Queen’s last march past Buckingham Palace: Poignant moment Her Majesty’s body passes her home for final time as King Charles and royals follow in sombre procession
- Queen’s coffin was taken clockwise around Victoria Memorial on gun carriage drawn by naval ratings
- Staff members from Buckingham Palace said final goodbyes as coffin moved by along with senior royals
- The Queen’s coffin had been taken to Buckingham Palace last Tuesday after being flown to RAF Northolt
- It was then transported to Westminster Hall in procession last Wednesday where it remained until today
- Follow MailOnline’s LIVEBLOG for updates as state funeral is held for Queen Elizabeth II in London today
This is the poignant moment that Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin was taken past Buckingham Palace for the final time today as staff members stood by its gates with their hands clasped and heads bowed.
Preceded by members of the armed forces, the late monarch’s coffin was taken clockwise around the Victoria Memorial on a gun carriage drawn by naval ratings as it travelled towards Wellington Arch.
Staff members from Buckingham Palace said their final goodbyes as the coffin moved by along with senior royals including King Charles III, Prince William, Prince Harry, Prince Edward and Prince Andrew.
Moments earlier the crowd along The Mall had broken into applause and cheers after the Queen’s coffin passed them and circled round the memorial outside the palace in Central London.
Members of the royal family who were marching behind remained expressionless, while other royals including Kate Middleton looked on at the crowds as they passed them in vehicles.
The Queen’s coffin had been taken to Buckingham Palace last Tuesday after being flown to RAF Northolt from Edinburgh, and it was then transported to Westminster Hall the following day where it had remained until today.
The Queen’s coffin with the Imperial State Crown resting on top travels past Buckingham Palace for the final time today
The coffin of Queen Elizabeth II borne on the State Gun Carriage of the Royal Navy proceeds past Buckingham Palace today
The Queen’s coffin travels past Buckingham Palace for the final time today as her state funeral is held in the capital
Buckingham Palace staff stand outside its gates ahead of the funeral procession of Queen Elizabeth II today
The Queen’s coffin with the Imperial State Crown resting on top travels past Buckingham Palace for the final time today
The Queen’s coffin travels past Buckingham Palace for the final time today as her state funeral is held in the capital
Prince William, left, and Prince Harry, right, walk behind the Queen’s coffin as it is pulled past Buckingham Palace today
The Queen’s coffin with the Imperial State Crown resting on top travels past Buckingham Palace for the final time today
Today, once the procession had reached Buckingham Palace again, members of staff at the palace bowed and curtsied both at the coffin and royal family members as they made their way past.
Tens of thousands of mourners lined the ceremonial procession route from Westminster Abbey to Wellington Arch, where the Queen’s coffin left for her Berkshire home of Windsor Castle and a committal service.
Her coffin was borne on a gun carriage in a spectacle not seen for many generations, as hundreds of soldiers, sailors and airmen marched to solemn funeral pieces or lined the route.
The Queen’s coffin was flanked by people she had known well, her equerries, drawn from the military to organisers of her diary, and soldiers from the Queen’s Company, 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards – soldiers she personally commanded.
Behind her coffin were Charles and his siblings – the Princess Royal, Duke of York and Earl of Wessex – who were followed by the monarch’s three grandsons, Peter Phillips, Duke of Sussex and Prince of Wales.
The royal women travelled behind in state limousines with the Princess of Wales and her children George and Charlotte with the Queen Consort and the Duchess of Sussex travelling with the Countess of Wessex.
The coffin of Queen Elizabeth II is pulled past Buckingham Palace following her funeral service in Westminster Abbey today
The Queen’s coffin is taken past Buckingham Palace for the final time today as it travels towards Wellington Arch
The coffin of Queen Elizabeth II is pulled towards Buckingham Palace on The Mall today following her funeral service
Buckingham Palace household staff pay their respects during the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II this morning
The coffin of Queen Elizabeth II is pulled towards Buckingham Palace on The Mall today following her funeral service
In the shadow of Apsley House, the former home of the Duke of Wellington, the sailors who had drawn the carriage carrying the Queen’s coffin came to a halt, and then the bearer party from the Queen’s Company carried it to the waiting state hearse which bean the journey to Windsor.
Around 2,000 people attended the Queen’s funeral at Westminster Abbey, including members of royal families from across Europe, politicians from all sides of the political spectrum and world leaders, including US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron.
George and Charlotte joined the procession behind the coffin when it was carried through the Abbey and the Kate was seen putting a comforting hand on her son’s knee towards the end of service.
The state funeral clearly had an effect on royal family with the Countess of Wessex dabbing her eyes and the Queen’s granddaughter Princess Beatrice seen crying.
Among the hymns sung at the service was The Lord’s My Shepherd, I’ll Not Want, also sung at the Queen’s wedding to the Duke of Edinburgh in the Abbey in 1947.
The coffin of Queen Elizabeth II is pulled towards Buckingham Palace on The Mall today following her funeral service
The Queen’s coffin with the Imperial State Crown resting on top travels past Buckingham Palace for the final time today
The Queen’s coffin is taken past Buckingham Palace for the final time today as it travels towards Wellington Arch
The coffin of Queen Elizabeth II is pulled past Buckingham Palace following her funeral service in Westminster Abbey today
Buckingham Palace household staff pay their respects outside the royal residence during the coffin procession today
The coffin of Queen Elizabeth II is pulled past Buckingham Palace following her funeral service in Westminster Abbey today
The Queen’s coffin is taken past Buckingham Palace for the final time today as it travels towards Wellington Arch
Buckingham Palace household staff return through the gates of Buckingham Palace after paying their respects today
The Queen’s coffin is taken past Buckingham Palace for the final time today as it travels towards Wellington Arch
The other hymns were The Day Thou Gavest, Lord, Is Ended; and Love Divine, All Loves Excelling.
As the Abbey fell silent, the Queen’s Piper, Warrant Officer Class 1 (Pipe Major) Paul Burns, played the traditional lament Sleep, Dearie, Sleep. Also played were The Last Post, Reveille and the national anthem.
The Queen’s coffin was draped in the Royal Standard, with the wreath of flowers requested by the King.
Cut from the gardens of Buckingham Palace, Clarence House and Highgrove House, the flowers and foliage were chosen for their symbolism.
They include rosemary, for remembrance, and myrtle cut from a plant which was grown from a sprig of myrtle in the Queen’s wedding bouquet. Myrtle is an ancient symbol of a happy marriage.
The funeral was broadcast live at around 125 cinemas and several cathedrals in the UK, and on a big screen in Holyrood Park in front of the Palace of Holyroodhouse, Edinburgh.
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