All eyes were on London for the Queen’s state funeral.
VIPs, dignitaries and mourners gathered in the capital to say a final farewell to the late monarch, who died at Balmoral in Scotland on September 8 aged 96.
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.
3.55pm
3.53pm
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.
3.51pm
3.46pm
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.
Watching the #queensfuneral from 3am onwards in a New York hotel room somehow brings me closer to it all than if I were back home. Words can’t compete with such ritual, ceremony and symbol. Think how many jigsaw puzzles will come from this…
— Stephen Fry (@stephenfry) September 19, 2022
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.”
Today we join the world as we mourn and commemorate Her Majesty The Queen. The very definition of an inspiration, who touched the lives of us all. Rest in peace your Majesty, your legacy and love will live on in our hearts forever. Gordon ❤️ pic.twitter.com/P7N89qGaSi
— Gordon Ramsay (@GordonRamsay) September 19, 2022
3.38pm
3.37pm
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.
3.35pm
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.
3.25pm
The clean-up has already begun in London, with barriers being removed from the roadsides and street sweepers at work.
Clean up operation already underway in Westminster pic.twitter.com/4XAji4ak9T
— Dominic McGrath (@McGrathDominic) September 19, 2022
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.”
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.
— Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan (@MayorofLondon) September 19, 2022
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…”
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… pic.twitter.com/Yik12Sfzjo
— Bear Grylls (@BearGrylls) September 19, 2022
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.
3.10pm
3.05pm
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.
At 16:00 Her Majesty The Queen's Committal Service will take place at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle.
Read the Order of Service:
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) September 19, 2022
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.
Windsor is very busy and The Long Walk is now closed as it would not be safe to allow access to any more visitors. If you are just arriving now, you will be re-directed to Home Park Public viewing screen. pic.twitter.com/mqU12Jd8Tc
— RBWM (@RBWM) September 19, 2022
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.
A great honor for me to be present at the farewell to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on behalf of all Ukrainians. Her attention to 🇺🇦 was an important signal of support. She wished us better times and shared our desire for freedom. We will always remember it with deep gratitude. pic.twitter.com/4DJqhLbIUn
— Олена Зеленська (@ZelenskaUA) September 19, 2022
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.”
The Queen’s coffin passing Hyde Park Barracks, home of the Household Cavalry pic.twitter.com/NZ97h9iSR7
— Ella Pickover (@ellapickover) September 19, 2022
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.
Michelle and I were lucky enough to know Her Majesty The Queen. Back when we were just beginning to navigate life as President and First Lady, she welcomed us to the world stage with extraordinary generosity. Our thoughts are with the Royal Family and those mourning her passing. pic.twitter.com/pHzpUJwgYb
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) September 19, 2022
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.”
2.13pm(/strong>
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”
What a powerful cartoon from @thetimes
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#funeral #queensfuneral pic.twitter.com/tY9wSoyIdG
— Dan Walker (@mrdanwalker) September 19, 2022
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.
Members of the public burst into a round of applause as the hearse carrying the Queen’s coffin drove slowly down South Carriage Drive. pic.twitter.com/UBwJwCbgX7
— Ella Pickover (@ellapickover) September 19, 2022
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.
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