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In pictures: Sunshine and sadness in the year we said goodbye to the Queen

The late monarch’s devotion to a life of service was apparent even a matter of days before she died aged 96 in September.

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The Queen

The year 2022 saw a watershed moment in British public life as the country said farewell to the Queen.

The monarch died aged 96 in September, only weeks after the UK had celebrated her Platinum Jubilee, marking 70 years on the throne.

The Queen’s devotion to public service was apparent throughout the year – with her final public act taking place a matter of days before her death.

The Queen meets the Norfolk Befriending Society
Although her schedule was not quite as busy as it once was, the Queen continued to have an active public life as she prepared to celebrate her Platinum Jubilee. Here, she meets members of the West Norfolk Befriending Society at Sandringham in February (Joe Giddens/PA)
A portrait of the Queen
One of many events celebrating the Platinum Jubilee was the Life Through A Royal Lens exhibition at Kensington Palace. Here, conservators handle a lenticular print, Queen Elizabeth II, In Lightness of Being, taken by light artist Chris Levine in 2004 (Yui Mok/PA)
The Queen examines artefacts
The monarch views a display of artefacts from British craftwork company, Halcyon Days, to commemorate the company’s 70th anniversary in the White Drawing Room at Windsor Castle, Berkshire (Steve Parsons/PA)
The royal family at Westminster Abbey
March saw another sombre moment for the Queen and the wider royal family as they attended a service of thanksgiving for the late Duke of Edinburgh at Westminster Abbey (Dominic Lipinski/PA)
The Queen and the Duke of York
The Queen was accompanied by the Duke of York to the service (Richard Pohle/The Times/PA)
The monarch presenting the Queen’s Gold Medal for Poetry to Grace Nichols during a private audience at Windsor Castle (Steve Parsons/PA)
New 50p coin
The new 50p coin by the Royal Mint, part of the Platinum Jubilee coin collection, created by artist John Bergdahl (Ben Birchall/PA)
Queen's image at Piccadilly Circus
Images of the Queen were displayed on the lights in London’s Piccadilly Circus to mark her Platinum Jubilee (Ian West/PA)
Queen's virtual audience
Although her public appearances were less frequent, the nonagenarian monarch kept up a busy schedule of virtual appearances. Here, she holds a virtual audience with the High Commissioner of India, Gaitri Issar Kumar, at Buckingham Palace (Victoria Jones/PA)
The Queen and Justin Trudeau
The Queen receives Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during an audience at Windsor Castle (Steve Parsons/PA)
Platinum Jubilee celebrations
Four days of celebrations marked the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. Here, she joins the Duchess of Cornwall, the Prince of Wales, Prince George, the Duke of Cambridge, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis, and the Duchess of Cambridge on the balcony of Buckingham Palace (Chris Jackson/PA)
Platinum Jubilee crowds
Thousands of people on the Mall to watch the Queen appear during the Platinum Jubilee Flypast (Aaron Chown/PA)
Liz Truss and the Queen at Balmoral
On September 6, the Queen welcomed then-newly-elected Conservative Party leader Liz Truss to Balmoral to invite her to become Prime Minister. This was to be the Queen’s final public act (Jane Barlow/PA)
Queen's hearse
The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral on September 8, triggering an outpouring of grief both nationally and internationally. Here, the hearse carrying her coffin leaves Balmoral, en route to the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh (Owen Humphreys/PA)
The queue for the Queen's lying-in-state
More than a million people lined the streets of London to pay tribute to the sovereign as her body lay in state at Westminster Hall for four days in September (Danny Lawson/PA)
Queen Elizabeth II funeral
Senior royals, including the new King Charles III, follow the Queen’s coffin as it is carried by the Bearer Party into the Committal Service at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle, Berkshire, on Monday September 19 (Victoria Jones/PA)
Queen's fell pony Emma
Emma, the monarch’s fell pony, stands as the Ceremonial Procession of the Queen’s coffin arrives at Windsor Castle (Aaron Chown/PA)
Queen Elizabeth II funeral
The Queen’s final journey to the King George VI Memorial Chapel, where she is interred with her husband the Duke of Edinburgh (Felipe Dana/PA)
Tributes to the Queen at Windsor
As the Queen was succeeded by her son, King Charles III, the public reflected on her record 70-year reign and a life devoted to service and duty (Victoria Jones/PA)
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