The United Kingdom was in turmoil for the state funeral of Elizabeth II. But a member of the royal family missed the call on September 19. Who was he ? A look back at this extraordinary day... [VIDEO]
[Updated September 20 at 6:37 p.m.] The Queen was laid to rest in the Royal Crypt of St George's Chapel in Windsor, after a grand funeral. Elizabeth II left this world at the age of 96 on September 8, at her castle in Balmoral, Scotland . On September 11, the coffin of the late Queen was transported to Edinburgh , at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the Scottish royal residence. So that the Scots can pay homage to the mother of the roi Charles III , the funeral procession made a journey of no less than 300 kilometers. Then, the coffin rested in London for a few days until the date of the funeral, September 19, 2022. All afternoon, the procession to Windsor , in Berkshire, where the queen was buried, continued.
As Big Ben tolled, Her Majesty The Queens coffin made its final journey through London.
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) September 19, 2022
From Westminster Abbey, along Horse Guards, down the Mall to Wellington Arch, the Procession included detachments from British and Commonwealth Armed Forces. pic.twitter.com/JYb4BZFeGZ
If the royal family was gathered to pay homage to the queen on this moving day of funeral, this September 19, a member of the clan was missing. According Hello! , it is Katharine, Duchess of Kent , wife of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, first cousin of the late Queen (not to be confused with her son, Prince Edward and Earl of Wessex). The Duke of Kent did attend the royal funeral, but his wife, 89, was absent, believed to be due to health issues including myalgic encephalomyelitis (better known as chronic fatigue syndrome) . The octogenarian left office in 2022. Her last public appearance was last May, when she was at Lancaster House in London for her charity, Future Talent.
See this post on InstagramA post shared by The Crown Chronicles (@crownchronicles)
Elizabeth II was buried in the Royal Crypt of St George's Chapel in Windsor, alongside her husband, Prince Philip. However, the queen was not buried. 'The kings of England aren't buried, they're buried, that's why this coffin is so protected so it can stand the test of time “, explained Stéphane Bern on France 2.
Queen Elizabeth II was interred in a vault at St George's chapel on Monday, alongside her late husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, her parents and sister. pic.twitter.com/uhWLMzozwH
— The Royal Family Channel (@RoyalFamilyITNP) September 20, 2022
At the end of the religious service at St. George's Chapel, Major Paul Burns, bagpiper , moved the congregation (and the whole world) by playing an air chosen by Elizabeth II herself before she died. It is Sleep, Dearie, Sleep. The video of this moving and timeless moment circulated on social networks and became one of the highlights of this funeral.
The bagpipe player pic.twitter.com/tnugA7a7sE
— Aurélie Casse (@AureCasse) September 19, 2022
The Royal Family released a never-before-seen photo of Queen Elizabeth II . A rather old photo, but which had never been shown to the public, on which we see the queen in the middle of a hike. ' May the angels sing your rest “, is it written in caption of the snapshot, on the Twitter account of the royal family.
May flights of Angels sing thee to thy rest.
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) September 19, 2022
In loving memory of Her Majesty The Queen.
1926 - 2022 pic.twitter.com/byh5uVNDLq
At the end of the tribute to Windsor, Lord Chamberlain smashed a cane over the coffin of the late Queen Elizabeth II . This gesture marked the end of the reign of the sovereign. A moment of contemplation, but also the announcement of a renewal full of hope!
Elizabeth II's cane broken to symbolize the end of her reign pic.twitter.com/sT7n61fEhz
— BFMTV (@BFMTV) September 19, 2022
After the Queen's coffin was transported to St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, a private ceremony took place attended by the nearby Royal Family (but in all the number of guests totaled... 800 people). During the mass given in honor of the Queen, the prince George has also moved the whole world since he sang the prayer texts at the same time as his parents. During this ceremony, the queen's Windorgis friends, named Muick and Sandy, were also present. But the doggies weren't the only animals to attend. Emma, the queen's knight , was also on hand and waited for the end of the procession in Windsor.
The Queens horse Emma waits as the funeral procession passes through Windsor pic.twitter.com/0gKCZYpPfZ
— Elliot Wagland (@elliotwagland) September 19, 2022
The Prince and Princess of Wales, Prince George and Princess Charlotte inside St Georges Chapel at Windsor Castle (September 19).
— Princess of Wales News (@HRHPWales) September 19, 2022
: Victoria Jones pic.twitter.com/WdPaI0ph3T
The Queen's corgis, Muick and Sandy are walked inside Windsor Castle ahead of the Committal Service
— Elliot Wagland (@elliotwagland) September 19, 2022
Pic AFP pic.twitter.com/TXLz1pcpfi
The Queen's coffin was on display in Westminster Hall until 6.30am on September 19. And it's a Brit named Chrissy Heerey who had the chance to to meditate on his coffin for the last time in this room . She was the last person in line. ' I didn't realize it was going to be such a privilege. I came for the first time yesterday afternoon (Sunday, editor's note) because I knew it was going to close. It took eight and a half hours, I arrived around 1:30 in the morning. It was really fast but unreal so I tried to go for it a second time “, she explained to BFM TV . The second time she went there, this woman who was part of the British armed forces waited no less than 14 hours in the queue.
'I came twice': Chrissy, the last person to meditate in front of Elizabeth's coffin https://t.co/3wvcPtmPSI pic.twitter.com/pTaAUjSNxW
— BFMTV (@BFMTV) September 19, 2022
While Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron have already landed in London on September 18 to pay tribute to the Queen of England , their very casual look caused controversy in England. The spouses appeared dressed in sneakers and wearing sunglasses. A look that has been talked about with the English media, who denounce a lack of respect. But arrived at Buckingham Palace and then Westminster Hall, the couple donned a more formal outfit.
Funeral of Elizabeth II: the images of Emmanuel Macron in basketball displease the English media pic.twitter.com/Kfv7aYWldu
— BFMTV (@BFMTV) September 19, 2022
On September 18, a reception was given at Buckingham Palace by King Charles III in honor of the late Queen, attended by dignitaries from around the world. The Macron husband were obviously present, as was C harlene and Albert from Monaco, Joe and Jill Biden, Felipe VI and Letizia from Spain, Rania from Jordan , or the king of bahrain Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.
Kings, Queens, Emperors, Empresses and Sultans:
— Royal Central (@RoyalCentral) September 18, 2022
Royals from across the globe have arrived at Buckingham Palace for a diplomatic reception hosted by King Charles III: pic.twitter.com/HN2aUFkKrH
On the night of September 16-17, as Britons waited to pay their respects to the Queen's coffin, a man burst into Westminster Hall and ran towards the remains of Elizabeth II to touch the coffin . He was tackled to the ground by security guards and arrested. ' The Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command arrested a man in Westminster Hall following a disturbance. He was taken into custody “, explained Scotland Yard, the British police force.
UNITED KINGDOM: An individual burst into Westminster Hall last night and rushed towards the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II. He was taken to the ground by the police and arrested. pic.twitter.com/xhOn24B9xD
— French Info (@InfosFrancaises) September 17, 2022
The funeral of Elizabeth II will begin Monday, September 19 at 11 a.m. local time . But before the start of the state funeral, which Buckingham Palace has already announced, there are several stages. Since September 14, the coffin of Elizabeth II had been displayed in Westminster Hall, and guarded night and day by soldiers. The British could go there to see the coffin of the Queen, but they were warned: the queue was extremely long! On September 15, the British Digital Department indicated through a video broadcast in real time that the queue to access the famous room measured more than 6.5 kilometers. On September 16, David Beckham queued no less than 12 hours to access the queen's coffin.
Guess who else is in the #thequeueforthequeen #TheQueue #2012tweeps pic.twitter.com/gkdaIYGANU
— Chris Jones (@Madscouser72) September 16, 2022
It's in Westminster Abbey, London , that the farewell ceremony to Elizabeth II took place. The crowd held all along the wide avenue of the Mall and large screens will broadcast the funeral live, in the royal parks. The coffin was then carried to Wellington's Arch in Hyde Park Corner, London, before departing for Windsor, Berkshire, where the Queen was buried in St George's Chapel in the château de Windsor , which was the favorite residence of the Queen of England.
Funeral of Elizabeth II: Two minutes of silence observed in Westminster and across the UK pic.twitter.com/Hjm7z1XyNo
— BFMTV (@BFMTV) September 19, 2022
Funeral of Elizabeth II: images of Prince George and Princess Charlotte going up the nave behind the Queen's coffin pic.twitter.com/MtgXmpodBc
— BFMTV (@BFMTV) September 19, 2022
The Queen's funeral would cost around 35 million euros , according to British media estimates. An exorbitant cost that shocks some Britons, who are struggling to stay afloat in the midst of an economic crisis. 'I think it's ridiculous to spend all this money on someone who died. Of course it's sad, but it's also sad to see people who are poor, dying or sick “, in particular lamented a resident of the United Kingdom at the microphone of Europe 1 .
In the United Kingdom, the bill for the funeral of Elizabeth II is controversial pic.twitter.com/pkjd4b5Lx0
— BFMTV (@BFMTV) September 19, 2022
According to David Hoyle, the dean of Westminster who will be in charge of the ceremony, the queen had planned in part what was going to be said during her funeral. ' Instructions were left and preparations were made long ago , you can trust: the queen foresaw what was to be said “, he confided to BFM TV .
In France, all non-stop news channels, such as BFM TV , CNews or LCI , were mobilized to broadcast this historic event live. TF1 and France 2 changed their programs on September 19 to cover the ceremony. On the first channel, at 6 a.m. Stefan Etcheverry, Adrien Gindre and Margot Haddad were at the controls of a special edition from London, then at 8 o'clock it is Anne-Claire Coudray and Gilles Bouleau who relayed the news from the studios in Paris, with their special correspondents in the United Kingdom.
The first part of the day was followed by 1.05 million viewers , that is 22.5% audience share according to Mediametrie. Between 12 p.m. and 1 p.m., about 2.87 million people were in front of their television set. Then, instead of the usual 1 p.m. news, a special Elizabeth II edition was offered and interested approximately 3.36 million people, or 26.6% of the total audience . A score down from a classic news, since, last Monday, for example, the 1 p.m. news was watched by 4.13 million French people, or 37.3% of the public.
On France 2, The 6h info , presented by Samuel Etienne and Elodie Largenton , and Telematin , presented by Thomas Sotto and Julia Vignali , were dedicated to the Queen's funeral. Then, it's the host of the 1 p.m. news, Julian Bugier , who was at the helm of a special edition, starting at 10 a.m., accompanied, among others, by Stéphane Bern .
Until 1:15 p.m., France 2 was able to captivate a average of 2.17 million viewers , be one 27.5% audience share . Then, between 1:15 p.m. and 3:15 p.m., approximately 3.20 million French followed the procession of the Queen's coffin on France 2, which corresponds to an audience share of 30.8% .
As for the continuous news channels, which followed the event closely, they generally succeeded in their bet. Throughout the day, BFMTV was able to convince 7.3% of French people , while CNews captivated 2.7% of the public , followed by LCI which interested 2.5% of viewers and franceinfo, whose audience share was 1.4% . BFMTV rose to the rank of 4th national channel during the funeral of Elizabeth II . Just that !
When the royal coffin left Westminster Hall , the royals followed right behind. The four children of the Queen, the King Charles III, the princess anne , the prince Andrew and the prince Edouard were in the front line, followed by princes William et Harry and their cousin, Peter Philips , son of Princess Anne. They will themselves be followed by Vice-Admiral Sir Tim Laurence , from prince Richard , Duke of Gloucester, cousin of the Queen, and her nephew, David Armstrong-Jones , Earl of Snowdon.
The prince Harry does not wear his military uniform during the ceremony. His spokesperson said in a statement: ' Prince Harry will wear a classic costume at events honoring her grandmother. His decade of military service is not determined by the uniform he wears '.
As for princes George and Charlotte , aged 9 and 7, they walked through the church behind the coffin of their famous great-grandmother. They will stand with their parents, the prince William et Kate Middleton , followed by the prince Harry and Meghan Markle . However, the prince louis , the youngest child of the Prince and Princess of Wales, aged just 4, did not attend the ceremony. The royal family would like, on the other hand, to prevent this little teaser, who had chained grimaces at the queen's jubilee, from repeating his exploits during this solemn moment. As for Archie, 3, and Lilibet, 1, Meghan and Harry's children, they are too young to attend the ceremony.
For this funeral, which promises to be grandiose, approximately 2000 guests , whose not less than ' 500 dignitaries ' of the world, are expected, according to AFP and the British government. Crowned heads should be among the guests to pay homage to the Queen of England. Among all these beautiful people, the American president Joe Biden and his wife Jill Biden have already arrived at Westminster Abbey, as have Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron . The heads of state of Russia, Burma, North Korea or Iran are not invited. As to pope francis , he will not attend the ceremony.
Funeral of Elizabeth II: Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron arrived at Westminster Abbey pic.twitter.com/hM6Dmrbgnl
— BFMTV (@BFMTV) September 19, 2022
But to accommodate all these heads of state and other personalities, a concrete security device is planned and must be carefully measured. ' The logistics have been carefully prepared to make it as smooth as possible ', explained Downing Street. Organizational rules have been put in place and the protocol provides that only one head of state per country, accompanied by his or her spouse, is present... and makes the trip. by a commercial flight or by bus , ' as far as possible “, obviously. For the Prime Ministers of the Commonwealth monarchies, a derogation is planned to allow them to attend the ceremony accompanied by ten people.
Once in the UK it is desirable that heads of state do not make the journey in their state cars, but are driven by bus and under police escort' Due to strict security measures and road restrictions '.' Clearly, the procedures concerning in particular the means of transport of the directors will vary according to individual constraints .Recommendations are just recommendations “, however added Downing Street.
The day before the funeral, a reception at Buckingham Palace was given by Charles III, the son of Elizabeth II. The foreign leaders who were already there were able sign the condolence book at Lancaster House , near Saint James's Palace, where the body of the late sovereign was on display.
The coffin of Queen Elizabeth II is special to say the least! It is made from English oak lined with lead , like that of Prince Philip, in order to make it hermetic, since it will not be buried but deposited in a crypt. Thus, the body of the late Queen of England will be protected from moisture and will decompose less quickly. The handles of the coffin are made of brass, a feature reserved for royal vaults. Covered with the royal standard and insignia, he was prepared over 30 years ago , according The Times . However, during the funeral, the public could not see the Queen's face. The coffin remained closed.
An extraordinary bouquet
On the queen's coffin, a bouquet of flowers is laid out. It contains myrtle, which dates from its wedding bouquet with Prince Philip in 1947. He is ' cut from a plant grown from myrtle in the queen's wedding bouquet “, at the request of King Charles III, as explained by Buckingham Palace.
On the bouquet, we also distinguish leaves of rosemary, English oak, and flowers, ' in shades of gold, pink and dark burgundy, with touches of white, cut in the gardens of the Royal Residences “, according to the royal palace.
LIVE
— BFMTV (@BFMTV) September 19, 2022
The wreath on the Queen's coffin contains myrtle taken from her wedding bouquet https://t.co/mkbxHhvr29 pic.twitter.com/lKhxS2QKka
As for the sublime crown placed on his coffin, the Imperial State Crown, it was made by Garrad & Co, the Crown Jeweler and was worn by George VI and Elizabeth II at each opening of a parliamentary session. According The Guardian , she weights 910 grams, it is adorned with a purple velvet cap surrounded by an ermine band, and 2868 diamonds, 17 sapphires, 4 rubies, 11 emeralds and 269 pearls . Just that !
Elizabeth II late buried at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle , in the family vault where his father rests, George VI , who died in 1952, his mother, Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon , who died in 2002, and her sister, the princess Margaret , also deceased and cremated in 2002. As for her husband, the prince Philip, who died in April 2021, he rests temporarily in the Royal Vault in Frogmore Gardens, Windsor. It was planned that after the Queen's death, her body would be transferred to the chapel at Windsor Castle, to rest for eternity with his wife.
Source journaldesfemmes.fr