On September 19, 2022 – The state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom is held at Westminster Abbey, London.

On 19 September 2022, the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II was held at Westminster Abbey in London, marking the first state funeral in the United Kingdom since that of Sir Winston Churchill in 1965. The Queen, who passed away on 8 September 2022 at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, had reigned for over 70 years, making her Britain’s longest-serving monarch. Her coffin, draped in the Royal Standard and adorned with the Imperial State Crown, orb, and sceptre, was carried into the Abbey, where more than 2,000 dignitaries, royals, and world leaders gathered, including U.S. President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, and numerous heads of state and government. The service was led by the Dean of Westminster, with prayers and tributes reflecting the Queen’s life of service, faith, and dedication to her people. The Archbishop of Canterbury delivered the sermon, emphasizing her steadfastness and sense of duty.

The ceremony was not only a religious service but also a display of centuries-old tradition and pageantry, watched by millions across the globe. Following the Abbey service, the coffin was taken in a solemn procession through the streets of London, lined with mourners paying their last respects. It was then transported to Windsor Castle, where a more intimate committal service was held at St. George’s Chapel. The Queen was later privately interred in the King George VI Memorial Chapel, alongside her parents, her sister Princess Margaret, and her late husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. The day symbolized both an end of an era and a moment of national unity, as the country mourned a monarch whose reign had spanned generations and witnessed profound changes in British society and the world.

See also: U.S. Vetoes UN Resolution on Gaza Ceasefire, Triggering Global Backlash