O King Charles III will be accompanied by his two sons, the princes William and Harry and other royals for a solemn procession, as the body of Queen Elizabeth is taken from Buckingham Palace this Wednesday (14) at 10:00 am ET to Westminster Abbey, where it will be in Westminster Hall.
A similar scene took place 25 years ago on the streets of London. At Princess Diana’s funeral on 6 September – she died on 31 August 1997 – the princes, then 15 and 12 years old, respectively, accompanied the royal carriage carrying their mother’s body. In addition to his children, Charles was also accompanied by his father, Prince Philip, and his former brother-in-law, Diana’s brother, Earl Charles Spenser.
Following the Queen’s death last week at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, her coffin was taken to Edinburgh for a series of ceremonies. On Tuesday night (13), he was taken to London.
At Buckingham Palace, Charles and all senior members of the Windsor royal family gathered – the first time they have all been together since their matriarch died.
“It has been an honor and a privilege to accompany her on her final journeys,” said Elizabeth’s daughter Anne, 72, who came from Scotland beside the coffin. “Witnessing the love and respect shown by so many on these journeys has been both humbling and uplifting.”
The queen’s death, aged 96, plunged the nation into mourning for a monarch who reigned for 70 years. Tens of thousands of people filled the streets of London in heavy rain to watch as the oak coffin, draped in the Royal Standard flag, was carried by the state hearse from an air force base to the palace.
Inside the palace to welcome him were his children, grandchildren and their spouses, along with the children of Elizabeth’s late sister Margaret. The coffin was taken overnight to the Bow Room.
solemnities
This Wednesday (14), the Imperial State Crown will be placed on top, along with a wreath. Prayers will be said with Charles and other royals present.
The coffin will be placed in a carriage of the King’s Royal Horse Artillery Corps to be taken through central London to Westminster Hall, a medieval building with origins dating back to 1097 and which is the oldest building on the parliamentary estate.
Charles will walk silently behind the carriage with all the other royals, including his brothers Anne, Andrew and Edward.
Also in the procession will be his two sons William, 40, now Prince of Wales, and Harry, 37, Duke of Sussex, whose relationship between the brothers has deteriorated in recent years to the point that they are said to have barely spoken.
However, they appeared together alongside their wives when they met outside Windsor Castle on Saturday, in a show of unity that hinted at a possible rapprochement.
Kate, William’s wife and now Princess of Wales, and Harry’s wife Meghan will make the journey by car, as will Charles’ wife Camilla, now the Queen Consort.
With much of central London closed to traffic, large crowds are expected to line the route to watch Wednesday’s procession, which will be accompanied by gunfire every minute in Hyde Park as parliament’s Big Ben bell will play.
When the procession arrives at Westminster Hall at the Palace of Westminster, the coffin will be carried by soldiers of the Grenadier Guard and placed on a catafalque. There will be a short Mass led by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the spiritual head of the Church of England.
Four days of state wake will begin until the day of the funeral on September 19.
A senior palace official described Wednesday’s event as relatively small and personal. The large-scale ceremonial procession on September 19, the day of his funeral, is likely to be one of the largest the country has ever witnessed.
Source: CNN Brasil
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