UK and the world bid farewell to Queen Elizabeth II for the last time

The United Kingdom bids a final farewell to its most iconic figure, Queen Elizabeth II. Died on 8 September at the age of 96 at her summer residence in Balmoral, Scotland, the country's longest reigning monarch and the second longest reigning monarch in history, behind only Louis XIV of France, is bid farewell after 10 days of national mourning with a state funeral that is both solemn and shocking. Thus ends the second Elizabethan era, whose end, together with the also recent death of the last president of the USSR, Mikhail Gorbachev, dissolves the historical legacy of the 20th century in the 21st. The end of an era. 

The uncertain period following the Queen's death was scheduled to end on Monday. Even the smallest detail was prepared, there was no room for improvisation in an event of this magnitude. In total, there have been 10 days of mourning until 19 September, declared a bank holiday by the authorities. 10 days in which the protocols, rituals, liturgies and other ceremonies that make up the idiosyncrasy and give authenticity to the British Crown have not ceased. For some, anachronistic details; for others, original.

It has taken 65 years for the UK to hold another state funeral. The last person to receive such an honour was none other than Sir Winston Churchill, the historic Conservative prime minister who led the British government during the darkest months of the Second World War. This time, however, the event had a royal veneer comparable in size only to that of the Queen's father, George VI, bringing together in London more than 500 heads and former heads of state and government from around the world. Earlier, it had drawn nearly a million people to the central Palace of Westminster. 

Elizabeth II's funeral chapel had been set up in the neo-Gothic building that houses the two seats of the British parliament for five days. Hundreds of thousands of anonymous and not-so-anonymous citizens attended to pay tribute and say their last farewell to the monarch. In the early hours of the morning, at 06.30 local time (07.30 GMT), the Queen's coffin's stay at the site came to an end and the state funeral began. 

At 08.00 local time, the doors of Westminster Abbey opened to receive, almost three hours later, the Queen's coffin, made of English oak, lined with lead and covered with the royal standard, the imperial crown, the royal orb and the golden sceptre. It had been carried by 142 Royal Navy sailors, in accordance with tradition, and escorted by King Charles III and the other members of the royal family. At 11.00 local time, the ritual began in a site crowded with political and religious leaders and members of other royal families.

More than 2,000 guests waited inside the Abbey in strict silence. The President of the United States, Joe Biden, the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and the President of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro. The Emperor of Japan, Naruhito, the Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, of Australia, Anthony Albanese, of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern, as well as other Commonwealth countries. Representing Spain were King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, seated next to King Emeritus Juan Carlos I and his wife, Doña Sofía. Even the President of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the President of the Council, Charles Michel, representing the European Union, were present. 

Of course, members of the British executive, legislature and judiciary were also present. The former prime ministers John Major, Gordon Brown, Tony Blair, David Cameron, Theresa May - who waited religiously for her turn to arrive at the funeral chapel despite queues that lasted more than 14 hours - and Boris Johnson stood out. But it was the newly appointed premier, Liz Truss, the fifteenth head of government to be appointed by Queen Elizabeth II - just two days before her death - who took part in the homily.

Once the first stop on the road was completed, the procession of the coffin was set in motion to Wellington Arch. From there, a group of pallbearers placed the coffin in the hearse to take it to Windsor Castle, the residence where Elizabeth II lived through the toughest months of the pandemic and lived with her husband Philip of Edinburgh, who died in February 2021. The vehicle earlier joined the procession up Long Walk to the palace. 

At around 4pm local time, the funeral began in St George's Chapel, where 800 people were gathered, including King Charles III and the rest of his family, representatives of the Commonwealth and the governors-general. The final touch was set for 7.30 pm local time, 8.30 pm GMT. A private, secretive ceremony will be held at that time, with only the King and the royal family allowed to attend. The Queen's coffin will be laid to rest in St George's Chapel, next to Prince Philip and his parents.