Queen Elizabeth II served from 1952 to 2022 as reigning monarch of the United Kingdom (England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland) and numerous other realms and territories, as well as head of the Commonwealth, the group of 53 sovereign nations that includes many former British territories. Extremely popular for nearly all of her long reign, the queen was known for taking a serious interest in government and political affairs, apart from her ceremonial duties, and was credited with modernizing many aspects of the monarchy.
In September 2015, Elizabeth surpassed the record of 63 years and 216 days on the throne set by Queen Victoria (her great-great-grandmother) to become the longest-reigning British monarch in history. In February 2022, Elizabeth celebrated her Platinum Jubilee—marking seven decades of her service to the Commonwealth.
Childhood and Education of a Princess
When Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, the elder daughter of Prince Albert, Duke of York, and his wife, Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, was born on April 21, 1926, she apparently had little chance of assuming the throne, as her father was a younger son of King George V.
But in late 1936, her uncle, King Edward VIII, abdicated to marry an American divorcée, Wallis Simpson. As a result, her father became King George VI, and 10-year-old “Lilibet” (as she was known within the family) became the heir presumptive to the throne.
Though she spent much of her childhood with nannies, Princess Elizabeth was influenced greatly by her mother, who instilled in her a devout Christian faith as well as a keen understanding of the demands of royal life. Her grandmother, Queen Mary, consort of King George V, also instructed Elizabeth and her younger sister Margaret in the finer points of royal etiquette.
Educated by private tutors, with an emphasis on British history and law, the princess also studied music and learned to speak fluent French. She trained as a Girl Guide (the British equivalent of the Girl Scouts) and developed a lifelong passion for horses.
As queen, she kept many thoroughbred racehorses and frequently attended racing and breeding events. Elizabeth’s famous attachment to Pembroke Welsh corgis also began in childhood, and she owned more than 30 corgis over the course of her reign.
Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth
Elizabeth and Margaret spent much of World War II living apart from their parents in the Royal Lodge at Windsor Castle, a medieval fortress outside London. In 1942, the king made Elizabeth an honorary colonel in the 500 Grenadier Guards, a Royal Army regiment.
Two years later, he named her as a member of the Privy Council and the Council of State, enabling her to act on his behalf when he was out of the country.
In 1947, soon after the royal family returned from an official visit to South Africa and Rhodesia, they announced Elizabeth’s engagement to Prince Philip of Greece, her third cousin (both were great-great-grandchildren of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert) and a lieutenant in the Royal Navy. She had set her sights on him when she was only 13, and their relationship developed through visits and correspondence during the war.
Though many in the royal circle viewed Philip as an unwise match due to his lack of money and foreign (German) blood, Elizabeth was determined and very much in love. She and Philip wed on November 20, 1947, at Westminster Abbey.
Their first son, Charles (Prince of Wales, then King Charles III) was born in 1948; a daughter, Anne (Princess Royal) arrived two years later. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip's third child and second son, Prince Andrew, was born in 1960 and the couple's youngest child, Prince Edward, was born in 1964.
Elizabeth and Phillip were married for an extraordinary 73 years, until the Prince died in April 2021 at the age of 99.
SEE MORE: Glorious Behind-the-Scenes Photos of Queen Elizabeth's 1947 Wedding
Queen Elizabeth's crtion
With her father’s health declining in 1951, Elizabeth stepped in for him at various state functions. After spending that Christmas with the royal family, Elizabeth and Philip left on a tour of Australia and New Zealand, making a stopover in Kenya en route.
They were in Kenya on February 6, 1952, when King George VI succumbed to lung cancer at the age of 56, and his 25-year-old daughter became the sixth woman in history to ascend to the British throne. Her formal crtion as Queen Elizabeth II took place on June 2, 1953, in Westminster Abbey.
In the first decade of her reign, Elizabeth settled into her role as queen, developing a close bond with Prime Minister Winston Churchill (the first of 15 prime ministers she would work with during her reign), weathering a foreign affairs disaster in the Suez Crisis of 1956 and making numerous state trips abroad.
In response to pointed criticism in the press, the queen embraced steps to modernize her own image and that of the monarchy, including televising her annual Christmas broadcast for the first time in 1957.
Elizabeth and Philip had two more children, Andrew (born 1960) and Edward (born 1964). In 1968, Charles was formally invested as the Prince of Wales, marking his coming of age and the beginning of what would be a long period as king-in-waiting.
Queen Elizabeth’s Silver Jubilee in 1977, marking her 25 years on the throne, proved a bright spot in an era of economic struggles. Always a vigorous traveler, she kept a punishing schedule to mark the occasion, traveling some 56,000 miles around the Commonwealth, including the island nations Fiji and Tonga, New Zealand, Australia, Papua New Guinea, the British West Indies and Canada.
Royal Scandals
In 1981, all eyes were on the royal family once again as Prince Charles wed Lady Diana Spencer at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. Though the couple soon welcomed two sons, William and Harry, their marriage quickly imploded, causing considerable public embarrassment for the queen and the entire royal family.
In 1992, Elizabeth’s 40th year on the throne and her family’s “Annus Horribilis” (according to a speech she gave that November) both Charles and Diana and Prince Andrew and his wife, Sarah Ferguson, separated, while Princess Anne and her husband, Mark Phillips, divorced.
READ MORE: How Prince Charles and Lady Diana's Wedding Became a Global Phenomenon
Queen Elizabeth's Net Worth
A fire also broke out at Windsor Castle that same year, and amid public outcry over the use of government funds to restore the royal residence, Queen Elizabeth agreed to pay taxes on her private income. This was not required by British law, though some earlier monarchs had done so as well.
At the time, her personal fortune was estimated at $11.7 billion. In another modernizing measure, she also agreed to open the state rooms at Buckingham Palace to the public for an admission fee when she was not in residence.
After Charles and Diana divorced in 1996, Diana remained incredibly popular with the British (and international) public. Her tragic death the following year triggered a tremendous outpouring of shock and grief, as well as outrage at the royal family for what the public saw as its ill treatment of the “People’s Princess.”
Though Queen Elizabeth initially kept the family (including Princes William and Harry) out of the public eye at Balmoral, the unprecedented public response to Diana’s death convinced her to return to London, make a televised speech about Diana, greet mourners and allow the Union Jack to fly at half-mast above Buckingham Palace.
A Modern Monarchy
The queen’s popularity, and that of the entire royal family, rebounded during the first decade of the 21st century. Though 2002 marked Queen Elizabeth’s Golden Jubilee—50 years on the throne—the death of her mother (the beloved Queen Mum) and sister early that year cast a pall on the celebrations.
In 2005, the queen enjoyed public support when she gave her assent to Prince Charles’ once-unthinkable marriage to his longtime love Camilla Parker Bowles.
In her seventh decade on the throne, Queen Elizabeth presided over the pomp and circumstance of another royal wedding at Westminster Abbey, that of Prince William to Catherine Middleton in April 2011. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, who are in line to become Britain’s next king and queen, continued the line of succession with their children, Prince George (born 2013), Princess Charlotte (born 2015) and Prince Louis (born 2018).
A consistent presence by his wife’s side and one of Britain’s busiest royals for much of her reign, Prince Philip stepped down from his royal duties in 2017, at the age of 96. That same year, the royal couple celebrated 70 years of marriage, making theirs the longest union in the history of the British monarchy. Philip died in 2021, at the age of 99.
In May 2018, Prince Harry wed the American actress Meghan Markle, a biracial divorcée whose embrace by the royal family indicated just how modern it had become during Elizabeth’s long reign. The couple had a son, Archie Mountbatten-Windsor, in 2019, and a daughter, Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, in 2021.
Rumors swirled at various times that Queen Elizabeth would step aside and let Prince Charles take the throne. In 2017, she delegated some of her royal obligations, such as the official Remembrance Day ceremony, to him, fueling speculation that she was preparing to bequeath the throne to her eldest son. Instead, she remained a consistent, stable presence at the head of Britain’s reigning family until her peaceful death in September 2022 at her beloved country residence, Balmoral Castle.
In the final years of her reign, she continued many of her official duties, public appearances and spent plenty of time outside with her beloved dogs and horses. Two days before her death, she officially installed a new prime minister, Liz Truss.
Sources
Her Majesty the Queen, The Royal Household website.
Sally Bedell Smith, Elizabeth the Queen (Penguin Random House, 2012).
Queen Elizabeth II – Fast Facts, CNN.
“Will Queen Elizabeth Give Prince Charles the Throne in 2018?” Newsweek.
Queen Elizabeth II, the UK's longest-serving monarch, has died at Balmoral aged 96, after reigning for 70 years.
She died peacefully on Thursday afternoon at her Scottish estate, where she had spent much of the summer.
The Queen came to the throne in 1952 and witnessed enormous social change.
Her son King Charles III said the death of his beloved mother was a "moment of great sadness" for him and his family and that her loss would be "deeply felt" around the world.
He said: "We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished sovereign and a much-loved mother.
"I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world."
During the coming period of mourning, he said he and his family would be "comforted and sustained by our knowledge of the respect and deep affection in which the Queen was so widely held".
The King and his wife, Camilla, now Queen Consort, will return to London on Friday, Buckingham Palace said. He is expected to address the nation.
Senior royals had gathered at Balmoral after the Queen's doctors became concerned about her health earlier in the day.
All the Queen's children travelled to Balmoral, near Aberdeen, after doctors placed the Queen under medical supervision.
Her grandson and now heir to the throne, Prince William, and his brother, Prince Harry, also gathered there.
Obituary: A long life marked by a sense of duty
Moment her death was announced on the BBC
Politicians pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II
King Charles III, the new monarch
Prime Minister Liz Truss, who was appointed by the Queen on Tuesday, said the monarch was the rock on which modern Britain was built, who had "provided us with the stability and strength that we needed".
Speaking about the new King, she said: "We offer him our loyalty and devotion, just as his mother devoted so much, to so many, for so long.
"And with the passing of the second Elizabethan age, we usher in a new era in the magnificent history of our great country, exactly as Her Majesty would have wished, by saying the words 'God save the King'."
The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby - spiritual leader to the Church of England of which the monarch is supreme governor - expressed his "profound sadness".
He said his "prayers are with the King and the Royal Family".
Media caption,
Queen's death a huge shock to the nation and the world - Prime Minister Truss
Queen Elizabeth II's tenure as head of state spanned post-war austerity, the transition from empire to Commonwealth, the end of the Cold War and the UK's entry into - and withdrawal from - the European Union.
Her reign spanned 15 prime ministers starting with Winston Churchill, born in 1874, and including Ms Truss, born 101 years later in 1975.
She held weekly audiences with her prime minister throughout her reign.
At Buckingham Palace in London, crowds awaiting updates on the Queen's condition began crying as they heard of her death.
The union flag on top of the palace was lowered to half-mast at 18:30 BST and an official notice announcing the death was posted outside.
On the Queen's death, Prince William and his wife, Catherine, became the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Cornwall.
Buckingham Palace staff place the official notice of the Queen's death outside the palace
IMAGE SOURCE,REUTERS
Image caption,
The official notice read: "The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon. The King and Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow."
The Queen was born Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor, in Mayfair, London, on 21 April 1926.
Few could have foreseen she would become monarch but in December 1936 her uncle, Edward VIII, abdicated from the throne to marry the twice-divorced American, Wallis Simpson.
Elizabeth's father became King George VI and, at age 10, Lilibet, as she was known in the family, became heir to the throne.
Within three years, Britain was at war with Nazi Germany. Elizabeth and her younger sister, Princess Margaret, spent much of wartime at Windsor Castle after their parents rejected suggestions they be evacuated to Canada.
After turning 18, Elizabeth spent five months with the Auxiliary Territorial Service and learned basic motor mechanic and driving skills. "I began to understand the esprit de corps that flourishes in the face of adversity," she recalled later.
Through the war, she exchanged letters with her third cousin, Philip, Prince of Greece, who was serving in the Royal Navy. Their romance blossomed and the couple married at Westminster Abbey on 20 November 1947, with the prince taking the title of Duke of Edinburgh.
She would later describe him as "my strength and stay" through 74 years of marriage, before his death in 2021, aged 99.
To mark their Diamond Wedding Anniversary on 20 November 2007, the Queen and Prince Philip re-visit Broadlands where 60 years ago in November 1947 they spent their wedding night
IMAGE SOURCE,TIM GRAHAM/PA
Image caption,
The Duke of Edinburgh was at the Queen's side for more than six decades of reign, becoming the longest-serving consort in British history in 2009
Their first son, Charles, was born in 1948, followed by Princess Anne, in 1950, Prince Andrew, in 1960, and Prince Edward, in 1964. Between them, they gave their parents eight grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
Princess Elizabeth was in Kenya in 1952, representing the ailing King, when Philip broke the news that her father had died. She immediately returned to London as the new Queen.
"It was all a very sudden kind of taking on and making the best job you can," she later recalled.
Elizabeth was crowned at Westminster Abbey on 2 June 1953, aged 27, in front of a then-record TV audience estimated at more than 20 million people.
Subsequent decades would see great change, with the end of the British Empire overseas and the Swinging '60s sweeping away social norms at home.
Crowds outside Buckingham Palace on Thursday, after the death was announced
IMAGE SOURCE,REUTERS
Image caption,
Thousands gathered outside Buckingham Palace after the death was announced
Charles delivered the Queen's speech on behalf of his mother for the first time in May
IMAGE SOURCE,PA MEDIA
Image caption,
Charles, as the Prince of Wales, delivered the Queen's speech on behalf of his mother for the first time in May
Elizabeth reformed the monarchy for this less deferential age, engaging with the public through walkabouts, royal visits and attendance at public events.
Her commitment to the Commonwealth was a constant - she visited every Commonwealth country at least once.
But there were periods of private and public pain.
In 1992, the Queen's "annus horribilis", fire devastated Windsor Castle - a private residence as well as working palace - and three of her children's marriages broke down.
After the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, in a car accident in Paris in 1997, the Queen drew criticism for appearing reluctant to respond publicly.
There were questions about the monarchy's relevance in modern society.
"No institution… should expect to be free from the scrutiny of those who give it their loyalty and support, not to mention those who don't," she acknowledged.
The Duke and Duchess of York with their eldest baby daughter Princess Elizabeth at her christening
IMAGE SOURCE,PA
Image caption,
Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor was born in Mayfair, London, on 21 April 1926, the first child of the Duke and Duchess of York
As a 21-year-old princess, Elizabeth had vowed to devote her life to service.
Reflecting on those words decades later, during her Silver Jubilee in 1977, she declared: "Although that vow was made in my salad days, when I was green in judgment, I do not regret nor retract one word of it."
That same commitment to serving was made 45 years later in a thank you letter to the nation on the weekend of her Platinum Jubilee in June.
The milestone was celebrated with a mix of state ceremonies and a colourful festival of all things British, as well as lively street parties.
Although the Queen's health kept her from some events, she said: "My heart has been with you all."
In a moment met with cheers from huge crowds in the Mall, she was joined by three generations of her family on the Buckingham Palace balcony for the finale of a pageant.
Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince George of Cambridge, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, Princess Charlotte of Cambridge, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Louis of Cambridge on the balcony during the Platinum Jubilee Pageant on June 05, 2022 in London, England
IMAGE SOURCE,GETTY IMAGES
Image caption,
On her Platinum Jubilee, the Queen delighted crowds by appearing on the balcony with three generations of her family
King Charles, aged 73, becomes head of state in 15 Commonwealth realms, including the UK.
He and his wife, Camilla, are at Balmoral alongside his siblings, Princess Anne, and Princes Andrew and Edward.
They are accompanied by Edward's wife, Sophie, as well as Princes William and Harry.
William's wife, Catherine, remained at Windsor with their children - George, Charlotte and Louis - as it has been their first full day at a new school.
Prince Andrew and Prince Edward arrive at Balmoral
IMAGE SOURCE,PA MEDIA
Image caption,
Prince William drove a group of senior royals - including Prince Andrew and Prince Edward - to Balmoral
Prince Harry arriving at Balmoral
IMAGE SOURCE,REX FEATURES
Image caption,
Prince Harry arrived at Balmoral later to join other senior royals
The Royal Family has now entered a period of mourning. In the coming days, much of national life will be put on hold.
Official engagements will be cancelled and union flags will be flown at half-mast on royal residences, government buildings, across the Armed Forces and on UK posts overseas.
Members of Parliament will pay tribute to the Queen and take an oath to King Charles.
There will be church bells tolling and gun salutes as local and national organisations and charities organise ways to pay their respects, with commemorative events and books of condolence.
A state funeral for the Queen is expected in the next two weeks.
Foreign leaders have paid tribute to the Queen, with US President Joe Biden recalling how she stood in solidarity with the US in their "darkest days" after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
To France's president, Emmanuel Macron, she was a "kind-hearted Queen" and "friend of France".
For Justin Trudeau, Canada's prime minister, the Queen was a constant in Canadians' lives and one of his "favourite people in the world".
King Charles III, the 62nd British monarch to serve over the past 1,200 years, ascended to the throne on September 8, 2022, following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. At age 73, British history’s longest-serving heir-apparent was officially proclaimed king two days later at a ceremony at St. James’s Palace near Buckingham Palace, making him the oldest person to assume the title.
King Charles III's Early Life
Born November 14, 1948, at Buckingham Palace, Prince Charles Philip Arthur George was the first child of then-Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip and grandson of King George VI. On February 6, 1952, at the age of 3, he became heir-apparent when his mother ascended the throne.
At age 4, Charles was famously shown seated between the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret at Elizabeth’s crtion ceremony and continued to spend his life in the public eye.
Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother and Prince Charles with Princess Margaret Rose shown in the royal box at Westminster Abbey during the crtion ceremony of Queen Elizabeth II.
Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother and Prince Charles with Princess Margaret Rose in the royal box at Westminster Abbey during the crtion ceremony of Queen Elizabeth II.
Topical Press Agency/Getty Images
According to Royal.uk, the official website of the British royal family, Charles's parents chose to send him to school, making him the first heir to receive an outside education, rather than one from private tutors. He attended several schools, including a private boarding school in Scotland and two terms as an exchange student in Melbourne.
Charles was also the first heir to the British crown to earn a bachelor’s degree, attending Trinity College, at Cambridge University from 1967-1970. He studied archaeology, anthropology and, eventually, history. It was during this time, in 1969, that, at age 20, he was titled Prince of Wales.
Following in the footsteps of his father, grandfather and great-grandfathers, Charles served in the Royal Navy from 1971-1976 where he flew helicopters, first training as a Royal Air Force pilot and eventually serving as commander of the minesweeper the HMS Bronington.
Marriage and Divorce
Princess Diana and Prince Charles on their wedding day.
Princess Diana and Prince Charles on their wedding day, July 29, 1981.
Anwar Hussein/WireImage/Getty Imags
Charles began dating Lady Diana Spencer in 1980 when she was 19 and he was 31. Charles had met Diana three years earlier while dating her older sister, Sarah. In February 1981, their engagement was announced, causing a media frenzy over their relationship. When asked during a TV interview if they were in love, Diana responded, “Of course,” while Charles said, “Whatever ‘in love’ means.”
They were married on July 29, 1981, at St. Paul’s Cathedral in a ceremony witnessed by a record-breaking 750 million TV viewers across the globe. The day was declared a national holiday in Great Britain. Diana became the first English woman since 1660 to marry an heir to the throne.
The couple’s first son, Prince William, was born June 21, 1982, and Prince Harry was born two years later on September 15, 1984.
Diana, Princess of Wales (1961 - 1997) riding in a sleigh with Prince William and Prince Harry during a skiing holiday in Lech, Austria, 30th March 1993.
Diana, Princess of Wales (1961 - 1997) riding in a sleigh with Prince William (left) and Prince Harry during a skiing holiday in Lech, Austria, March 30, 1993.
Jayne Fincher/Princess Diana Archive/Getty Images
Beloved by the public for her beauty, grace and humanitarian work that included working with HIV/AIDS and leprosy patients and advocating for landmine removal and homelessness causes, Diana had the support of the public when the couple separated in 1992. This became especially true following Charles’s admission that he had engaged in a long-running affair with Camilla Parker Bowles during a 1994 interview. “There were three of us in this marriage,” Diana later responded. Charles and Diana divorced in 1996. Tragically, on August 31, 1997, Diana was killed in a car wreck in Paris, along with her companion, Dodi Al-Fayed and driver, Henri Paul.
In 2004, Charles and Parker Bowles announced their engagement, and wed the next year with Parker Bowles given the title Duchess of Cornwall.
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Ascension and crtion
When Queen Elizabeth died at age 96 after serving as Britain’s longest-serving monarch on September 8, 2022, Charles immediately became king, with an official proclamation taking place on September 10.
“My mother gave an example of lifelong love and of selfless service,” he told the Assession Council. “Even as we grieve, we give thanks for this most faithful life. I am deeply aware of this great inheritance and of the duties and heavy responsibilities of sovereignty which have now passed to me.”
King Charles III attends the Committal Service for Queen Elizabeth II at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle on September 19, 2022 in Windsor, England.
King Charles III attends the Committal Service for Queen Elizabeth II at St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle on September 19, 2022 in Windsor, England.
Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images
A crtion date has yet to be announced, but will likely occur in 2023 at London's Westminster Abbey, where he will become the 40th monarch crowned there in the 900 years the ceremony has been held at the landmark. As king, Charles is head of the Commonwealth, which includes 54 countries, including 14, plus the United Kingdom, in which he is also the head of state.
With Charles’s ascension, his son William inherited his father’s former title, Prince of Wales and became the heir to the throne. Camilla’s title changed to Queen Consort. Charles has five grandchildren: Prince George (next in line to the crown after William), Princess Charlotte and Prince Louie, all born to Prince William and Kate Middleton; and Archie and Lilibet, children of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
Queen’s funeral in numbers: All the key facts and figures from flowers to animals
For an event of this magnitude, the Queen’s funeral boasted some impressive numbers, and even broke a world record
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By Rachael Davies
20 September 2022
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T
he Queen’s funeral was the first State Funeral to take place in the UK since the death of Winston Churchill in 1965.
As Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, the Queen was laid to rest in an enormous ceremony that brought hundreds of thousands of people onto London’s streets to bid her farewell.
Here are some of the key statistics from the Queen’s funeral, offering an insight into the sheer scale of the event.
The Queen’s Funeral in numbers
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One million people are estimated to have attended the public funeral procession in London, according to transport authorities.
Ten miles was the longest length of the queue to see the Queen lying in wait, resulting in wait times of more than 24 hours.
2,000 guests travelled to Westminster Abbey, including 100 presidents and heads of government, such as American president Joe Biden, Emperor Naruhito of Japan, and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.
800 guests were present for the Queen’s more private committal service in St George’s Church, at Windsor Castle. This was followed by a private burial, attended by the monarch’s family, on Monday evening (September 19).
Four billion TV viewers tuned in around the world to watch the coverage of the funeral service and procession, a new world record.
Ten days of events led up to the funeral, including vigils attended by various members of the Queen’s family.
Six former British prime ministers attended the funeral, including John Major, Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, Theresa May, David Cameron, and Boris Johnson. Current PM Liz Truss also gave a reading.
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5,949 military personnel were deployed throughout the events since the Queen’s death on September 8, including 4,416 from the Army, 847 from the Navy, and 686 from the Air Force. 175 armed forces personnel from Commonwealth nations were also involved.
138 Royal Navy sailors were a key part of the State Funeral, with 98 pulling the gun carriage and another 40 marching behind as brakes, in a display not seen in London since the funeral of Winston Churchill in 1965.
Seven types of flowers made up the Queen’s funeral floral arrangements, including Asiatic lilies, gladioli, alstroemeria, Eustoma, foliage of English oak, weeping birch, and sprigs of myrtle.
Three beloved pets of the Queen were also present on the day, including two Corgis, Muick and Sandy, and her pony, which had her riding headscarf laid across the saddle.
Who attended the late Queen's funeral? World leaders and countries on the guest list
Nearly 500 dignitaries from around the world came to London to pay their last respects
By
Amira Arasteh,
DIGITAL CONTENT EDITOR ;
Nick Squires
and
Anita Singh
19 September 2022 • 5:47pm
Joe Biden, the US President, was joined by his wife Jill (right) and the US Ambassador to the UK, Jane Hartley, to view the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II lying in state
Joe Biden, the US President, was joined by his wife Jill (right) and the US Ambassador to the UK, Jane Hartley, to view the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II lying in state CREDIT: Joe Giddens/WPA Pool/Getty Images
Nearly 500 dignitaries from around the world paid their last respects to Queen Elizabeth II at her full state funeral at Westminster Abbey today.
They joined members of the Royal family, UK prime ministers past and present, and key figures from public life in one of the largest diplomatic moments of the century.
So, who did we get to see?
The Royal family
The late Queen’s four children – King Charles III, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward – were present at the funeral, as well as their respective spouses: Camilla, the Queen Consort; Sophie, Countess of Wessex and Sir Tim Laurence. The Duke of York’s ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, also attended.
King Charles III, the Princess Royal, the Duke of York and the Earl of Wessex walk behind Queen Elizabeth II's coffin during the procession from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St Giles' Cathedral
King Charles III, the Princess Royal, the Duke of York and the Earl of Wessex walk behind Queen Elizabeth II's coffin during the procession from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St Giles' Cathedral CREDIT: Jon Super
The late Queen’s grandchildren were also in attendance at the service - Prince William, Price Harry, Peter Phillips, Zara Tindall, Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, Lady Louise Windsor and James, Viscount Severn.
Spouses of close family, including Catherine, the Princess of Wales and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex paid their respects too.
Other Royals who attended the funeral ceremony included Queen Elizabeth II’s cousins: the Duke of Kent, Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, Princess Alexandra and Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester.
Foreign royals
Monarchs from across the world flew into London to pay their respects. Royal representation at the funeral included:
Crown Prince of Bahrain
King of the Belgians
King of Bhutan
Sultan of Brunei
Queen of Denmark
Emperor of Japan
King of Jordan
Crown Prince of Kuwait
King of the Kingdom of Lesotho
Hereditary Prince Alois of Liechtenstein
Grand Duke of Luxembourg
Malaysian Sultan
Prince of Monaco
Crown Prince of Morocco
King of the Netherlands
King of Norway
Sultan of Oman
Amir of the State of Qatar
Salman of Saudi Arabia
King of Spain
King of Sweden
King of Tonga
President of the UAE
World leaders
Her Majesty met countless world leaders during her 70-year reign and many of these politicians attended her state funeral, including a representative from every G7 country.
Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand’s prime minister, brought 10 guests including the Maori King, Tūheitia Paki. Her Australian and Canadian counterparts Anthony Albanese and Justin Trudeau were also there. David Hurley, Australia’s Governor-General, joined, as did Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil’s president.
South Korean president Yoon Suk-Yeol was also in attendance. Meanwhile, a representative of North Korea was allowed to attend the funeral. Britain and North Korea established diplomatic relations in 2000 after 60 years without embassies. However, Kim Jong Un, the country’s leader, rarely travels abroad and was never likely to attend.
The Japanese Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako also travelled to Britain to attend. Traditionally, a Japanese emperor stays away from funerals whether at home or abroad because of a cultural belief based in the Shinto religion that considers death impure. The decision for Naruhito to attend the Queen's funeral underscores the importance and the deep bond between the royal families.
HH Amir Tamim bin Hamad al Thani, Emir of Qatar, was also present.
Israel’s president also attended, however the prime minister did not. Although Iran's Supreme Leader was not present, the BBC’s James Lansdale confirmed that the country would be represented at an ambassadorial level.
Wang Qishan, China’s vice president, attended at the invitation of the British Government. However, his attendance was criticised by senior Conservative MPs, who said it was “extraordinary” that representatives of the Chinese government were invited given accusations of genocide in Xinjiang.
Special guests and foreign delegations
Seventeen of the 23 recipients of the Victoria Cross and George Cross attended the service, including one from New Zealand and four from Australia.
Seven were involved in the Procession of the Orders of Chivalry, including Colour Sergeant Johnson Beharry VC, who was awarded Britain’s highest military honour for twice saving colleagues while under fire in Iraq.
Jacinda Amey, who risked her life to pull a friend to safety amid a great white shark attack, when she was just 23, is one of 10 guests that New Zealand was allowed to invite to the funeral.
The country’s delegation also included Kiingi Tuheitia, a Maori king, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, the celebrated soprano, and young entrepreneur Jacqueline Gilbert.
Also in attendance was Willie Apiata, a special forces soldier who won the Victoria Cross for his bravery under fire while fighting in Afghanistan. He is the only recipient of the Victoria Cross for New Zealand, which replaced the British Victoria Cross in 1999.
Queen Elizabeth II shakes hands with Willie Apiata
Queen Elizabeth II was introduced to Willie Apiata (right) at Buckingham Palace in 2018 CREDIT: John Stillwell/AFP via Getty
This invitation privilege was extended to all Commonwealth nations, while other countries were limited to just two guests, in addition to state dignitaries.
Decorated military veteran Ben Roberts-Smith was among the special guests to represent Australia at the funeral. He received the Victoria Cross for his bravery in battle as a corporal in the Australian SAS in Afghanistan in 2010.
The Australian delegation also included Chris Waller, a horse trainer who looked after many of the Queen’s horses.
Australia offered to help delegations from Commonwealth countries in the South Pacific fly to the UK for the funeral, including Samoa, Tuvalu, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Fiji, Tonga and Vanuatu.
Mr Trudeau invited Leslie Arthur Palmer, a member of the coast guard who was awarded Canada’s Cross of Valour for rescuing two fisherman in 2004. Also in attendance was Sandra Oh, the Killing Eve actress, who formed part of Justin Trudeau’s official delegation. She participated in a procession of recipients of national honours, but did not take a seat in Westminster Abbey.
Other recipients of the Order of Canada – the country’s second highest civilian honour – including musician Gregory Charles and Mark Tewksbury, the Olympic gold medal swimmer were also present.
Non-high profile figures
Her Majesty relied on many close staff, such as her ladies-in-waiting and footmen, who were also in attendance to pay their respects to the late Queen. One was Angela Kelly, the late Queen’s dresser and trusted confidante.
And taking their place alongside the visiting dignitaries were 183 members of the public, chosen for their service to the community. It may have been a grand state occasion, but it was also the people’s funeral, reflecting the late monarch’s connection to her subjects.
Those members of the public were all recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List earlier this year.
The late Queen had specified that honours recipients from all corners of the United Kingdom be included on the guest list, along with George Cross and Victoria Cross holders whose bravery she held in high regard.
They included Barbara Crellin, from Rutland, who was awarded the MBE for setting up an emergency first responder scheme in her local community. Mrs Crellin, 71, also does voluntary work encouraging children to take part in sport.
“When they told me why they were calling, you could have knocked me down with a feather,” Mrs Crellin said of her telephone call from the Cabinet Office last Saturday, inviting her to attend the funeral.
Pranav Bhanot, 34, a solicitor and parish councillor honoured for distributing food to housebound residents of Chigwell, Essex during lockdown, said that the invitation was “the last thing I expected”.
Robert Lodge, of Weeley Heath in Essex, is a veteran who was honoured for his work with the Red Cypher charity, which supports past and present members of 3rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery.
Robert Lodge holds up a wreath of poppies
Robert Lodge met the late Queen in 1984 CREDIT: Robert Lodge/PA
“That’s a special feeling, to get that invite,” said Mr Lodge, 71. “It is a duty and I feel privileged, and, ‘Why me?’”
He met the Queen in Germany in 1984 when she visited a gunner parade in Dortmund. “She was friendly, straight-talking as everyone knows her to be, and a wonderful person,” he added.
Mr Lodge said he had been moved by the national outpouring of grief. “Only this country would produce the standard of organisation and pageantry that we’re seeing on television. Absolutely amazing. Outstanding.”
Guy Addington, 45, an RNLI volunteer from Margate in Kent, is credited with saving 13 lives at sea, although he stressed that it was always as part of a crew.
He followed his father and grandfather by working at the lifeboat station in Margate, and met the Queen when she visited in 2011.
Guy Addington
Guy Addington met the late Queen during her visit to Margate in 2011 CREDIT: Guy Addington/PA
“The Queen was so interested and really supportive of the RNLI. She would often pay ad-hoc visits and we enjoyed a visit of that type in Margate.”
Mr Addington said of his invitation to the funeral: “It’s in no way lost on me, the magnitude of this moment in history, so to have the opportunity to be even slightly involved, let alone actually go to the service, is just incredible.”
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “These individuals drawn from across the UK were recognised for their extraordinary contributions in areas including the response to the cvd-19 pandemic, people who volunteered in their communities, charity workers and those who work in healthcare, education and the wider public sector”.
Who will not be attending the Queen’s funeral?
Invitations to the Queen’s funeral were not sent to Russia, Belarus and Myanmar.
Russia was not invited because of Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, diplomatic sources said.
Dmitry Peskov previously said, although “Russians respected her for her wisdom”, Putin’s attendance at the late Queen’s funeral “is not being considered”.
Venezuela and Syria were not invited because Britain does not have full diplomatic relations with them, The Telegraph understands. No representatives from Afghanistan were invited because of the current political situation there.
The former US presidents Donald Trump and Barack Obama did not attend. Instead, the Government invited Mr Trump to a memorial service in honour of the Queen in Washington DC.
Charles III, formerly called Prince Charles, formerly in full Charles Philip Arthur George, prince of Wales and earl of Chester, duke of Cornwall, duke of Rothesay, earl of Carrick and Baron Renfrew, Lord of the Isles, and Prince and Great Steward of Scotland, (born November 14, 1948, Buckingham Palace, London, England), king of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from September 8, 2022. He is the eldest child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, duke of Edinburgh.
After private schooling at Buckingham Palace and in London, Hampshire, and Scotland, Charles entered Trinity College, Cambridge, in 1967. He took a bachelor’s degree there in 1971, the first ever earned by an heir to the British crown. He also spent a term at the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, learning Welsh in preparation for his investiture as prince of Wales on July 1, 1969, at Caernarvon Castle. He then attended the Royal Air Force College (becoming an excellent flier) and the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, and from 1971 to 1976 took a tour of duty with the Royal Navy. Later he became an outspoken critic of modern architecture. He expressed his views on the topic in A Vision of Britain (1989). In 1992 he founded the Prince of Wales’s Institute of Architecture, which later evolved into the BRE Trust, an organization involved with urban regeneration and development projects.
On July 29, 1981, Charles married Lady Diana Frances Spencer, daughter of the 8th Earl Spencer. The royal wedding was a global media event, broadcast live on television and watched by hundreds of millions of people; following the ceremony, she took the title princess of Wales. The couple’s first child, Prince William of Wales, became at his birth (June 21, 1982) second in line of succession to the throne. Their second child, Prince Henry Charles Albert David (known as Harry), was born on September 15, 1984.
Charles’s marriage to Diana gradually grew strained amid intense scrutiny from the tabloid press and rumours of infidelity. On December 9, 1992, it was announced that Charles and Diana had decided to separate but would continue to fulfill their public duties and to share the responsibility of raising their sons. The couple divorced on August 28, 1996. A year later Diana died in an auto accident, and popular feeling for her, stronger even in death than in life, served to jeopardize the traditional form of monarchy that Charles represented. He subsequently spent much effort in modernizing his public image as the heir apparent. On April 9, 2005, he married Camilla Parker Bowles (born 1947), with whom he had a long-standing relationship; after the wedding, Parker Bowles took the title of duchess of Cornwall.
Arguably, the issue that has remained closest to Charles’s heart is his concern for the environment, which dates to at least 1970, when he delivered a speech on the “horrifying effects” of all forms of pollution and called attention to the threat posed by “indestructible plastic containers.” Since then he has often highlighted the need for rapid action on global warming. He has also been a passionate champion of sustainability, not least through the efforts of his Prince’s Foundation, inspired by his philosophy of harmony: “that by understanding the balance, the order and the relationships between ourselves and the natural world we can create a more sustainable future.”
During the 2010s the attention of royal watchers in many ways shifted from Charles to his sons, whose high-profile “royal weddings” put them and their glamorous partners in the international spotlight. In 2011 William married Catherine Middleton, and in 2018 Harry married Meghan Markle. Tensions arose between Charles and Harry, when Harry and Meghan chose to “step back” from their royal duties and, after negotiations, ceased to be working members of the royal family. Their absence from royal affairs and later that of Prince Andrew (who gave up his military titles and royal patronages in 2021 in the wake of a scandal tied to his involvement with sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein) only added to the burden on Charles, who increasingly stood in for the aging Elizabeth as her health became more fragile. Some observers even suggested that Charles had effectively become a regent for the queen. Following her death on September 8, 2022, Charles became king.
Charles delivered his inaugural address on September 9, 2022. In the televised speech he paid tribute to his mother’s life and pledged “throughout the remaining time God grants me, to uphold the Constitutional principles at the heart of our nation.” In addition, he conferred the title prince of Wales upon his eldest son, William. Also on September 9 Charles met with Prime Minister Liz Truss at Buckingham Palace.
The new king toured the constituent units of the United Kingdom as they mourned Elizabeth’s death. He also participated with his siblings, his sons, and their families in a series of moving processions and ceremonies honouring the life and legacy of the queen. Notably, he stood vigil with his siblings by the queen’s coffin as it lay in state in Westminster Hall and attended Elizabeth’s sombre funeral ceremony in Westminster Abbey.