The Duke of Sussex and Princess Charlotte were seen sharing a sweet moment during the Queen’s committal service at St George’s Chapel in Windsor this afternoon.
Her Majesty returned home to Windsor to be reunited for eternity with her husband, father, mother and sister in the crypt at St George’s Chapel at the end of a short service, which followed her funeral at Westminster Abbey earlier today.
During the committal service, which ended with Her Majesty’s coffin being lowered into the chapel’s vault, the Dean of Windsor gave a bidding.
While he spoke, Princess Charlotte, seven, who was seated between her mother the Princess of Wales, 40, and her uncle the Duke of Sussex, 37, was seen adjusting her hat.
After rearranging her headgear, she looked over at her uncle, who briefly looked up and caught her eye, before smiling at her.
Prince Harry, 37, who was seated next to his niece Princess Charlotte, seven, caught the young royal’s eye at one point during the committal service (pictured)
The pair caught each other’s eye after the younger royal, Princess Charlotte (pictured, centre left) moved to adjust her hat
Princess Charlotte (centre) was seated between her mother, the Princess of Wales, and her uncle, the Duke of Sussex during the committal service today
Meanwhile, her brother Prince George (right) was seated next to his father, the Prince of Wales, (far right) with whom he shared a glance during the short service
The royals took to George’s Chapel for the committal service (pictured) which followed the Queen’s funeral at Westminster Abbey earlier today
At the end of the service, the Royal Family stood as the Queen was slowly lowered down into the royal vault while the Dean of Windsor said: ‘Go forth upon thy journey from this world, O Christian soul.’ He also offered the commendation – a prayer in which the deceased is entrusted to God’s mercy.
Moments earlier the Dean had placed her crown and other crown jewels on the altar before the Queen’s staff of office was snapped – signifying the severing of the Queen from her service in death. The Garter King of Arms then pronounced the styles and titles of the Queen as all power moved to her son, the King.
Charles looked deeply moved as the coffin was lowered – on a day where he appeared tearful on a number of occasions as he said goodbye to his mother, the 12th British monarch to be buried at Windsor.
Her Majesty’s long journey to her final resting place – and to be reunited with the Duke of Edinburgh – began in Balmoral on the day of her death 11 days ago and will end with her private interment at the castle’s St George’s Chapel this evening where the King will scatter earth on his mother’s coffin at 7.30pm at a private family service.
Britain’s longest reigning monarch had been carried into the historic church followed by Charles III, her children and grandchildren including Prince Harry and Prince William.
St George’s was where the Queen had sat alone during the funeral of Prince Philip last year – in one of the most poignant images of the pandemic – and it was where she had loved to worship for so many years when at Windsor.
The Queen is laid to rest for eternity in St George’s Chapel as her coffin is lowered into the royal vault following her state funeral at Westminster Abbey
The Crown Jewels were poignantly removed from the casket to show that the Queen’s reign was at an end
The King looks moved as her mother is finally laid to rest during the service of committal
The Sussexes and the Wales’ sing as Her Majesty the Queen had her symbols of monarchy removed along with her titles
The coffin of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II rests in George’s Chapel, Windsor
The Crown Jeweller, left, removes the Imperial State Crown from the coffin of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II as she enters the royal crypt as a ‘simple Christian soul’
The Lord Chamberlain breaks his Wand of Office in a symbolic moment when power transferred from the Queen
The Royal Family and European royals watch as the coffin is carried towards the altar
The coffin of Queen Elizabeth II is carried into St George’s Chapel along the centre aisle of the nave to the catafalque
Lena Tindall, Zara Tindall, Mia Tindall, the Duchess of Sussex, the Duke of Sussex, Princess Charlotte, the Princess of Wales, Prince George, and the Prince of Wales, stand for the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped in the Royal Standard with the Imperial State Crown and the Sovereign’s orb and sceptre
Princess Charlotte, the Princess of Wales, Prince George, and the Prince of Wales as they say goodbye to the Queen
Charles, Camilla, Princess Anne and Prince Edward sat together in the service
King Charles takes his seat with his family after following the coffin
Prince Charles arrives at St George’s Chapel with the Queen Consort as he prepares to lay his mother to rest
William, Kate, George and Charlotte stand aside and direct Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, to their seats
Queen Elizabeth II body is carried as her family including Charles III and Prince William (left) watch on
Pall bearers carry the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II into St. George’s Chapel
The choir sings solemnly as the Queen makes her final and saddest journey today
The Queen arrives at St George’s Chapel, Windsor, where she will be laid to rest
Prince Harry and Prince William, left, follow the hearse with the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II moving towards St. George’s Chapel
King Charles III, Anne, Princess Royal, Prince William, Prince of Wales, Prince Andrew, Duke of York, Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex arrive at St. George’s Chapel for the Committal Service behind the Queen’s coffin
The Princess of Wales, Prince George and Princess Charlotte arrive at the Committal Service
Members of the Royal Family gradually left St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle following the committal service for the Queen.
The Prince and Princess of Wales left the chapel by car with their children Prince George and Princess Charlotte. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex departed separately shortly after.
The Dean of Windsor, the Rev David Conner, gave a reading from Revelation 21.1-7 during the service.
The same passage was read at the funerals of the Queen’s father King George VI in 1952 and her grandparents, King George V in 1936, and Queen Mary in 1953.
The reading ends with: ‘I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.’
In a touching gesture the late Queen’s two faithful friends, her corgis Muick and Sandy, were waiting for her when the flower-covered hearse arrived.
The King, the Princess Royal, the Duke of York, the Earl of Wessex, the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Sussex were among those who met the coffin as it arrived at the castle after a procession along Windsor’s packed Long Walk.
Minute Guns were fired by The King’s Troop to signal the monarch is home as the hearse approached the West Steps of St George’s Chapel. The Castle’s Sebastopol bell rang – something that only happens when a British monarch dies – as the State Hearse ended its journey to the sound of bagpipes.
Mourners watch the State Hearse of Queen Elizabeth II as it drives along the Long Walk ahead of the Committal Service for Queen Elizabeth II
The Queen’s coffin head along The Long Walk to Windsor Castle ahead of her burial
Tens of thousands of people lined The Long Walk and applauded as the flower-covered hearse carrying the late sovereign’s coffin slowly processed towards her Berkshire castle, where she spent most of her final years before her death – including lockdown with Prince Philip.
Giving the Bidding, the Dean of Windsor, said: ‘We have come together to commit into the hands of God the soul of his servant Queen Elizabeth.
‘Here, in St George’s Chapel, where she so often worshipped, we are bound to call to mind someone whose uncomplicated yet profound Christian Faith bore so much fruit. Fruit, in a life of unstinting service to the Nation, the Commonwealth and the wider world, but also (and especially to be remembered in this place) in kindness, concern and reassuring care for her family and friends and neighbours.’
Referring to a ‘rapidly changing and frequently troubled world’, the Dean praised the late Queen’s ‘calm and dignified presence’.
He said the monarch’s disposition ‘has given us confidence to face the future, as she did, with courage and with hope’.
Concluding the Bidding, he said: ‘As, with grateful hearts, we reflect on these and all the many other ways in which her long life has been a blessing to us, we pray that God will give us grace to honour her memory by following her example, and that, with our sister Elizabeth, at the last, we shall know the joys of life eternal.’
Thousands of people fell silent, held their phones aloft and waved flags as the Queen’s coffin passed along the Long Walk towards St George’s Chapel.
The crowd was so dense that those at the back could only view the procession through their phones held high on selfie sticks. Children sat on their parents’ shoulders and some clapped as the procession passed by.
Members of the congregation include the late monarch’s nearest and dearest, her household staff past and present, and foreign royal families.
The Queen heads towards Windsor Castle where she will be reunited with Prince Philip
Flowers and bouquets cover the royal hearse as the Queen arrives in Windsor
A wreath from Number 10, signed by Prime Minister Liz Truss, sits close to the door of the chapel, and says: ‘For a lifetime of devotion and duty we offer our deep and sincere gratitude.’
Flowers of all kinds cover the area around the chapel, from bouquets of red roses to pink lilies to potted plants to wreaths from foreign royals.
Inside one of the main entrances to the chapel, a floral arrangement of white blossoms sits in full bloom.
Among the flowers in the chapel were lilies, dahlias, roses, and greenery including Eucalyptus and other greenery picked from Home Park.
The service, with a strong thread of tradition running throughout, was discussed with the Queen over a number of years and all the prayers and hymns were chosen by her – apart from one.
The Queen left one hymn to be chosen at the time, and after a discussion between the King and the Dean of Windsor David Conner, the hymn chosen was Westminster Abbey adapted from the Alleluyas in Purcell’s O God, Thou art my God.
Earlier mourners in Windsor were asked not to throw flowers at the hearse carrying the Queen’s coffin and have instead been told to leave their bouquets by the ‘grass moat’ near Windsor castle. Security officials and event organisers have said that the flowers may spook horses, raise safety concerns, become a tripping hazard and be difficult clean up if they’re pressed into the ground.
After the final public element of her funeral, Her Majesty will be buried with her late husband Prince Philip in the King George VI Memorial Chapel. A private burial service, attended by the King and other members of the royal family, will take place this evening.
This afternoon the royal family will bid farewell to their beloved matriarch in the gothic chapel on the grounds of Windsor Castle in a service attended by around 800 people.
Silence fell among crowds of mourners as the state hearse carrying the Queen’s coffin turned into the Long Walk in the final stretch of her journey.
The crowds, made up of people of all ages, who flanked the Long Walk, fell quiet as the sound of drummers in the procession grew louder. Children were lifted on adults’ shoulders and camera phones were raised in the air as people struggled to get a glimpse of the scene.
The Queen’s beloved corgis Muick and Sandy and one of her favourite ever horses made a special poignant appearance at Windsor during the procession.
The young dogs – one on a red lead and one on a blue lead – were brought out into the quadrangle by two pages in red tailcoats for the arrival of the Queen’s coffin. Emma, the Queen’s Fell Pony, had greeted the procession, standing on grass in a gap in the floral tributes along the Long Walk in honour of her late owner.
The hearse makes its way to Windsor Castle, on the day of the state funeral and burial of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth
The Ceremonial Procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II travels down the Long Walk
The Ceremonial Procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II travels down the Long Walk as it arrives at Windsor Castle
Soldiers bow as the Queen approaches in her hearse
Brass bands from the Household Cavalry and pipers played on the Queen’s final, saddest journey
Extraordinary scenes in Windsor today as the Queen arrives to be laid to rest
The Queen will be buried with her late husband Prince Philip in the King George VI Memorial Chapel, where they will rest together for eternity
The Queen’s favourite horse – Emma – waits for the monarch to arrive
rincess Beatrice, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, Sarah, Duchess of York, Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank at the Committal Service for Queen Elizabeth II
Savannah Phillips and Zara Tindall (back) and Ilsa Phillips, Lena Tindall and Mike Tindall arrive at the Committal Service for Queen Elizabeth II held at St George’s Chapel
Queen Sofia of Spain (bottom), King Felipe of Spain (second bottom), King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands (third from top) and King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden (standing) at the Committal Service
Sarah, Duchess of York arrives at St. George’s Chapel
Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, his wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau and other guests arrive at St George’s Chapel
Queen Elizabeth II’s body arrives at her beloved Windsor
800 guests including most of Europe’s royals arrive at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle
The royal corgis await the cortege of their owner on the day of the state funeral and burial of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth
The Queen’s funeral procession passing through Runnymede with the streets lined with people watching the procession and throwing flowers
Huge crowds cheer the Queen and throw flowers in her path
In extraordinary and moving scenes, an estimated 2million well-wishers lined the streets to say farewell to Britain’s longest reigning monarch, Elizabeth II, with showers of bouquets greeting her hearse as it drove from West London to Berkshire
In extraordinary and moving scenes, the Queen left London as flowers were thrown at the hearse as she made her way to Windsor
People watch as Britain’s Queen Elizabeth’s coffin passes through west London
A person holds a rose to throw, as Britain’s Queen Elizabeth’s coffin is transported, on the day of her state funeral and burial
Queen Elizabeth II journey from Wellington Arch in London to Windsor was lined by thousands of people
King Charles III leaves in a car after the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II was transferred to the hearse at Wellington Arch
Much of the service will have a feel of looking back, repeating what has gone before, a feeling of coming full circle, with perhaps a sense of the consistency and constancy which the Queen will forever be remembered for.
Prior to the final hymn, the Imperial State Crown, the Orb and the Sceptre will be removed from the coffin by the Crown Jeweller and, with the Bargemaster and Serjeants-at-Arms, will be passed to the Dean who will place them on the altar.
The removal of the crown from the coffin to the altar is poignant, because in 1953 the crown was taken from the altar in Westminster Abbey and placed on the Queen’s head, marking the start of a 70-year reign.
At the end of the final hymn, the King will place The Queen’s Company Camp Colour of the Grenadier Guards on the coffin.
At the same time, The Lord Chamberlain will ‘break’ his Wand of Office and place it on the coffin.
This is to create a symmetry with the three Instruments of State that have been removed.
The coffin, which will be placed on a catafalque draped in purple velvet will be slowly lowered down into the royal vault as the Dean of Windsor says: ‘Go forth upon thy journey from this world, O Christian soul.’
The Sovereign’s Piper will play a lament, A Salute to the Royal Fendersmith, from the doorway between the Chapel and the Dean’s Cloister during which he will walk slowly towards the Deanery in the Cloister so that the music inside the Chapel gradually fades.
During the service, the King will sit in the seat which was occupied by the Queen when she came to the chapel, positioned closest to the altar.
Tradition will run through the service in its music as it will feature several pieces that were also heard at the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral and other major royal events.
JS Bach’s Schmucke Dich, O Liebe Seele – Adorn Yourself, O Dear Soul – (BWV 654) a piece for organ, will be played with a number of others as the mourners wait for the service to begin.
Another will be Vaughan Williams’ Rhosymedre, a firm favourite with the royal family with the music being performed at the wedding of Diana, Princess of Wales and Charles, and at Philip’s funeral.
Nimrod by Sir Edward Elgar was heard at the Queen’s coronation in 1953 and will also be played before the committal begins.
Lord Sentamu, the former Archbishop of York, was reportedly part of the team which helped devise the original order of service for the Queen’s state funeral.
The cleric told BBC News the Queen knew the psalms by heart and Psalm 121 – also featured at the Queen Mother’s Funeral in 2002 – will be sung at her committal.
The service will end with Bach’s Prelude and Fugue in C Minor (BWV 546) played after the national anthem, which was also heard at the end of Philip’s funeral.
Prayers will be said by the Rector of Sandringham, the Minister of Crathie Kirk and the Chaplain of Windsor Great Park, and by the Dean of Windsor.
The Choir of St George’s Chapel – made up of 11 men, one woman and 13 boys – will sing during the service and will be conducted by James Vivian, director of music, and the organ will be played by Luke Bond, assistant director of music.
Much of the music at the service has been composed by Sir William Harris, who served as the organist at St George’s Chapel between 1933 and 1961, taking in much of the Queen’s childhood.
The young Princess Elizabeth would often visit the organ loft to watch Sir William play, and it is believed he taught her to play the piano.
The Dean of Windsor’s bidding, which was written after the Queen’s death, includes the words: ‘Here, in St George’s Chapel, where she so often worshipped, we are bound to call to mind someone whose uncomplicated yet profound Christian faith bore so much fruit.
‘Fruit, in a life of unstinting service to the Nation, the Commonwealth and the wider world, but also (and especially to be remembered in this place) in kindness, concern and reassuring care for her family and friends and neighbours.
‘In the midst of our rapidly changing and frequently troubled world, her calm and dignified presence has given us confidence to face the future, as she did, with courage and with hope.’
The Queen leaves London for the final time amid moving scenes at Wellington Arch next to Hyde Park Corner
The Royal Hearse carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II at Wellington Arch
The King salutes as his mother is taken from a gun carriage and into a hearse
The Royal Family lined up in two rows at Wellington Arch – Charles and Camilla at the front with William, Harry and Meghan behind
Wellington Arch – the old entrance to Buckingham Palace – was chosen for the Queen’s farewell
Crowds threw roses in front of the Queen’s coffin and cheered her for the last time today as she was returned to Windsor Castle to be reunited with her beloved Prince Philip and her parents in the medieval splendour of St George’s Chapel.
In extraordinary and moving scenes, an estimated 2million well-wishers lined the streets to say farewell to Britain’s longest reigning monarch, Elizabeth II, with showers of bouquets greeting her hearse as it drove from West London to Berkshire.
King Charles had appeared tearful at his mother’s Westminster Abbey state funeral that ended with two minutes of silence, the Last Post and the national anthem. The monarch also looked emotional as he saluted when his mother left Wellington Arch in a hearse this afternoon.
On a day of pomp and poignant symbolism, grief was etched on the faces of Charles, his siblings and children as well as the huge crowds who swamped The Mall, Whitehall and Parliament Square to bade farewell to the beloved monarch as her coffin was carried from the Abbey on a gun carriage.
Members of the Royal Family, including the King, marched poignantly behind, while others including the Princess of Wales, her children George and Charlotte, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, all looked on at the crowds as they passed them in vehicles.
The poignant scenes followed an extraordinary and emotional state funeral attended by 2,000 VIPs, royals, prime ministers and several hundred ordinary Britons chosen by the Queen, who died 11 days ago. The Archbishop of Canterbury described the Queen as having touched ‘a multitude of lives’ and having been a ‘joyful’ figure for many.
She was head of state but also a mother, grandmother and great-grandmother and in a personal touch, the wreath adorning her coffin had a handwritten note from the King. The message said: ‘In loving and devoted memory.’
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