It was a single toll from Big Ben which signalled the start of the service at Westminster Abbey, where kings and queens have been crowned since 1066, and where the new monarch was sitting surrounded by the royal family he now leads.
King Charles III and his siblings – the Princess Royal, Duke of York and Earl of Wessex – had marched behind their mother’s coffin as it travelled the short distance from Westminster Hall, where the Queen had been lying in state for four days, to the ancient Abbey.
Tens of thousands have filled the capital to pay their last respects just a few hours after the last person had filed past the Queen’s coffin, bringing to a close the symbolic ritual.Presidents and prime ministers from across the globe filled the Abbey, with US President Joe Biden among the mourners alongside France’s President Emmanuel Macron, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, her counterpart from Canada Justin Trudeau, and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro.
Tens of thousands have filled the capital to pay their last respects just a few hours after the last person had filed past the Queen’s coffin, bringing to a close the symbolic ritual.Presidents and prime ministers from across the globe filled the Abbey, with US President Joe Biden among the mourners alongside France’s President Emmanuel Macron, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, her counterpart from Canada Justin Trudeau, and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro.
17. LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 19: Meghan, Duchess of Sussex arrives for the State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey on September 19, 2022 in London, England. Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor was born in Bruton Street, Mayfair, London on 21 April 1926. She married Prince Philip in 1947 and ascended the throne of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth on 6 February 1952 after the death of her Father, King George VI. Queen Elizabeth II died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on September 8, 2022, and is succeeded by her eldest son, King Charles III. (Photo by Hannah McKay - WPA Pool/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 19: Meghan, Duchess of Sussex arrives for the State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey on September 19, 2022 in London, England. Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor was born in Bruton Street, Mayfair, London on 21 April 1926. She married Prince Philip in 1947 and ascended the throne of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth on 6 February 1952 after the death of her Father, King George VI. Queen Elizabeth II died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on September 8, 2022, and is succeeded by her eldest son, King Charles III. (Photo by Hannah McKay - WPA Pool/Getty Images) Photo: WPA Pool
18. LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 19: The Queen's funeral cortege borne on the State Gun Carriage of the Royal Navy travels along The Mall on September 19, 2022 in London, England. Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor was born in Bruton Street, Mayfair, London on 21 April 1926. She married Prince Philip in 1947 and ascended the throne of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth on 6 February 1952 after the death of her Father, King George VI. Queen Elizabeth II died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on September 8, 2022, and is succeeded by her eldest son, King Charles III. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 19: The Queen's funeral cortege borne on the State Gun Carriage of the Royal Navy travels along The Mall on September 19, 2022 in London, England. Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor was born in Bruton Street, Mayfair, London on 21 April 1926. She married Prince Philip in 1947 and ascended the throne of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth on 6 February 1952 after the death of her Father, King George VI. Queen Elizabeth II died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on September 8, 2022, and is succeeded by her eldest son, King Charles III. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Photo: Chip Somodevilla
19. LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 19: King Charles III, Princess Anne, Princess Royal, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Peter Phillips take part in the state funeral and burial of Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey on September 19, 2022 in London, England. Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor was born in Bruton Street, Mayfair, London on 21 April 1926. She married Prince Philip in 1947 and ascended the throne of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth on 6 February 1952 after the death of her Father, King George VI. Queen Elizabeth II died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on September 8, 2022, and is succeeded by her eldest son, King Charles III. (Photo by Sarah Meyssonnier- WPA Pool/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 19: King Charles III, Princess Anne, Princess Royal, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Peter Phillips take part in the state funeral and burial of Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey on September 19, 2022 in London, England. Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor was born in Bruton Street, Mayfair, London on 21 April 1926. She married Prince Philip in 1947 and ascended the throne of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth on 6 February 1952 after the death of her Father, King George VI. Queen Elizabeth II died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on September 8, 2022, and is succeeded by her eldest son, King Charles III. (Photo by Sarah Meyssonnier- WPA Pool/Getty Images) Photo: WPA Pool
20. LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 19: Camilla, Queen Consort, Catherine, Princess of Wales, Princess Charlotte of Wales and Prince George of Wales leaving Westminster Abbey during the State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II on September 19, 2022 in London, England. Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor was born in Bruton Street, Mayfair, London on 21 April 1926. She married Prince Philip in 1947 and ascended the throne of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth on 6 February 1952 after the death of her Father, King George VI. Queen Elizabeth II died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on September 8, 2022, and is succeeded by her eldest son, King Charles III. (Photo by Jeff Spicer/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 19: Camilla, Queen Consort, Catherine, Princess of Wales, Princess Charlotte of Wales and Prince George of Wales leaving Westminster Abbey during the State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II on September 19, 2022 in London, England. Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor was born in Bruton Street, Mayfair, London on 21 April 1926. She married Prince Philip in 1947 and ascended the throne of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth on 6 February 1952 after the death of her Father, King George VI. Queen Elizabeth II died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on September 8, 2022, and is succeeded by her eldest son, King Charles III. (Photo by Jeff Spicer/Getty Images) Photo: Jeff Spicer