Britain and world leaders prepare for final farewell to Queen Elizabeth

• Queen Elizabeth II will be making her final journey later on Monday for her state funeral.
• Mourners and leaders from all over the world traveled to London to pay tribute.
• After the ceremony in Westminster Abbey, the Queen will be buried at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, which is also the resting place of her parents, sister, and husband.

Leaders and mourners from all across the globe will be paying their final respects to Queen Elizabeth at her state funeral later on Monday.

The official lying-in-state period ended at 6:30 a.m. (05:30 GMT). Hundreds of thousands queued for the four-day viewing of the Queen’s casket at London’s historic Westminster Hall.

People’s motivations for going to London varied from being a part of history and expressing national pride, to honoring a woman who led Britain through seven decades.

U.S. President Joe Biden was among those who paid tribute. He stated, “You were fortunate to have had her for 70 years. We all were.”

King Charles III thanked everyone for their “many messages of condolence and support.”

The Queen had scaled back on her public appearances in recent months due to her health, with her final official royal duty involving the appointment of her 15th and final prime minister, Liz Truss. She died “peacefully” on Sept. 8 at Balmoral Castle, her summer home in Scotland.

At 96 years old, Elizabeth was Britain’s oldest monarch. Her 70-year reign demonstrated such longevity that even her own family found her passing a shock. Prince William remarked, “We all thought she was invincible.”

Historian Anthony Seldon noted, “Queen Elizabeth II was without any shadow of a doubt the best-known figure in the world, the most photographed person in history, the most recognizable person, and the fact that world leaders are going to be pouring into London for the funeral … is saying a lot about this iconic figure.”

Transport chiefs are expecting one million attendees in central London, with police preparing for the biggest security operation in the capital.

Shortly before 11 a.m., members of the royal family will slowly walk behind the coffin as it is taken on the gun carriage to Westminster Abbey. The Abbey’s tenor bell will toll 96 times.

David Hoyle, the Dean of Westminster, will state, “Here, where Queen Elizabeth was married and crowned, we gather from across the nation, from the Commonwealth, and from the nations of the world, to mourn our loss, to remember her long life of selfless service.”

The congregation of 2,000 will include the royal family, about 500 world leaders and dignitaries, recipients of Britain’s highest military and civilian medals for gallantry, representatives of charities supported by the queen, and those who made “extraordinary contributions” during the pandemic.

The funeral will be televised and is expected to be viewed by tens of millions in Britain and abroad. The ceremony will end with the Last Post trumpet salute, followed by two minutes of silence.

There will then be a procession through central London, passing Buckingham Palace, with the royal family following on foot. The coffin will then be placed on a hearse to be driven to Windsor Castle for a private family service later in the evening.

The coffin of Elizabeth and her late husband Prince Philip will be buried together at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, which is also the resting place of her parents and sister, Princess Margaret.

Source: Reuters