Hundreds of world leaders and the last members of the epically long line of mourners have paid their final respects. Britain is now ready to lay to rest its longest-serving monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, with billions thought to be watching around the globe to mark the end of a reign that defined an era.
After escorting the queen’s coffin to Westminster Abbey, the royal family joined 2,000 dignitaries at the state funeral for an hourlong service of tributes and prayer that culminated in a two-minute silence and the singing of the national anthem.
King Charles III and his siblings, as well as the queen’s grandsons Princes William and Harry, are now joining the solemn procession behind her casket and through the heart of the British capital, with huge crowds lining the streets.
Elizabeth will then make her final journey to Windsor, where she will be buried alongside her late husband, Prince Philip, just over a year after his death.
Here’s what to know today:
i. A line that stretched for miles along London’s River Thames has ended after the final public mourners paid their last respects to the queen early Monday.
ii. A gun carriage carried the queen’s coffin from Westminster Hall to Westminster Abbey, with King Charles III and other members of the royal family following behind.
iii. The grand state funeral featured tributes, prayers and songs, with hundreds of world leaders and other dignitaries in attendance.
iv. A royal procession will now escort the casket through a central London route lined by crowds in a country that has come to a near-standstill for the event.
v. The queen’s coffin will then be taken to Windsor, where she will be laid to rest alongside her husband, Prince Philip.
Queen’s coffin on its way to Windsor
After being loaded into a hearse, the queen’s coffin has departed Wellington Arch following a royal salute and the playing of the national anthem. It’s now headed to its final destination in Windsor, a town about 30 miles southwest of London where the queen will be buried.
King Charles III and queen consort, along with Prince and Princess of Wales and other members of the royal family are departing for Windsor by car, followed by those who are to take part in the procession in Windsor. The king, along with his two sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, and his siblings, walked behind the coffin along a procession route in central London on foot for nearly 1.5 hours.
After the coffin and members of the royal family leave, the bells at Westminster Abbey will ring fully muffled throughout the afternoon.
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Queen’s coffin arrives at Wellington Archen route to Windsor
After an hourlong procession from Westminster Abbey, where the funeral service was held, the queen’s coffin has arrived at Wellington Arch.
The procession took the coffin through a route lined by mourners in central London, including the late queen’s official residence — Buckingham Palace.
It will now be transferred onto a hearse for the rest of its journey to Windsor Castle, the queen’s final resting place.
Elizabeth passes Buckingham Palace for the last time
The queen’s coffin was carried past Buckingham Palace during the procession to Wellington Arch.
It will be the last time the late queen will pass the palace, where she spent much of her life.
Buckingham Palace has served as the official London residence of British sovereigns since 1837 and today, serves as the administrative headquarters of the U.K.’s monarch.
Queen’s coffin passes memorials for her parents
The funeral procession along the Mall passed statues that Queen Elizabeth II unveiled to honor her parents, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.
The bronze memorial of her father was inaugurated in 1955, two years after her coronation.
Another bronze nearby was put up in 2009 to honor her mother who died at age 101 in 2002.
