Queen Elizabeth Funeral
The longest-serving queen of Britain took her last breath on September 8, 2022, at Balmoral Castle at the age of 96. The 10-day mourning was observed following her death. Prince Charles is officially King Charles III, and after the next few days will bring significant changes in the royal family.
The funeral is arranged at the codenamed London Bridge, after consulting with the Government. The Operation Unicorn will be deployed in Scotland.
Prince Charles and Princess Anne were the first ones to reach the Queen’s bedside, as they were already present in Scotland for royal engagements. The new heirs to the throne The Duke of York, the Earl Wessex, and the Duke of Cambridge reached Aberdeenshire by plane, while the Duke of Sussex reached separately.
The Queen Consort, Camilla, and the Countess of Wessex also joined them at Balmoral. King Charles III and Camilla returned to London after an overnight stay at the Balmoral.
King Charles met the Duke of Norfolk, Earl Marshal, who is provided with the responsibility of the Accession, and the Queen’s funeral to carry is carefully scheduled with proper arrangements for several next days.
Bells and Gun Salutes: The saw bells of Westminster Abbey, St. Paul’s Cathedral, and Windsor Castle were tolled. 96-gun salutes, one for each year of the queen’s life were given at Hyde Park and other stations.
King Charles Address to the Nation: King Charles addressed the nation, paid tribute to the Queen, and took the pledge for his duties as a new sovereign of Britain.
St. Paul Cathedral: The Prime Minister and other senior ministers attended the public service of remembrance at St. Paul’s Cathedral located in central London.
September 10, 2022 Events
Accession Council: Charles was proclaimed as a new sovereign in The Accession Council meeting held at St. James Palace in London. Firstly, the Privy Council appeared without King for the proclamation of the new monarch and make arrangements for the proclamation ceremony.
The Garter King of Arms then appeared to make the first public proclamation of the new sovereign from the balcony of the Friary Court at St. James Palace. The next proclamation took place at the Royal Exchange in London.
The union flags were positioned at full mast at 1 PM and remained as it is for the next 24 hours for proclamations. After that, they were sent back to half-mast.
Audience with the Prime Minister: Charles also gathered an audience with the new Prime Minister and the Cabinet.
Windsor Walkabout: The newly appointed Prince and Princess of Wales, along with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex also witnessed the floral tributes offered to Queen outside the Windsor Castle.
Mourning the Queen’s Demise
Court Mourning: A royal mourning for the members of the royal family and households will be followed for the seven days after the Queen’s funeral on 19 September, and it will end on 26 September.
National Mourning: The Britain Government announced the national mourning until the funeral day on 19 September. A bank holiday is also approved on that day for the national mourning.