A somber King Charles III led the procession of Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin Monday morning into Westminster Abbey for her state funeral.
He walked with other members of the royal family, including his sister Anne, Princess Royal, and his brothers Prince Andrew, Duke of York and Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex.
His children William, Prince of Wales, and Prince Harry, who walked close together, also followed their grandmother’s coffin along with their cousin Peter Phillips, Anne’s son.
The family looked solemn as they prepared to say their last goodbyes to Her Majesty in front of some 2,000 guests, including hundreds of heads of state, and the rest of the world celebrating her 70-year reign.
WORLD LEADERS ARRIVE QUEEN ELIZABETH’S FUNERAL
Soon after the queen’s death at 96 on Sept. 8, Charles told Prime Minister Liz Truss her passing had been the moment he was “dreading.”
In his first speech as king shortly after her death, he said, “Queen Elizabeth’s was a life well-lived; a promise with destiny kept, and she is mourned most deeply in her passing. That promise of lifelong service I renew to you all today.”
William and Harry’s spouses Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle, and William and Kate’s oldest children Prince George and Princess Charlotte followed behind into the abbey.
Charles and Camilla, queen consort, and his siblings sat directly behind the coffin during the one-hour service. William and his family were next to them.
The Archbishop of Canterbury said global mourning for the queen stems from her “abundant life and living service now gone from us.” He added that not many leaders receive such an “outpouring of grief” as the queen.
After the funeral, the queen’s coffin will proceed from the abbey to Windsor where she will be buried later Monday near her late husband Prince Philip in St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. The couple were married for 73 years.
She will also be near her sister Princess Margaret, and her parents, King George VI and Elizabeth, the Queen Mother.
Around 800 people will attend her committal service at Windsor.
