The tolling of bells, the crescendo of bagpipes and the echo of drums abruptly gave way to a somber silence early Monday morning as Queen Elizabeth’s state funeral took place in historic Westminster Abbey.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, led the Canadian delegation that entered the church in the hours before the service.
They were seated a few rows behind Governor General Mary Simon and her husband, members of the Canadian delegation seated closest to King Charles III and other high-ranking royals.
The sound of music intensified as the funeral procession approached the medieval Gothic cathedral as formally dressed guests passed through airport-style security and headed to their seats.
A procession of decorated Canadians, including holders of the Victoria Cross, the George Cross and the Orders of Chivalry, passed through the church on their way to their seats. Actress Sandra Oh, holder of the Order of Canada, Olympian Mark Tewksbury and artist Gregory Charles walked near the front of the procession.
Canada’s delegation also includes former Governors General Michaëlle Jean and David Johnston, as well as former Prime Ministers Kim Campbell, Jean Chrétien, Paul Martin and Stephen Harper.
The UK’s first state funeral since Winston Churchill’s was full of spectacle: 142 Royal Navy sailors drove the gun carriage carrying Elizabeth’s coffin to Westminster Abbey, with King Charles III and his sons, Princes William and Harry, walking behind as the pipers played. Pallbearers carried the coffin to the abbey, where some 2,000 people, from world leaders to health workers, gathered to mourn her. Before the service, a bell rang 96 times, once a minute for every year of her life.
what people are reading
“Here, where Queen Elizabeth married and was crowned, we gather from across the country, from the Commonwealth and from the nations of the world, to mourn our loss, to remember her long life of selfless service and with the sure confidence to commit ourselves. her to the mercy of God our maker and redeemer,” the dean of the medieval abbey, David Hoyle, told mourners.
The state funeral marks the culmination of 10 days of tributes and mourning following the queen’s death on September 8 at the age of 96.
Everyday dignitaries and mourners have descended on London in recent days to pay tribute to the UK’s longest-reigning monarch and Canada’s longest-serving head of state.
@JustinTrudeau, Canadian delegation attend Queen Elizabeth’s #state funeral in #London. #CDNPoli #QueenElizabethII
Following the funeral, the King and other members of the Royal Family will walk behind the gun carriage carrying the queen’s coffin in a procession that will include members of the armed forces from across the Commonwealth, including the Canadian Armed Forces and RCMP.
She will then be transferred to a hearse and taken to Windsor Castle, where she will be buried in St George’s Chapel next to the late Prince Philip, her husband of almost 74 years.
The queen’s death has caused a wave of pain and affection throughout the world.
In London, an entire park near Buckingham Palace was filled with floral tributes as people waited up to 24 hours in line for a chance to see the queen’s coffin at her funeral in Westminster Hall.
Crowds have increased in the areas surrounding the royal residences and Westminster, prompting large numbers of police and security personnel to cordon off entire sections of the city with metal barricades in an effort to control traffic.
The procession will pass thousands of members of the public, some of whom have been camping outside for days in hopes of getting a front-row seat.
Fredericton’s Tim Thompson pitched a tent on the flag-lined road leading to Buckingham Palace early Sunday morning to ensure he had a good view.
As a military member of the Cadet Instructors Cadre, he said it was worth spending a night in the cold to pay his respects to Canada’s commander-in-chief and head of state.
Thompson, who also queued for 13 hours to attend the queen’s funeral earlier in the week, said she had mixed emotions surrounding the funeral. While the event is sad, he said he was proud and happy to see different nations come together to mourn the queen.
“We have a shared pain that we’re going through, so it’s good to see that camaraderie between Canadians, Australians and Brits,” he said in an interview.
Evert McLaughlin, a Toronto native living in London, said he felt “surreal” living through such an important moment.
“I think it still means a lot to a lot of Canadians,” he said of the queen outside the park where people were laying flowers.
This report from The Canadian Press was first published on September 19, 2022.