Decorated in honour… and disgrace: King Charles, Anne and Edward boast military medals on their uniforms for Queen’s funeral while their brother Andrew is once again forced to pin colours to his morning suit
- Quartet displayed medals that demonstrated their commitment to public service or military achievements
- King Charles III was flanked by his siblings, Anne, the Princess Royal , Prince Andrew and Prince Edward
- The King, Edward and Anne were in military uniform but Andrew was again in a morning suit
The Queen’s four children showed off their array of service medals for their late mother’s funeral in Westminster Abbey today.
The quartet displayed medals that demonstrated their commitment to public service, others that showed individual military achievements and more commemorating the Queen’s 70-year reign.
King Charles III was pictured flanked by his siblings, Anne, the Princess Royal, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward as he walked out of the historic church and the Queen’s funeral procession made its way to Wellington Arch.
The Queen’s oak coffin was then put into the state hearse and driven along A-roads to Windsor for the final funeral service at St George’s Chapel.
Whilst Charles, Anne and Edward wear in full military uniform – as has been the case with every ceremonial appearance since their mother’s death, Andrew – a Falklands War veteran – was once again wearing only a morning suit following his exile from public life amid the fallout from his role in the Jeffrey Epstein scandal.
An exception for the disgraced prince was made when he took part in the final vigil around the Queen’s coffin when it lay in state in Westminster Hall.
The Queen’s four children showed off their array of service medals as they followed their late mother’s coffin into and out of Westminster Abbey in London following their mother’s state funeral today. The quartet displayed medals that demonstrated their commitment to public service, others that showed individual military achievements and more commemorating the Queen’s 70-year reign
The King, who donned a full day ceremonial uniform with the rank of Field Marshal, wore 10 medals as he poignantly led his family behind the Queen’s coffin into Westminster Abbey and then outside once again after the service.
Amongst his medals, Charles wore a Queen’s Service Order medal, a Coronation medal, Silver, Golden, Diamond and Platinum medals and a Naval Long Service Good Conduct medal.
The new monarch also wore a New Zealand Commemorative medal, a New Zealand Armed Forces Award and a Canadian Forces Decoration.
The Duke of York’s medals included a South Atlantic Medal, Silver, Golden, Diamond and Platinum Jubilee medals and Royal Navy Long Service Medals with bars.
He also wore a Canadian Forces Decoration with bar and a New Zealand Commemoration medal.
King Charles’ medals from L-R: 1) Queen’s Service Order 2) Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal 3) Silver Jubilee Medal 4) Gold Jubilee Medal 5) Diamond Jubilee Medal 6) Platinum Jubilee Medal 7) Long Service and Good Conduct medal 8) Canadian Forces Decoration 9) New Zealand Commemorative medal 10) New Zealand Armed Forces Award
The service medals worn by the Queen’s four children today
King Charles III
The King, who donned a full day ceremonial uniform with the rank of Field Marshal, wore 10 medals as he poignantly led the procession into St Giles’ Cathedral on Edinburgh’s historic Royal Mile on Monday afternoon.
Charles wore a Queen’s Service Order; Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal; Silver Jubilee Medal; Gold Jubilee Medal; Diamond Jubilee Medal; Platinum Jubilee Medal; Long Service and Good Conduct medal; Canadian Forces Decoration; New Zealand Commemorative medal; New Zealand Armed Forces Award
Prince Andrew
The Duke of York, a Falklands War veteran, donned a South Atlantic Medal; Silver Jubilee Medal; Gold Jubilee Medal; Diamond Jubilee Medal; Platinum Jubilee Medal; Royal Navy Long Service Medal; Canadian Forces Decoration and New Zealand Medal
Princess Anne
Princess Anne’s medals included a Queen’s Service Order; Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal; Silver Jubilee Medal; Gold Jubilee Medal; Diamond Jubilee Medal; Platinum Jubilee Medal; Long Service and Good Conduct medal; Canadian Forces Decoration; Order of St John Service medal and New Zealand Medal 1990
Prince Edward
Edward wore a Silver Jubilee Medal; Gold Jubilee Medal; Diamond Jubilee Medal; Platinum Jubilee Medal; Canadian Forces Decoration and New Zealand medal
The Earl of Wessex also donned all four Jubilee medals, alongside a New Zealand medal and a Canadian Forces medal.
Alongside her Jubilee medals, the Princess Royal wore a Queen’s Service Order, a Coronation medal, a Long Service and Good Conduct medal, a Canadian Forces Decoration, an Order of St John Service medal and a New Zealand 1990 medal.
Anne also displayed three decorations – the Most Notable Order of the Garter, the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle and the Royal Victorian Order.
King Charles was left close to tears during the service at Westminster Abbey, where the Archbishop of Canterbury described the Queen as having touched ‘a multitude of lives’ and been a ‘joyful’ figure for many.
The Queen was head of state but also a mother, grandmother and great-grandmother and in a personal touch, the wreath adorning her coffin had a handwritten note penned by the King.
The message said: ‘In loving and devoted memory.’
Mourners filled the streets of the capital to cheer, applaud and throw flowers in the path of her state hearse following the funeral attended by world leaders, foreign royalty and leading figures from the fight against Covid-19 among more than 2,000 guests.
Tens of thousands watched the ceremonial procession from the Abbey to Wellington Arch – a rare spectacle of thousands of sailors, soldiers and airmen accompanying the former head of the Armed Forces or lining the route.
For the coffin’s journey to the outskirts of Windsor – a town the Queen knew well – the public’s appreciation of the late monarch mirrored the scenes in the capital.
The hearse was strewn with flowers across its roof and windscreen and at the outskirts of Windsor a procession was formed featuring soldiers on foot from the Household Cavalry’s Blues and Royals and Life Guards with mounted members of the Household Cavalry regiment.
The Long Walk was filled with mourners eager to pay their respects to their Queen who was a staple of Windsor and was in turn loved and respected by the town.
As the state hearse carrying the Queen’s coffin turned on to the famous thoroughfare, which gives unrivalled views across the Berkshire countryside, there were cheers from public.
Among those invited to the committal service were prime ministers from countries where the Queen was head of state, and former British prime ministers Sir John Major and Sir Tony Blair, who are Garter Knights and the current premier Liz Truss.
A large number of the Queen’s staff who worked closely with the late monarch were also invited to the service.
For the last time Charles and his siblings – the Princess Royal, Duke of York and Earl of Wessex – performed the duty and honour of walking behind their mother’s coffin, joining the procession when it entered the castle’s quadrangle.
Like the processions held earlier in the day they were followed by the monarch’s three grandsons Peter Phillips, Duke of Sussex and Prince of Wales.
In Windsor, crowds sang the national anthem as they watched the funeral.
Thousands of mourners poured through Windsor and Eton to line the Long Walk up to Windsor Castle, where the Queen’s coffin will arrive for a Committal Service at St George’s Chapel.
People watched the state funeral and procession in London from big screens positioned along the road.
The largely black-clad crowd fell silent and the atmosphere grew sombre as the Last Post sounded and a two-minute silence followed.
Many then began to sing the national anthem when it played from the speakers afterwards.
The lyrics ‘God save our gracious King’ rang out across Windsor while people bowed their heads and wiped tears from their eyes.
Later, marching bands proceeded from the castle down the Long Walk to Shaw Farm Gate, followed by cheers and applause from the crowds.
Elsewhere, hundreds of colourful bouquets brightened the base of Windsor Castle ahead of the procession of the Queen’s coffin through the Berkshire town.
Several mourners prayed and quietly shed a tear as they laid flowers for the Queen.
Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, Prince Harry, Peter Phillips and Timothy Laurence walk after a service at Westminster Abbey on the day of the state funeral and burial of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth
King Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward are seen lined up outside Westminster Abbey ahead of Prince William, Prince Harry and Peter Phillips at today’s funeral service
King Charles looks tearful while an emotional Prince Harry looked away from the Queen’s coffin at the end of the funeral
King Charles III, Queen Consort, Camilla and the Princess Royal at the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey
Charles, the Queen Consort and Princess Margaret at this morning’s service in Westminster Abbey
Jennifer Bryant said she wanted to come to the Long Walk in Windsor to say goodbye to the Queen, as the last time she had seen her in person was there 42 years ago.
Ms Bryant, 73, from Reading, recalled the ‘amazing experience’ of seeing the Queen leaving for Royal Ascot in 1980, and how the Queen had waved to her and her three-year-old daughter.
She said that she felt emotional as the thousands of mourners in Windsor went quiet for the two-minute silence.
Ms Bryant added that for her, the Queen represented ‘stability and reliability’ and she felt she had ‘kept our country stable’ by always being there.
Anne Cooper described the atmosphere at the Long Walk in Windsor as ‘calm’ as thousands came together to pay their respects.
Ms Cooper, from Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, was draped in a Union flag as she watched the funeral on the big screens.
‘She’s been the Queen all my life. I was a Brownie and a Guide so we would make a promise to serve the Queen, so she’s just a really big part of the country,’ she said.
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