Queen Elizabeth II’s state funeral has moved on from Westminster Abbey, where hundreds of guests gathered to pay their respects to the long-serving monarch.

Heads of state from across the world flew in to join members of the royal family to remember the Queen’s life and service today. Senior UK politicians and former prime ministers were also in attendance, including Liz Truss, the current prime minister.

Catherine, the Princess of Wales, attended with her eldest two children, Prince George, 9, and Princess Charlotte, 7. The Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, also joined the proceedings. 

Since the early hours of this morning, members of the public have been lining the streets in London and Windsor to be a part of the historic events.

Following her death on 8 September, Queen Elizabeth’s coffin was transported from Balmoral Castle to Edinburgh, before being flown back to London via RAF Northolt. It was then taken to Buckingham Palace, where it was carried via procession to Westminster Hall. 

There, the Queen lay in state for four days, giving the public an opportunity to file past her coffin and pay their respects. Since Thursday, thousands of people queued for many hours – some overnight – to get a chance to say goodbye to the late monarch.

The doors to Westminster Hall were closed at 6.30am this morning, after the final mourners passed through the hall. At 10.35am, the Queen’s coffin was lifted from the catafalque and moved to the Royal Navy’s gun carriage before it was drawn by 142 Royal Navy personnel to Westminster Abbey. 

The coffin was followed by senior members of the royal family, including King Charles, Prince William and Prince Harry. Once inside the Abbey, the coffin was also followed by the Princess of Wales, Prince George and Princess Charlotte.

Once the Queen’s coffin was inside the Abbey, the funeral service began. Led by the Dean of Westminster, David Hoyle, the service featured several moving moments, including numerous hymns and readings from scripture.

New music, specially written for the funeral, was also sung. Written by Judith Weir, the musical version of Psalm 42 was said to be inspired by the Queen’s “unwavering Christian faith”.

As the service continued, Justin Welby, the archbishop of Canterbury, delivered a sermon in which he paid tribute to the Queen’s “well kept” promise to serve the nation and the Commonwealth.

Referencing the Queen’s broadcast during the coronavirus lockdown, in which she referenced the words of Vera Lynn’s famous song We’ll Meet Again, he concluded: “We can all share the Queen’s hope, which in life and death inspired her servant leadership. Service in life, hope in death. All who follow the Queen’s example, and inspiration of trust and faith in God, can with her say: ‘We will meet again.’” 

During the ceremony, members of the Buckingham Palace staff also lined the road outside the palace in tribute to the Queen. 

After leaving the Abbey, the Queen’s coffin was once again placed on the Royal Navy gun carriage, ready for its journey to Wellington Arch. It made its way there as part of a procession which was much bigger than the one which saw Her Majesty carried from Westminster Hall.

The procession was made up of seven groups, each of which featured different members of the Armed Forces. Mounties from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police led the procession, followed by representatives from the NHS. These included May Parsons, who administered the first-ever Covid-19 vaccine in 2020.

Members of the royal family, including the King, once again followed on foot behind the gun carriage, with the Queen Consort and Catherine, Princess of Wales, making the journey in a car that followed behind. The procession made its way down the Mall before heading towards Hyde Park corner.  

After its arrival at Wellington Arch, the Queen’s coffin was moved from the Royal Navy gun carriage to the Royal hearse, before being driven towards her final resting place in Windsor.

Along the route, which went through Kensington and Heathrow, crowds gathered to pay their respects to the Queen as she drove by. As the Royal hearse made its way through Hyde Park, people tossed flowers onto the streets, and shouts of “Hip hip, hooray!” were also heard.

The Queen’s coffin arrived in Windsor just after 3pm, inside a hearse covered in flowers from its 22-mile journey from London. 

The hearse then made its way up the Long Walk to Windsor Castle in a procession, accompanied by members of the armed forces. Bagpipes played the Skye Boat Song as the procession travelled past the gathered crowds.

The Queen’s corgis, Muick and Sandy, and her Fell pony, Emma, also watched on as the procession went by.

The King and senior members of the Royal Family were absent during the first part of the procession but rejoined proceedings as the coffin reached the castle’s Quadrangle. The coffin then made its final journey to St George’s Chapel, where the committal service took place.

As the service came to a close, the Queen’s coffin was lowered into the Royal Vault, marking the last time it will be seen in public.

Queen Elizabeth II was the longest-serving monarch in British history – and the second longest-serving monarch of any sovereign state. Following her death on 8 September, thousands of people from across the country have made their way to London to lay flowers at tribute sites in Green Park and Hyde Park.

Tributes flooded in from around the world from state leaders and public figures alike. Those include the first minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, who described the Queen’s death as “a profoundly sad moment for the UK”.

Sanna Marin, Finland’s prime minister, said: “My deepest condolences to the royal family, people of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth. Our thoughts are with the family and loved ones of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.”

Barack Obama, the former US president, said: “Like so many of you, Michelle and I are grateful to have witnessed Her Majesty’s dedicated leadership, and we are awed by her legacy of tireless, dignified public service. Our thoughts are with her family and the people of the United Kingdom at this difficult time.”

Among the celebrities to pay tribute was actor Helen Mirren, who won an Oscar for a portrayal of the monarch in the 2006 film The Queen. “I am proud to be an Elizabethan,” she wrote. “We mourn a woman who, with or without the crown, was the epitome of nobility.”

Images: Getty