coffin to Windsor.

Despite requests from security guards, members of the public cut holes in netting, clambered up railings and pressed themselves into holly bushes along the edge of Hyde Park as the funeral cortege passed by.