After reigning for more than 70 years, Queen Elizabeth II died at the age of 96. While the late queen's health started to fail shortly after the death of Prince Philip in March 2021, the world was still stunned to have learned of her passing. Here are the details of activities following The Queen's death and the schedule of leading to her funeral on September 19.
Thursday, September 8
Queen Elizabeth II died on September 8, 2022 at Balmoral Castle, her home on the Scottish Highlands. Death came a few hours after she was placed under medical supervision and doctors are “concerned” about her health. When things grew alarming her family was summoned to her side.
Two days prior, The Queen welcomed Liz Truss during an audience at Balmoral, where she invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative party to become Prime Minister - her fifteenth - and form a new government. Earlier, The Queen had granted an audience to Boris Johnson, who tended his resignation.
The Queen's death was welcomed by shock and utter grief around the world. A beacon of stability, the world would be totally different without The Queen. The second Elizabethan Era had come to a close.
Elizabeth Alexandra Mary was born on April 21, 1926, to the then-Duke and Duchess of York. Her father, Albert, Duke of York, was the second son and child of King George V and Queen Mary .
Friday, September 9
King Charles III pays tribute to mother in his first speech
King Charles III paid homage to Queen Elizabeth II in a pre-recorded address, which was broadcast on television and streamed at St. Paul’s Cathedral, where some 2,000 people attended a service of remembrance for the queen. Mourners at the service included Prime Minister Liz Truss and members of her government. The address ran for nine and a half minutes and features a framed photo of the queen on a desk in front of him.
In his message, the new king spoke of his “profound sorrow” over the death of his mother, calling her an inspiration. “That promise of lifelong service I renew to all today,” the king vowed.
“As the queen herself did with such unswerving devotion, I, too, now solemnly pledge myself, throughout the remaining time God grants me, to uphold the constitutional principles at the heart of our nation,” he said.
In his first speech as king, Charles III also named his eldest son, William, as Prince of Wales. The new title comes one day after Prince William assumed the title Duke of Cornwall.
Here’s the full transcript of his address.
Read: King Charles III pays tribute to his mother in first speech (via BBC)
Prime Minister Liz Truss has paid tribute to Queen Elizabeth II, describing the late monarch as “the rock on which modern Britain was built”, whose death is a “huge shock” to the country and the world. She also praised the queen for her “extraordinary” achievements, saying her sense of duty had been a “personal inspiration” to her and to many Britons.
In an emotional televised address from outside No 10, Truss said: “Our country has grown and flourished under her reign. Britain is the great country it is today because of her.”
Standing behind a wooden lectern, wearing a black dress, she urged the public to “come together” in the difficult days ahead to support the new king, whom she revealed would be called King Charles III, before it was confirmed by Clarence House.
Just two days before she died, the late queen had invited Truss to Balmoral for form a government, following the resignation of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
In a footage released on Friday evening, King Charles III welcomed Prime Minister Liz Truss for the first time. During their conversation, the new king told the new prime minister that he “mustn’t take up too much of your time” as she must be “very busy”. He also told her that his mother’s death was “the moment I’ve been dreading” during his first audience with the Prime Minister at Buckingham Palace.
Read full story: https://www.politicshome.com/news/article/king-charles-buckingham-palace-first-prime-minister-audience-liz-truss
Saturday, September 10
Charles III was proclaimed king
King Charles III was proclaimed at the Accession Council at 10.00 am in the the State Apartments of St. James's Palace in London. The Accession Council, attended by Privy Councillors, was divided into two parts. In the first part, the Privy Council, without The King present, proclaimed the Sovereign, and formally approved various consequential Orders, including the arrangements for the Proclamation.
In the second, The King formally held his first Privy Council. He made his Declaration and read and signed an oath to uphold the security of the Church in Scotland and approved Orders in Council which facilitated continuity of government. This was followed by the the Principal Proclamation, which was read at 11.00 am from the balcony overlooking Friary Court at St James's Palace. The Proclamation was be read by Garter King of Arms, accompanied by the Earl Marshal, other Officers of Arms and the Sergeants at Arms. This was the first in what were the many public proclamation made following the king’s accession.
The second Proclamation was read in the City of London, at the Royal Exchange at 12.00 noon. Further Proclamations were read in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales at 12.00 noon of 11th September.
In recognition of the new Sovereign, flags were flown at full-mast from the time of the Principal Proclamation at St. James's Palace until one hour after the Proclamations in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, after which flags were returned to half-mast in mourning for the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
Read also:
Text of proclamation (via Wikipedia)
What is the Accession Council? (via The Privy Council Office)
Accession Council and Principal Proclamation (via Royal.uk)
Charles formally proclaimed king as princes William and Harry reunite (via WaPo)
Charles III Proclaimed King at Tradition-Steeped Ceremony (via Time)
Sunday, September 11
Queen's Coffin travels from Balmoral to Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh Scotland
Queen Elizabeth’s remains took the slow six-hour trip from Balmoral to Edinburgh, where the cortege carrying her coffin arrived at the royal Palace of Holyroodhouse on Sunday after the 100-mile journey. The convoy carrying the queen from the royal estate where she died began slowly snaking through the hills and forests of the Scottish highlands. The route took her through villages and towns which were lined by her subjects.
Monday September 12
King and Queen meet with Houses of Parliament at Palace of Westminister in London
King Charles III addressed both houses of Parliament for the first time as sovereign and head of state of the United Kingdom, referencing “the weight of history which surrounds us” and commending Parliament as “the living and breathing instrument of our democracy.” The new king expressed how “deeply grateful” he was for the condolences — given by the speakers of the House of Commons and House of Lords — extended, which “so touchingly encompass what our late sovereign, my beloved mother, the queen meant to us all.”
The King also praised Parliament was the "living and breathing instrument of our democracy" as he spoke in front of 900 MPs and peers at Westminster Hall.
Read also
Queen Elizabeth II's cortege met by huge crowds in Edinburgh (via BBC)
Read the full transcript of his address (via Times of Israel)
Vigil at St Giles’ Cathedral
Thousands of people watched in near-silence as Queen Elizabeth's coffin made its journey up the Royal Mile in Edinburgh. All four of The Queen's children, led by King Charles III, walked behind the hearse as it processed from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St. Giles' Cathedral. Following them was a car, which conveyed Camilla, the Queen Consort, and Sophie, Countess of Wessex. A service of remembrance was then held in the cathedral, where The Queen will lie at rest until Tuesday afternoon. Some 20,000 people stood in a mile-long queue to pay their last respects. All four of the Queen's children later held a vigil for 10 minutes around the coffin of their late mother at the cathedral.
Also read: Thousands line Edinburgh's streets to see Queen's coffin
September 13, Tuesday
The King and Queen in Northern Ireland
This morning, King Charles III and Queen Camilla arrived in Belfast for their Northern Ireland visit. At Hillborough House, the official residence of the sovereign, The King has received the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and representatives from political parties.
In an address to those present, The King said: “My mother felt deeply, I know, the significance of the role she herself played in bringing together those whom history had separated, and in extending a hand to make possible the healing of long-held hurts.”
Read the full transcript here (via Royal.uk)
September 14, Wednesday
The Queen’s Coffin travels from Edinburgh to Buckingham Palace
The people of Scotland bid their final farewells to Queen Elizabeth II as her coffin travelled from Edinburgh to Buckingham Palace in London. King Charles III flew back to London to join his siblings and princes William and Harry at Buckingham Palace where they received the coffin of the late queen. Amidst heavy rain, the well-lit hearse drove through London's suburbs from RAF Northolt, where the Queen's coffin arrived after being flown from Edinburgh on Tuesday afternoon, local time. From Buckingham Palace, the Queen's coffin traveled in procession from Buckingham Palace to the Palace of Westminster on a gun carriage.
The Queen’s coffin then went on a public display for the lying in state until the late monarch's funeral on September 19. The coffin was draped in the Royal Standard with the Imperial State Crown placed on top, along with a wreath of flowers. Compared to the quiet funeral procession in Edinburgh, the London event had a military band playing funeral marches. Soldiers in scarlet uniforms led the cortege, with the gun carriage drawn by the King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery, as it moved slowly through central London.
At Westminster Hall, the coffin was placed onto a raised platform known as a catafalque and topped with the Imperial State Crown, orb and sceptre. A 20-minute service followed attended by member of the British Royal Family, the House of Commons and House of Lords, as well as members of the UK's devolved parliaments in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
The Queen’s Lying-in-State opened to the public at 5pm that day and was made open 24 hours until it was closed at 6.30am on September 19.
Guidance: Her Majesty The Queen's Lying-in-State at the Palace of Westminster (Houses of Parliament)
Statement from The Princess Royal
Anne, Princess Royal, the only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II released a statement in honour of the late Queen. It “has been an honour and a privilege to accompany her on her final journeys,” she said. “Witnessing the love and respect shown by so many on these journeys has been both humbling and uplifting,” she added. She also praised her mother for “her presence and contribution to our national identity we took for granted.”
Read: The Princess Royal's Statement (via Royal.uk)
September 16, Thursday
Queen's Children Hold Vigil
Queen Elizabeth II's children - The King, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward - hold a Vigil beside Her Majesty’s coffin in Westminster Hall, London.
A statement from the Earl of Wessex and Forfar
The Queen’s youngest son and child, Prince Edward, released a statement in time for his mother’s death. He said that the Royal Family have been “overwhelmed by the tide of emotion that has engulfed us and the sheer number of people who have gone out of their way to express their own love, admiration and respect to such a very special and unique person who was always there for us.” He also added that The Queen’s death “has left an unimaginable void in all our lives,” recalling the times she spent with her “have now become massively precious to each and every one of us.”
Read: Full statement from the Earl of Wessex and Forfar (via Royal.uk)
September 17, Saturday
The Queen's grandchildren hold a vigil at Westminster Abbey
All of Queen Elizabeth II's grandchildren - The Prince of Wales, Prince Harry, Peter Phillips, Zara Tindall, Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, Lady Louise and Viscount Severn - mount a vigil around her coffin during the Lying in State at Westminster Hall.
A statement from Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie
“There have been tears and laughter, silences and chatter, hugs and loneliness, and a collective loss for you, our beloved Queen and our beloved Grannie,” said Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie in their statement following The Queen’s death. She praised their grandmother for being their “loving hand on our backs leading us through this world,” adding that “it has been the honour of our lives to have been your granddaughters and we're so very proud of you.”
Read: Statement of Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie (via Royal.uk)
September 19, Monday
State Funeral Service
The state funeral for Queen Elizabeth II was the first of its kind since Winston Churchill's state funeral in 1965. At 10.44am, Queen Elizabeth’s coffin was moved from the Palace of Westminster to Westminster Abbey for the state funeral. About two thousand guests attended the service, which started at 11am and followed by a national two-minute silence at 11.55am. A public procession followed 12.15pm which saw the late Queen’s coffin travel from Westminster Abbey to Wellington Arch in London.
Read: Royals who attended The Queen’s state funeral
The State Funeral Service was conducted by the Dean of Westminster. During the Service, Prime Minister Liz Truss and Baroness Scotland, the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, read Lessons. The Archbishop of York, the Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster, the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland and the Free Churches Moderator said prayers. The sermon, as well as the commendation, was given by the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, who described the late Queen as one who was “joyful, present to so many,” and has touched “a multitude of lives.”
Read: The Archbishop of Canterbury’s Sermon for The StateFuneral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
The Dean of Westminster then pronounced the Blessing. Towards the end of the service, Last Post was sounded, followed by two minute’s silence, which was observed in the Abbey, and throughout the United Kingdom. The state funeral service was brought to a close by tge National Anthem at approximately 12 noon.
After the Service, The Queen’s coffin was borne through the Abbey, returning to the State Gun Carriage for the Procession to Wellington Arch, Hyde Park Corner, arriving at 1 pm. The King and members of the Royal Family followed The Queen’s Coffin during the procession. The procession included detachments from the Armed Forces of the Commonwealth. Minute Guns were fired in Hyde Park by The King’s Troop, Royal Horse Artillery, and Big Ben will toll throughout the duration of the Procession.
The procession went in seven groups and was supported by a service band. It took along Broad Sanctuary, Parliament Square, Whitehall, Horse Guards Parade, Horse Guards Road, The Mall, Constitution Hill and ended at London’s Wellington Arch. From there, the coffin was transferred to the state hearse to travel to Windsor. The parade give a royal salute while the National Anthem was being played. The Royal Family also travelled to Windsor for the Committal Service.
As the coffin reached Windsor, the State Hearse slowly processed up on Albert Road and traveled via the Long Walk to St. George’s Chapel. Members of the Royal Family joined the Procession in the Quadrangle at Windsor Castle. The King’s Troop, Royal Horse Artillery fired Minute Guns, while the Sebastopol Bell and the Curfew Tower Bell were tolled. The Procession ended at the bottom of the West Steps of St. George's Chapel where a Guard of Honour, found by the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards, was mounted and bore The Queen’s Coffin into the Chapel.
The Committal Service
The Committal Service commenced at 4pm. The congregation was composed of the members of the British Royal Family, past and present members of The Queen’s Household, including from the private estates, as well as Governors General and Realm Prime Ministers. The Dean of Windsor, David John Conner, conducted the service, with prayers said by the Rector of Sandringham, the Minister of Crathie Kirk and the Chaplain of Windsor Great Park. The Choir of St George’s Chapel sang during the Service.
"Here in St George's Chapel, where she so often worshiped, we are bound to call to mind someone whose uncomplicated yet profound Christian faith bore so much fruit," the Dean of Windsor said as he opened the service. "Fruit in a life of unstinting service to the nation, the Commonwealth and the wider world, but also — and especially to be remembered in this place — in kindness, concern and reassuring care for her family and friends and neighbours."
He further reflected on Queen Elizabeth’s life, he told the congregation: "In the midst of our rapidly changing and frequently troubled world, her calm and dignified presence has given us confidence to face the future as she did, with courage and with hope.”
The three instruments of state — the Imperial State Crown, the Orb and Scepter — were removed from the coffin in anticipation of the committal and placed on the high altar in the chapel. King Charles then placed the colours of The Queen's company, the Grenadier Guards, on the coffin. The queen's Lord Chamberlain, the most senior official in her household and formerly MI5 spy chief Baron Parker, subsequently broke his Wand of Office and placed that atop the coffin along with the regiment's colours.
As The Queen’s Coffin is lowered into the Royal Vault, the Dean of Windsor said a Psalm and the Commendation before Garter King of Arms pronounced Her Majesty’s styles and titles.
The sovereign’s piper played a lament, followed by the Archbishop of Canterbury who said the Blessing: "Go forth into the world in peace; be of good courage; hold fast to that which is good; render to no one evil for evil." The National Anthem was finally sung to conclude of the Service, this time, it was “God Save the King.”
The Queen is buried
At 7:30 p.m., the coffins of Elizabeth and her husband, Prince Philip, were moved from the royal vault to be buried together in the chapel where the remains of her father, King George VI, mother, Queen Elizabeth, and younger sister, Princess Margaret, are also laid. It was a private service attended only by members of the Royal Family.
An official statement tersely said: "The Queen was buried together with The Duke of Edinburgh, at The King George VI Memorial Chapel." This ends the period of national mourning as UK resumes its normal life on Tuesday, but without Queen Elizabeth II, an era has drawn to a close. The world will never be the same again.
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