Queen Elizabeth II: Coffin lowered into Royal Vault as UK and rest of world say ‘goodbye’ for final time
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The coffin of Queen Elizabeth II has been committed to the Royal Vault inside Windsor Castle.
Queen Elizabeth II will be buried alongside her late husband, Prince Philip, younger sister, Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon, mother, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother and her father, King George VI.
Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral: full and in-depth live coverage from Westminster Abbey
Key Events
- The official funeral of Queen Elizabeth II has now ended
- Queen’s coffin arrives in Windsor Castle for special committal service
- The Queen’s state funeral has now ended
- Thousands line streets of London to say final farewell
The Queen’s committal service in Windsor Castle has begun
The Queen’s coffin has been lifted from the state hearse and carried into St George’s Chapel ahead of the committal service.
The procession was led into the chapel by members of the Queen’s royal household.
Once again the King followed behind the coffin, accompanied by the Queen Consort, with the Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence behind, then the Duke of York and the Earl and Countess of Wessex.
The service has begun with the choir singing Psalm 121, set to music by Sir Henry Walford Davies, who previously served as an organist of the chapel.
Over a number of years, the Queen was involved in discussions about the order of service for her funeral, to approve the choice of prayers, hymns and other accompanying music.
Following the psalm, which includes the line “the Lord shall preserve thee from all evil”, the choristers move on to sing ‘The Russian Contakion of the Departed’, which was also performed at the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral in April last year.
Mourners gather in Windsor Castle for committal service
St George’s Chapel is already packed with mourners ahead of the committal service at 4pm.
The gothic chapel is filled with chatter as the organ plays quietly ahead of the arrival of the state hearse and royal family.
Daylight is streaming through the chapel’s West Door and many windows while bright lights rigged up along the sides of the chapel are also shining on the congregation and towards the aisle.
As the hearse approached Windsor, the Long Walk to the castle was lined with members of the armed forces on either side, stood in front of the public.
Flight path to shut so as not to interfere with Queen’s committal service
Last-minute travellers are continuing to pour out of Windsor and Eton Riverside Station to catch the final journey of the Queen’s coffin through the Berkshire town.
Hundreds of people were flooding out of the station at 2pm, joining the thousands already lining the streets.
Windsor Castle is under a flight path but all aircraft will be banned for the duration of the Queen’s arrival in the town and her subsequent burial in a private chapel in Windsor Castle.
Meanwhile, former US president Barack Obama has paid tribute to the Queen’s “kindness and consideration” as he recalled his meetings with the monarch.
In a video posted to Twitter, Mr Obama said the first time he met the Queen she reminded him of his grandmother, when she “could not have been more kind or thoughtful” to him and his wife, Michelle.
“Which surprised me not just in appearance but also in manner… (she was) very gracious but also no nonsense, (with a) wry sense of humour,” he said.
On another occasion Mr Obama described, his wife and two daughters were invited to tea at Buckingham Palace and later driven in the Queen’s golden carriage around the grounds – a moment that he said “left a mark in my daughters’ lives that’s still there”.
In another meeting, a state dinner in 2011 at Buckingham Palace, Mr Obama said the Queen was “dressed up quite a bit” which was concerning for Mrs Obama who had selected a “small, modest broach” of “nominal value” as a gift for the Queen.
However the following evening at a dinner at the US Embassy the Queen was wearing the then First Lady’s broach, in a moment Mr Obama said “was an example of the subtle thoughtfulness that she consistently displayed, not just to us but to everybody she interacted with”.
“The combination of a sense of duty and a clear understanding of her role as a symbol for her nation and as the carrier of a certain set of values, combined with a very human quality of kindness and consideration I think that’s what made her so beloved not just in Great Britain but around the world,” Mr Obama concluded.
Queen Elizabeth leaves London for the last time
The Queen’s coffin has been transferred to the State Hearse at Wellington Arch ahead of beginning its journey to Windsor for a committal ceremony later this afternoon.
Members of the royal family watched on as the bearer party lifted the coffin from the State Gun Carriage and loaded it into the back of the vehicle.
Much of the procession party lined up in formation on the green next to the monument and stood in silence during the moving of the coffin.
