Princess Anne’s eldest grandchildren have joined the royal family at Windsor to say goodbye to the Queen.
Zara Tindall’s oldest daughter Mia, eight, joined her first cousins Savannah, 11, and Isla, 10, – the daughters of Peter Philips – to mourn their ‘Gan Gan’ who died aged 96 last week.
The trio, who live together on Princess Anne’s Gatecombe estate in Gloucestershire, are the Queen’s oldest great grandchildren along with Prince George, nine, and Princess Charlotte, seven.
As the Queen’s coffin arrived at St George’s Chapel for the Committal Service today, Zara and her husband Mike could be seen walking into the church hand-in-hand with Mia, as well as Savannah and Isla.
It is believed the two girls were accompanied by Zara and Mike because their own father Peter was taking part in the funeral procession. Their mother Autumn Philips, from whom Peter recently divorced, did not attend the service today.
Princess Anne’s eldest grandchildren Savannah, 11, and Isla Philips, 10, and Mia Tindall, 8, have joined the royal family at Windsor to say goodbye to the Queen
The trio, who live together on Princess Anne’s Gatecombe estate in Gloucestershire, are the Queen’s oldest great grandchildren
The girls, who are cousins and have grown up together on Princess Anne’s Gatcombe Estate, stayed close to ne another as they walked into the service today.
All three were dressed in mourning black, with black headbands sweeping their hair from their faces.
Meanwhile their long blonde hair was pleated back into neat plates.
Prince George and Princess Charlotte, the children of the Prince and Princess of Wales, were also in attendance joining the funeral procession.
After the service, Mike and Zara could be seen walking away from St George’s Chapel on either side of their eldest daughter Mia (pictured)
The trio were holding hands as they left St George’s Chapel today, with Zara and Mike each holding a hand of their eight-year-old daughter
During the service, the children could be seen sitting in the front row, just in front of the Queen’s coffin, alongside their parents Mike and Zara Tindall, and Peter Philips
Members of the royal family were sitting in the front row of St George’s Chapel today, alongside some of the Queen’s great grandchildren like Mia, Savannah and Isla
Princess Anne’s daughter Zara walked into the church today holding hands with her daughter Mia, and standing close to her niece, Isla
Mia’s younger siblings, Lena, four, and Lucas, one, were not in attendance. Mia’s parents Zara and Mike Tindall, were also in attendance.
Savannah and Isla are the daughter’s of the Queen’s oldest grandchild Peter Philips. Their mother is Autumn Kelly.
Peter joined the funeral procession earlier today, lead by his uncle King Charles III, alongside Earl Snowdon, the late Queen’s nephew.
Mia and Lena were at Westminster Hall on Friday for her lying-in-state. They were in the gallery with their parents Zara and Mike as their grandmother took her place alongside her three brothers for a silent vigil beside the Queen’s coffin.
Mia is the eldest of Zara and former rugby star Mike Tindall’s children and is now 22nd in the line of succession.
Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, his wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau and other guests arrive at St George’s Chapel
Princess Beatrice, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, Sarah, Duchess of York, Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank at the Committal Service for Queen Elizabeth II
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
The Queen’s coffin head along The Long Walk to Windsor Castle ahead of her burialFlowers and bouquets cover the royal hearse as the Queen arrives in Windsor
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
Like her cousin Savannah Phillips, Mia is known for a mischievous streak and can often be found running around with her father and cousins at various horse competitions.
During the Queen’s Trooping the Colour in June, Mia and her cousins Princess Charlotte and Savannah and Isla Phillips, as well as her sister Lena Tindall, adorably poked her head out of the window to peer down at the parade.
The cousins are all close, with Mike Tindall previously revealing he heard about the birth of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s son, Archie, via a message on the royal cousins’ WhatsApp group.
Speaking to The Telegraph, he said: ‘[Harry will] be a great dad. We’ll just let him ease into it himself, find out his own way. The thing is, we’re so lucky with ours; ours have always slept so hopefully they’ll get that as well.
Sophie Wessex, 57, comforted heir-to-the-throne Prince George with a hand on his shoulder during the Queen’s funeral today
Prince George and Princess Charlotte joined senior royals at the Queen’s funeral today, bypassing thousands of mourners on the streets of London as they travelled to Westminster Abbey with the Queen Consort and the Princess of Wales
Sophie (right) looked serious as the family stood outside Westminster Abbey as the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II concluded. Pictured L-R: Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, Queen Consort Camilla, Prince George, Kate, Princess of Wales, Princess Charlotte, Sophie, Countess of Wessex
Sophie Wessex wipes a tear from her eye as she watches the Bearer Party transferring the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped in the Royal Standard, form the State Gun Carriage of the Royal Navy into the State Hearse at Wellington Arch
‘Obviously, he’s godfather to Lena, but we’ve got a great group of young ones in the family now. Lena and obviously Louis are similar ages and Mia’s sort of in between Charlotte and George, and then you’ve got Peter’s children Savannah and Isla who are just a little bit older.
‘James (Viscount Severn, Prince Edward’s son) is, well not exactly the ring leader, but he’s the oldest. So, yeah, it’s going to be a good little group. And Harry, he’s busy, but he loves playing with them all and he’ll be a good dad.’
Zara has not spoken publicly since her grandmother’s death, but her husband Mike has shared many tributes to her on his public Instagram page.
The former England rugby pro, shared his mother-in-law Princess Anne’s touching statement about the Queen’s death alongside a heart emoji.
The Countess of Wessex (front and right) looked down and crossed her hands in front of her body as she stood with other members of the Royal Family in front of the Queen’s coffin. Pictured in the front row L-R: King Charles III, Queen Consort Camilla, Princess Anne, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, Prince Andrew, Prince Edward, Sophie Wessex
A guiding hand, the young royals pictured arriving at Westminster Abbey ahead of the funeral
Prince George, seated beside the Prince of Wales holds onto his order of service during the funeral for his great grandmother
The Princess Royal, the late monarch’s only daughter, told how she was ‘fortunate to share the last 24 hours of my dearest mother’s life’ in a statement posted on the Royal Family’s Instagram.
She said the love and respect shown to the Queen on her journey from Balmoral to Edinburgh and onto London had been ‘both humbling and uplifting’.
It followed another tribute Mike posted, which showed an illustration of a corgi weeping into a crown. He also shared a picture of Sydney Opera House lit up with the Queen’s image. Touchingly, he met Zara in Sydney in 2003.
Mike has previously said he thought the monarch was ‘unbelievable’ and people believed she was ‘invincible.’
The Queen has returned to Windsor – and will be reunited for eternity with her beloved husband Prince Philip – and was greeted with a carpet of flowers as mourners arrived at St George’s Chapel for the Queen’s Committal service.
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 at Balmoral 11 days ago.
A smile for ‘Gan-Gan’: Princess Charlotte shyly smiles as she stands with her brother and senior royals at Westminster Abbey (Pictured from left: Meghan Markle, Sophie Wessex, Princess Charlotte, Prince George, Kate Middleton)
Responsibility: Heads bowed, Prince Charlotte and Prince George walk inbetween the Prince and Princess of Wales as they follow the Queen’s coffin into the church
Sombre: George and Charlotte sing hymns during the funeral service, each seated beside their mother, the Princess of Wales
The Queen’s great grandchildren, clearly aware of the enormity of the day, stand quietly by their mother’s side before as they await the arrival of their father. To their right, the Duchess of Sussex stands next to them
Left: Prince George, 9, looks nervous as he makes his way to his seat inside Westminster Abbey with his mother and sister. Right: Princess Charlotte is seen adjusting her hat. The youngster wore a horseshoe brooch on her mourning coat, which was a gift from her great-grandmother the Queen
A family in grief: From left: The Duchess of Sussex, Queen Consort, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Catherine, Princess of Wales, and Sophie, Countess of Wessex stand outside Westminster Abbey after the state funeral
Prince George and his sister Princess Charlotte are shepherded to their seats by their mother the Princess of Wales
But 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.
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