Britain says last farewell to Queen Elizabeth II and ‘end of an era’

Britain bade its final farewell to Queen Elizabeth II on Monday, honoring its longest-reigning monarch with a state funeral that provided pomp in solemn circumstances, drew dignitaries from around the world and captivated a global television audience. The hourlong event inside Westminster Abbey, attended by 2,000 people, followed 11 days of national mourning and highly choreographed public ceremonies. Afterward, the queen's coffin, topped by symbols of state, made its slow procession through the streets of London on its way to Windsor for smaller ceremonies and interment later Monday. Tens of thousands of people streamed to the environs of Buckingham Palace, hoping to catch a glimpse of the cortege on its route and to pay their final respects to a figure whose life many felt served as the very model of a modern major monarch. 'It's not going to be the same ever again. I love Charles, but I can't say 'God save the king' yet,' Judge said, referring to the new King Charles III. Her casket, which had lain in state in the Houses of Parliament for more than four days for hundreds of thousands of mourners to file past, was drawn on a gun carriage by an honor guard to the abbey, the ancient church where Elizabeth was married in 1947 and crowned in 1953. Among those walking behind the carriage were Charles, his sister and two brothers, and his two sons, Harry and William, who is now first in line to the throne. The attendees included the royal family, President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden, the kings of Spain and Belgium, emirs from the Middle East, other government heads and selected members of the British public, most of them having known no other sovereign but Elizabeth. Outside, some people had lined up overnight to gain entry to designated viewing areas, which by 10 a.m. had filled to capacity, with police sealing entry from the Mall, the wide boulevard leading from Buckingham Palace, and directing the endless flow of people to Hyde Park. Street vendors made brisk business selling all things Britannia, including hats, shawls, flags and other knickknacks featuring the Union Jack. 'She just summed up what the country was and what it means to be British,' said Dan Schofield, who came from outside London with his wife and their two daughters. 'We just wanted to pay our respects and for our kids, when they're older, to be able to say they were here.' Tina Thorpe, a Londoner, said the wall-to-wall coverage by the British media over the last week was too much. Thorpe said she enjoyed celebrating the queen's Platinum Jubilee in the summer and organized a street party, but that was more about the community coming together. The queen's death has elbowed aside news of anything else. Such concerns were set aside inside the abbey, where Justin Welby, the archbishop of Canterbury, gave a homily that ended with the words 'We will meet again' — an echo of a message delivered by the queen during the COVID-19 pandemic to comfort those who had lost loved ones. Her use of the phrase was itself drawn from the song 'We'll Meet Again' by Vera Lynn, an iconic piece in Britain from World War II. Funeral attendees then sang the national anthem, some of them saying the words 'God save the king' for the first time. A final lament from the queen's bagpiper brought the service to a close. After the funeral, the tables outside the City of Quebec pub just across from Hyde Park filled up quickly. Reflecting on 'the end of an era,' Zoe Dearsley marveled at the queen's seven decades of service. Dearsley's boyfriend, Dan Ellis, said that, as a native South African, he's always been somewhat less enamored of the British monarchy but still recognized the queen's dedication and staying power.