A royal sendoff. 11 days after her death, Queen Elizabeth II was honored at Westminster Abbey with an extravagant funeral.
When she died on September 8, 1996, she was the longest-reigning monarch of British history. England observed a 12-day mourning period following her death as per tradition. King Charles III, who took over the throne after his mother’s passing, has since pushed the mourning period until seven days after the funeral.
The royal events, which included the coffin’s procession to Westminster Hall and greeting the public, culminated in a service on Monday, September 19, in London. The queen’s four children — Charles, Princess Anne, Prince AndrewAnd Prince Edward — were all in attendance to pay homage to the late monarch. (She welcomed all her children with Prince Philip, her late husband of more than 70 years.
Elizabeth’s eight grandchildren, Peter Phillips, Zara Tindall, Prince William, Prince Harry, Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, Lady LouiseAnd James, Viscount SevernThey also had to say goodbye to their beloved Matriarch.
A source exclusively spoke out about the funeral before it was scheduled. Us Weekly how hard it was for Charles’ children, the Prince of Wales, 40, and Harry, 38, to come to terms with the queen’s death. (Charles shares his boys, the Prince of Wales, 40, and Harry 38 with Princess Diana who died in 1997.
“This is such an intensely difficult time for the princes,” the insider said on Thursday, September 15. “They both adored their grandma and it will take some time to process the reality of her passing.”
Despite having close connections with the monarch, the siblings still feel a “horrendous sense of loss and emptiness thinking that she’ll no longer be around,” according to the source, who added that William and Harry “console themselves with the fact she’s at peace with their grandfather in heaven and watching over them and in their hearts forever.”
William also spoke out about his personal grieving process that day while appearing in public with his wife. Princess Kate, at Sandringham Estate.
“William said he thinks Monday [the queen’s funeral] will be hard,” well-wisher Bex Neeve told PeopleThursday “[Kate] said it’s been overwhelming and she and William are very grateful for everyone being here. She was emotional.”
The following day, the queen’s four children joined together for the official vigil at Westminster Hall. The siblings stood around Her Majesty’s coffin, which was lying in state until her funeral.
On Saturday, September 17, Harry and William led the second vigil at Westminster Hall. While the Duke of Sussex was initially not allowed to wear his military uniform for the event — due to the fact that he is no longer a working royal after his 2020 step back — he was granted a pardon for the special vigil.
Scroll down to see what happens following the queen’s Westminster Abbey funeral:
