Procession in London: The Royals marching with the Queen’s coffin

Procession in London
The Royals march with the Queen’s coffin

14/09/2022, 4:28 PM

Funeral services for the late Queen have finally reached London. Elizabeth II’s coffin is carried in a celebratory procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall. King Charles III walks with his siblings and sons William and Harry.

London is dominated by mourning for the Queen: the procession that brought the late Queen’s coffin from Buckingham Palace to Parliament started promptly at 3:30 PM German time.

The new king Charles III rode in the convoy. as well as his siblings Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward and his sons Prince William and Prince Harry. Also part of the procession were Anne’s son Peter Philips and her husband Tim Laurence, as well as the Duke of Gloucester, a cousin of the Queen, and the Earl of Snowdon, her cousin. Charles’ wife Queen Camilla and the wives of William, Harry and Edward – Princess Kate, Duchess Meghan and Countess Sophie – followed the coffin in cars.

After nearly 40 minutes, the train reached Westminster Hall. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, conducted a short service here. In the oldest part of the Parliament, the coffin, closed and covered with the royal standard, will remain standing for the next few days.

Crowds in London

The audience rooms along the funeral procession route were completely filled with people. Hours before the procession began, thousands of mourners and spectators had poured into the center of the British capital. People lined the palace forecourt and The Mall, filling the government district. Numerous security forces were deployed in central London.

Every detail of the funeral procession was carefully thought out. For example, the flowers for the wreath on the queen’s coffin were picked by hand. These are white roses, white dahlias and a selection of foliage, including pine from the royal residence of Balmoral in Scotland, as well as honeysuckle, lavender and rosemary from the gardens of Windsor Castle. The imperial state crown, which Elizabeth traditionally wore to the opening of parliament, was enthroned on a velvet cushion.

The coffin was transported on a carriage, the carriers are of the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards regiment of the Queen’s Company. A guard of honor of three officers and 101 Royal Life Guard soldiers also attended the ceremony. The famous Big Ben bell rang every minute of the train. A salute was fired in Hyde Park. An army band played funeral music by Beethoven, Mendelssohn and Chopin.

Many horses also took part in the procession. The animals had previously received special training, Sky News broadcaster reported. The focus was therefore on loudly screaming people along the route and flags and flowers that may be thrown by the mourners.

Many helpers on duty

The queen’s coffin will remain in the state until early Monday morning, the day of the state funeral. Around the clock, hundreds of thousands of people are expected to say goodbye to the monarch. However, you must take into account waiting times of up to 30 hours. On Wednesday night, many people were already holding out at Parliament. Aid organizations provided them with hot drinks and snacks.

The expected influx of mourners is also a logistical challenge for the British government. More than 1,000 volunteers, security personnel and police officers will line up as the responsible Ministry of Culture has announced. There are also hundreds of paramedics, adult scouts and 30 representatives of different religions. Two sign language interpreters should also be available.

Along the route are not only first aid tents, but also 500 mobile toilets. Bracelets in different colors indicate the place in the queue – in case the waiting people want to disappear for a while or buy food.