Queen Elizabeth’s funeral today, World leaders to attend
Today, Westminster Abbey in London will mark the first royal funeral for a British monarch since the passing of Winston Churchill, who served as Queen Elizabeth’s first prime minister, in 1965.
Here are the tops points in this big story:
- The burial will put an end to 11 days of widespread national mourning in the United Kingdom, during which the royal family’s private grief was exposed in the spotlight of intense global interest.
- At the state burial, world leaders will attend alongside the British royal family, the country’s political elite, and representatives of the judicial system, military, and nonprofit sector.
- The funeral will be shown by around 125 cinemas across Britain, while parks, squares, and cathedrals will also set up viewing screens for the huge ceremonial event, the government said on Saturday.
- At the funeral, the Queen’s coffin will be carried on the same gun carriage used for her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria’s funeral. The spectacular ceremony at Westminster Abbey – expected to be watched by billions around the globe – will see 142 sailors pulling the gun-carriage bearing her lead-lined coffin.
- The route will be lined by the Royal Navy and Royal Marines. The procession will pass by Parliament Square where members of the navy, army, and air force will form a Guard of Honour, accompanied by a band of the Royal Marines.
- The procession will be led by Scottish and Irish regiments, the Brigade of Gurkhas and the Royal Air Force numbering 200 musicians. The coffin will be followed by King Charles and members of the royal family.
- The inflow of dignitaries, coupled with the thousands of mourners who traveled from all around Britain and the world, presents a unique task for the British police. To assist Scotland Yard, more than 2,000 officers from all over the nation have been called out.
- The heads of Russia, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Syria, and North Korea were not invited, but the leaders of the European Union, France, Japan, India, and many more nations will be present.
- The Queen’s coffin will be transported by royal hearse to Windsor Castle, west of London, for a committal service after the broadcast service. The queen will then be interred with her late husband, Prince Philip, her parents, and her sister in a private family burial.
- Queen Elizabeth, the first British monarch to commemorate a platinum jubilee, ruled for 70 years and 214 days. She passed away at the age of 96.