BEN STANSALL/POOL/AFP by way of Getty Photographs
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The expectation that the British royal household would use the queen’s funeral to construct bridges with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle was rudely shattered Monday morning after the couple had been seated within the second row at Queen Elizabeth’s state funeral.
In what regarded very very similar to a calculated snub to Harry, he was seated within the second row with Meghan, alongside his cousins Beatrice and Eugenie and behind Prince Andrew, the disgraced son of the queen who was expelled from the working ranks of the household over his affiliation with Jeffrey Epstein.
Harry and Meghan had been on the suitable aspect of the church, behind King Charles. Within the entrance row, in entrance of Harry, had been Charles, Camilla, Prince Andrew, Princess Anne, her husband Sir Tim Laurence and Prince Edward and his spouse Sophie (each had been seen wiping away tears in the course of the service).
Prince William and Kate Middleton, now the Prince and Princess of Wales, had been additionally within the entrance row, together with their kids—and, astonishingly, additionally within the entrance row had been Anne’s kids Peter Philips and Zara, who will not be working royals and by no means have been. Zara was accompanied by her husband Mike Tindall. Sarah, Duchess of York, Prince Andrew’s ex-wife and nonetheless shut pal—as soon as popularly often known as “Fergie”—was additionally current on the service (and within the second row). King Charles regarded visibly upset and bereft.
Within the cautious phrase of royal symbolism, the place nothing is finished by mistake, the location of the Sussexes may have despatched an unmistakable message to the Sussexes that they're now very a lot second-tier family members.
It was a rare second in a rare day, the ceremonial features of which started as Huge Ben tolled on the minute, because the queen’s physique was carried out of Westminster Corridor the place she has lain in state for 4 days, prompting miles-long queues round London, by a bearer occasion of eight Grenadier Guards and borne on a gun carriage to Westminster Abbey to her funeral.
The day continued to ship a breathtakingly epic spectacle, as crowds gathered to observe the queen’s coffin be conveyed after the service by way of the streets of London, down the Mall festooned with Union Jack flags, to Buckingham Palace. Applause rippled by way of the crowds.
Britain's Prince William, Prince of Wales (L) and Britain's Prince Harry (C), Duke of Sussex arrive at Westminster Abbey in London on September 19, 2022, for the State Funeral Service for Britain's Queen Elizabeth II.
MARCO BERTORELLO/AFP by way of Getty Photographs
Earlier, on its manner into the Abbey, the queen’s coffin was adopted by a massed guard of ceremonially clad troopers and pipers and a royal occasion together with King Charles, Harry, William, and Andrew.
William wore navy uniform, however Harry wore civilian garments. The estranged brothers walked aspect by aspect behind the coffin.
Solely serving members of the navy are technically allowed to put on uniform. Outdated troopers are, nevertheless, allowed to put on their medals on civilian garments and Harry proudly displayed his as he marched solemnly behind the coffin. Whereas different family members, together with William and Anne, saluted the coffin each Harry and Andrew didn't.
The imperial crown was positioned on the highest of the oak coffin, which was bedecked with the royal normal. A wreath, made out of flowers gathered from her gardens, was positioned on prime of the coffin, with a hand written card from her son the king. It learn: “In loving and devoted reminiscence. Charles R.”
The funeral itself started with a navy precision that might have happy the famously punctual late monarch at 11 a.m. native time. It ended equally in line with schedule an hour later at midday native time, with a rousing rendition of “God Save the King,” then a two-minute silence within the Abbey and throughout Britain.
The coffin is positioned close to the altar inside Westminster Abbey in London on September 19, 2022, in the course of the State Funeral Service for Britain's Queen Elizabeth II.
GARETH FULLER/POOL/AFP by way of Getty Photographs
Prince George, 9 and Princess Charlotte, 7, the elder kids of William and Kate, joined the cortege when the coffin as introduced into the church. The palace was stated to have been eager for them to have a public function to underline the continuity of monarchy.
Kate wore a pearl and diamond choker that belonged to the queen, which Princess Diana additionally as soon as wore. Meghan wore pearl and diamond earrings given to her by the queen.
The youngsters had been amongst 2,000 mourners to be assembled at Westminster Abbey Monday for the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, who dominated Nice Britain for over 70 years.
Joe Biden arrived shortly after 10 a.m. native time, and was the one world chief permitted to reach in a non-public automobile. He arrived within the Beast, the fortified presidential limousine, in a diminished motorcade of six autos. Different leaders arrived by bus. Former British prime ministers, and the current prime minister, Liz Truss, had been additionally in attendance.
The royal household united behind the queen’s coffin because it was carried out of Westminster Abbey after the service in a procession en path to Wellington Arch. Because the post-service funeral procession headed in direction of Buckingham Palace, it was noticed by the queen’s devoted current and former employees. The male royals, together with Charles, William, and Andrew walked behind the coffin; ladies, together with Camilla, Kate, and Meghan and George and Charlotte adopted in automobiles behind.
At Wellington Arch, the onetime entrance to Buckingham Palace, silence reigned because the queen’s coffin was positioned inside a state hearse to be pushed to Windsor for a non-public committal ceremony later Monday. Bells rang out because the automotive drove away, in addition to a rendition of “God Save the Queen,” conveying Queen Elizabeth away from London for a remaining time.
The funeral happened in the identical church the place the queen was topped in 1953, with company together with Kate Middleton’s mother and father, Michael and Carole becoming a member of a jaw-dropping solid of worldwide dignitaries. The primary hymn was the transferring “The day thou gavest, Lord, is ended.”
The State Gun Carriage carries the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped within the Royal Customary with the Imperial State Crown and the Sovereign's orb and sceptre, because it makes its manner for the State Funeral at Westminster Abbey, London on September 19, 2022.
MARC ASPLAND/POOL/AFP by way of Getty Photographs
It was anticipated that as much as 100 heads of presidency or state would attend the funeral, dwarfing the estimated fifty who attended Nelson Mandela’s memorial. It's believed to be the largest gathering of world leaders in historical past.
Vladimir Putin was not invited nevertheless different controversial leaders had been, together with Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro. Saudi Arabia’s crown prince Mohammed bin Salman was reportedly invited however was not anticipated to attend.
Members of European royal households, a lot of whom had been family members of the queen, had been in attendance, together with Belgium’s King Philippe and Queen Mathilde, King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain and the royal households of Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Monaco. Additionally in attendance had been the Emperor of Japan, the King of Bhutan, the Sultan of Brunei.
As much as two million members of the general public had been anticipated to line the streets of London to pay their respects to the queen when Her Majesty’s funeral cortege makes its remaining journey from Westminster Abbey to Windsor, the place she will likely be buried along with her beloved late husband, Prince Philip.
Lots of the VIPs had been shuttled into the Abbey by coach, after assembling at a Chelsea hospital.