The world said their final farewells to Queen Elizabeth II during a state funeral held in her honor Monday, Sept. 19. The queen died at 96 on Sept. 8 after over 70 years on the throne, making her Great Britain's longest-ruling monarch.
The day of the late monarch's funeral is a bank holiday in the U.K., and a conclusion to the official period of mourning that began when she died. It was also the first state funeral since the death of prime minister Winston Churchill in 1965.
The days leading up to the procession were marked by official ceremonial events, all laid out in Operation Unicorn, the long-established protocol for the occasion of the queen's death.
On Sept. 14, the queen was transported from Scotland, where she died, to London. That day, her coffin made the 38-minute trip from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall. Prince Harry and Prince William reunited and joined their father, King Charles III, during the walk.
The state funeral occurred at Westminster Abbey, the site of her coronation in 1953 and where she married Prince Philip, and was followed by a committal service at St. George's Chapel. The queen had a hand in designing the service of the funeral, just as her late husband designed aspects of his own service in 2021.
Below, read all of the live updates from Queen Elizabeth II's funeral.
Queen Elizabeth II is laid to rest
After a long day of processionals and a funeral service, Queen Elizabeth II has been laid to rest.
According to the royal family‘s official Twitter account, the late British monarch's final resting place is at the King George VI Memorial Chapel at Windsor. The queen was given a private burial service and laid to rest with her husband, the late Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
As part of their final goodbye the royal family issued an image of the late monarch never seen by the public before.
The image shows Queen Elizabeth II hiking up a hill in the countryside.
"'May flights of Angels sing thee to thy rest,'" the tweet read, adding, " In loving memory of Her Majesty The Queen. 1926 — 2022."
The queen and Prince Philip are buried alongside the queen's father, King George VI; mother, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother; and her late sister, Princess Margaret who died in 2002.
Prince and Princess of Wales bid farewell to Queen Elizabeth in touching tweet
After another somber day of mourning Queen Elizabeth II, William and Catherine, the Prince and Princess of Wales, issued an official parting phrase to the late sovereign. The two were present for the queen's funeral service at Westminster Abbey at 11:00 a.m. local time and attended with two of their children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte of Wales.
In a post shared on their official Twitter account, the prince and princess briefly reflected on the late queen's other roles outside of the monarchy, describing her part as a matriarch to the royal family.
"Goodbye to a Queen, a mother, a grandmother, and a great-grandmother," read the tweet, which was retweeted by the official Royal Family account.
The queen is lowered into the Royal Vault
The committal ceremony ended with the queen's titles being read out loud for the last time. They now belong to her son, King Charles III.
Her coffin was lowered into the Royal Vault, where Prince Philip currently is, as the pipes played the lament, "A Salute to the Royal Fendersmith."
Tonight, she will be moved to the George VI Memorial Chapel along with Prince Philip.
Scepter, orb and crown are removed from Queen Elizabeth II's coffin
A scepter, orb and crown — three of the crown jewels — have been removed from the queen's coffin. They now belong the King Charles III.
The crown won't sit atop Charles' head until his coronation, however, at a yet-to-be scheduled date.
The crown jewels are housed in the Tower of London.
The committal service begins
The committal service continues what began at the state funeral, but takes on a more intimate tone, with 800 guests as opposed to 2,000.
The service began with the chapel choir singing Psalm 121, “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills.”
As the final hymn is sung, the jewels of the state — the imperial state crown, the orb and the scepter — will be removed from the queen’s coffin. King Charles III will be presented with them at his coronation.
The queen is officially in St. George's chapel at Windsor
The queen's coffin was carried into St. George’s chapel, a chapel built in 1475 on the grounds of the largest and oldest palace operating today.
As the coffin was carried into the chapel, a choir sang Psalm 121.
The committal ceremony will be televised, with a private burial to come this evening for members of the royal family.
The queen's dogs greet her upon her arrival to Windsor Castle
The queen had a deep love for animals.
She kept a brood of dogs her whole life, including her beloved corgis. TODAY previously reported the queen left behind four dogs at the time of her death: One corgi/dashchund mix or "dorgi" named Candy, two corgis and one cocker spaniel.
They greeted her upon her arrival to Windsor.
William provided an update about how the dogs have been faring. In a video captured by Sky News, William answered the question of a woman concerned for the dogs' well-being. “I saw them the other day, that got me quite sad,” he said. “They are going to be looked after fine.”
“They’ll be looked after very well. Spoiled rotten, I’m sure,” he said in the clip.
Elizabeth was also a passionate horse woman, breeding and riding horses.
The pipes play the 'Skye Boat Song' and other Scottish tunes as the queen approaches Windsor Castle
Music has accompanied the coffin during its procession down the Long Walk to Windsor Castle. These moments mark the last glimpses the public will have of Queen Elizabeth.
The queen died at Balmoral Castle, the royal family's beloved private residence in Scotland. As her coffin approached Windsor, pipers played traditional Scottish music, including the "Skye Boat Song," which is used for the "Outlander" theme song.
The queen has arrived at Windsor. Now what?
Following the arrival at Windsor, a televised committal service will be held at St. George's Chapel at 4 p.m. local time. A committal service is a ritual held at the end of the funeral during which family members say goodbye.
But the royal family will have another chance to pay their respects to the queen privately.
This evening, a private burial ceremony will take place in the King George VI Memorial Chapel. This ceremony will be closed to cameras.
Prince Philip will be moved to be buried with the Queen at their final resting place
The queen will be buried at St. George’s Chapel, a 15th century church on the grounds of Windsor Castle.
St. George's is a burial site for many members of the royal family and is also the site of other royal occasions — Prince Harry and Meghan Markle married there, as did the queen's granddaughter, Princess Eugenie, and her husband Jack Brooksbank.
The queen will be buried specifically at King George VI Memorial Chapel, an annex of St George’s Chapel. Also there are the queen's parents and her sister Margaret.
Some royals are buried in the the Royal Vault beneath St. George's Chapel, constructed between 1804 and 1810 for George III. Prince Philip was buried there in 2021, but will be exhumed to join the queen.
Prior to Prince Philip, Princess Alice, his mother, was buried there in 1969, though her coffin was later moved to Jerusalem. Going further back, other royals in the Royal Vault include George III, and his wife Queen Charlotte of "Bridgerton" fame.
The queen's coffin arrives at Windsor Castle
Around 3 p.m. local time, the state hearse carrying the queen's coffin arrived to Windsor Castle and was welcomed by crowds. The drive to Windsor from London is typically an hour long by car; however, the queen's journey took about two hours.
Windsor's Long Walk, a wide, three-mile avenue leading through the Windsor Great Park to the castle itself, was closed to further audiences.
The significance of Windsor Castle
The queen felt "very much at home" at Windsor Castle, according to Suzannah Lipscomb during TODAY's special report.
Located 20 miles west of Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle is the oldest and largest inhabited castle in the world, being used as a royal home for over 900 years.
Generally, the queen spent her private weekends at the 1,000-room, 484,000 square foot castle. But starting in March 2020, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the queen relocated from her residence at Buckingham Palace to Windsor Castle.
The queen's final resting place will be a chapel on the grounds of Windsor where her parents and sister are buried. Prince Philip will be moved from Windsor Castle’s Royal Vault to join the queen at the King George VI Memorial Chapel.
The difference between Queen Elizabeth II's funeral and her sister's, Princess Margaret
When Queen Elizabeth is buried at Windsor Castle, she will join her parents, her husband Prince Philip, and her sister Margaret.
Princess Margaret died in 2002 at the age of 71 following a stroke that led to cardiac problems. Her funeral took place at St. George's Chapel in Windsor, which is where the family is buried.
Margaret's funeral was far less public than Elizabeth's. There were about 450 mourners, per the Guardian, including the sisters' 101-year-old mother, Elizabeth, The Queen Mother. The ceremony was not televised.
She was the first member of the royal family to be cremated.
Details about the state hearse
Queen Elizabeth II is making the trip from London to Windsor, which is expected to take about two hours in total, in a state hearse designed for the ceremony. The queen approved of the plans.
The hearse, manufactured by Jaguar, was finished in a deep wine color called Royal Claret, the same color as the other vehicles used by the royal family.
With its large windows, the hearse was designed to give the public a clear view of the queen's coffin.
William and Kate reunited at the place where they married for the funeral
The Prince and Princess of Wales were married at Westminster Abbey in 2011. Over a decade later, they returned for the queen's funeral.
Two of William and Kate’s three children, Prince George, 9, and Princess Charlotte, 7, attended the funeral. Prince Louis, 4, did not.
Queen Elizabeth II is on the way to Windsor
Queen Elizabeth II is being transferred to a state hearse and to make her final journey from London to Windsor, where she will be buried in a private ceremony. The drive is 23 miles long.
The procession concludes at Wellington Arch
The mile-and-a-half long walk from Westminster Abbey to Wellington Arch is complete. The queen's coffin will now be transferred to a state hearse for the final leg of its journey.
Buckingham Palace staff bids farewell
Among the mourners lining the procession are Buckingham Palace staff, who had a special relationship with the queen.
King Charles III leads the procession
Following the funeral, the queen's coffin is heading to Wellington Arch at central London’s Hyde Park, a mile-and-a-half walk from Westminster Abbey.
Walking behind the coffin is King Charles III and other members of the royal family.
From Wellington Arch, Queen Elizabeth II will depart London for Windsor in a state hearse.
Yes, that was a spider you saw on the queen's coffin
A camera close-up showed a spider crawling across the handwritten note atop t he coffin that Charles wrote to his mother. The wreath was composed of plants picked from Buckingham Palace, Clarence House and Highgrove House — meaning this is...sort of a royal spider.
Crochet tributes to the queen abound
Around London, crafters paid tribute to the queen through the art of crochet. NPR producer Melissa Gray tweeted out a series of her findings, including bedazzled post boxes.
The queen's coffin continues on its journey
Following the ceremony, the queen's coffin was lifted onto the gun carriage yet again to continue its route. Queen Elizabeth II will be buried at Windsor Castle.
'Sleep, Dearie, Sleep' played by the queen's piper at the end of the funeral
Pipe Major Paul Burns, the monarch’s personal player and the 17th person to hold the role, played the traditional song "Sleep, Dearie, Sleep" on the bagpipes at the end of the ceremony.
Service ends with a two-minute national moment of silence
The funeral ended with two minutes of silence, which extended to the event itself.
"You hear just the footfalls of the bearer party," Lester Holt reported for TODAY.
What the envelope on the queen's wreath says
Atop the queen's wreath is an envelope written by her son King Charles II that says, "In loving and devoted memory. Charles R." The "R" stands for "rex," Latin for king.
Queen Elizabeth II had written her late husband a note laid on his casket.
The meaning behind Kate's pearl necklace, given to her by the queen
Catherine, Princess of Wales is wearing a four-string pearl and diamond necklace given to her by the queen.
She previously wore the necklace at other significant occasions: The queen and Prince Philip's 70th anniversary in 2017, and Prince Philip's funeral in 2017.
Funeral hymns tie the service to past royal events, like Queen Elizabeth II's wedding
There's a message in the music.
As part of the service, some of the hymns were likely chosen to be in conversation with past royal events. “The Lord is my Shepherd,” sung on Queen Elizabeth II's wedding to Prince Philip in 1947, was sung at the start of the service.
The choir will sing "The Russian Kontakion of the Departed," which was also sung Prince Philip's funeral in 2021.
The last two mourners say they share a bond that will 'last forever'
The two final mourners to pass by the queen's coffin at Westminster Hall this morning say they share a lifelong bond.
Chrissy Heerey, a member of the Royal Air Force, was the final mourner (and had already made the trip to visit the queen once before). Ahead of her was Sima Mansouri, who grew up in Iran.
Heerey said the two bonded on their hours-long wait to see the queen. “It’s a friendship that will last forever,” Heerey told NBC. “We shared this together.”
TODAY anchors pause to watch the procession
As they covered the funeral, TODAY anchors — Wilfred Frost, Savannah Guthrie, Lester Holt and Hoda Kotb — stopped to watch the queen's coffin as it passed by.
The Princess of Wales and the Duchess of Sussex stand together at the state funeral
Royal family reunions abounded at the queen's funeral. Princes William and Harry arrived together.
Then, while arriving to Westminster Abbey, Catherine, Princess of Wales and Meghan, Duchess of Cambridge, stood together. With them were Kate and William's two oldest children, George and Charlotte.
'We will meet again:' Archbishop of Canterbury remembers one of the queen's speeches in his sermon
In his sermon, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, invoked a quote from a speech the queen gave during the Covid lockdown: "We will meet again."
"We will meet again. Words of hope," the Archbishop said, then connecting the words to the Christian faith. "Christian hope means certain expectation for something not yet seen. Christ rose from the dead and offers life to all. Abundant life now and life with God in eternity."
He ended the speech by saying, once again, "We will meet again."
Big Ben failed to strike last night
Big Ben, the name for the tower bell and clock at Palace of Westminster, and a London attraction, was meant to chime last night at 8 p.m. as planned during a national moment of silence.
However, it never went off. A U.K. parliament spokesperson said a "minor technical issue" was identified and rectified, and would "not affect the tolling tomorrow during the State Funeral procession.”
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex arrives
Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, has arrived at Queen Elizabeth's funeral. Her husband, Prince Harry, previously arrived with his brother and father.
Inside the funeral service
Buckingham Palace published the funeral's order of service on Sunday, the day before the ceremony.
The service will be conducted by the Dean of Westminster, the Very Reverend Dr. David Hoyle, whose bidding will read as follows:
"In grief and also in profound thanksgiving we come to this House of God, to a place of prayer, to a church where remembrance and hope are sacred duties. Here, where Queen Elizabeth was married and crowned, we gather from across the nation, from the Commonwealth, and from the nations of the world, to mourn our loss, to remember her long life of selfless service, and in sure confidence to commit her to the mercy of God our maker and redeemer.
With gratitude we remember her unswerving commitment to a high calling over so many years as Queen and Head of the Commonwealth. With admiration we recall her life-long sense of duty and dedication to her people. With thanksgiving we praise God for her constant example of Christian faith and devotion. With affection we recall her love for her family and her commitment to the causes she held dear," he said
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, will give the sermon.
Among the hymns are "The day thou gavest, Lord, is ended; The Lord’s my shepherd," which was sung at the queen's wedding to Prince Philip in 1947.
The first hymn, "Like as the Hart," is a specially commissioned piece. “The piece, inspired by Her Majesty’s unwavering Christian faith, is a setting of Psalm 42 to music and will be sung unaccompanied,” Buckingham Palace said.
Prince George and Princess Charlotte arrive to their great-grandmothers funeral
Now titled Prince George and Princess Charlotte of Wales, the siblings were seen arriving to the queen's funeral along with their mother, Princess Kate, and the Queen consort. Read more here.
The music connects Queen Elizabeth II's funeral to many before
As the coffin entered Westminster Abbey, "The Sentences" by William Croft was sung by the choir, music that has been used at every state funeral since the 18th century.
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The queen's wreath includes a cutting from her wedding bouquet
Buckingham Palace released details about the significance behind the flowers in the queen's wreath.
The wreath includes flowers and foliage cut from the gardens of Buckingham Palace, Clarence House and Highgrove House.
The plants were chosen for their symbolism: Rosemary for remembrance, English oak for the strength of love, and myrtle, the symbol of a happy marriage. The myrtle was cut from a plant that was grown from a sprig of myrtle included in the queen's wedding bouquet in 1947.
Also included are scented pelargoniums, garden roses, autumnal hydrangea, sedum, dahlias, and scabious.
The flowers rest on a nest of English moss and oak branches.
The the queen arrives to Westminster Abbey
The queen died on Sept. 8 in her beloved Scottish estate, Balmoral. Since then, she has embarked on a days-long trek through Scotland and England.
On each stop along the way, people gathered to pay their respects, including where she lied in state in Edinburgh and London, but also on highway overpasses, waiting for a glimpse of the hearse where her coffin was carried.
On Sunday, the Queen neared the end of her 10-day journey, carried from Westminster Hall into Westminster Abbey on the state funeral gun carriage.
What is the gun carriage? A connection between Queen Elizabeth II and Queen Victoria
Queen Elizabeth's coffin is carried on the State Gun Carriage of the Royal Navy, pulled by 142 Royal Navy sailors.
This is the same gun carriage used for Queen Victoria's funeral, as well as the queen's father George VI and prime minister Winston Churchill.
The reason the carriage is pulled by people, not horses, dates back to a mishap during Queen Victoria's 1901 funeral, according to the BBC, during which a panicked horse almost sent Victoria's coffin flying.
King Charles III, Prince William and Prince Harry arrive together
The new king has arrived with his sons, Prince William and Prince Harry.
Ahead of the funeral, Princes William and Harry stood vigil outside the queen's coffin at Westminster Hall. They were joined by their cousins, the children of Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward.
TODAY anchors go live with a special report
TODAY began covering the funeral live from London at at 5:30 a.m. ET. Savannah Guthrie, Wilfred Frost, Lester Holt and Hoda Kotb are walking us through this historic day with live updates.
Prince George and Princess Charlotte will attend funeral
Prince William's two eldest children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, are confirmed to attend their great-grandmother's funeral, according to the order of service released by Buckingham Palace on Sunday evening.
U.S. president Joe Biden, first lady Jill Biden arrive to the funeral
President Joe Biden and First lady Jill Biden have also arrived to Westminster Abbey, traveling via private car.
On Sunday, they visited Westminster Hall and signed the book of condolences. “Our hearts go out to the Royal Family — King Charles and all the family. It’s a loss that leaves a giant hole,” Biden said after the signing, according to the White House transcript.
British P.M. Liz Truss arrives, as do other P.M.s
Liz Truss, who met with Queen Elizabeth II two days before she died, has arrived to the funeral. She was the 15th and final prime minister the queen worked with.
All other living former British prime ministers are in attendance.
Newspaper editions say farewell to the queen
The day of the funeral, editions of daily newspapers in the U.K. dedicated the cover to Queen Elizabeth II. Many used a never-before-seen photograph of the queen, taken during the jubilee earlier this year and released on Sept. 18
Crowds are forming, procession viewing halls fill up
The funeral, which is bank holiday, is drawing crowds. Police have set up 22 miles of barriers in the center of London. As of 9:10 a.m., about two hours before the funeral, the viewing areas were completely full, according to London's City Hall.
The queen's lying-in-state, which drew crowds over the weekend, has ended
Upon her arrival in London, thousands of people arrived to pay their respects to the monarch, often waiting hours to do so. As of Sunday afternoon, the day before the funeral, the line was more than four miles long and an estimated nearly 10 hour wait — and was longer at other times. Soccer legend David Beckham said he waited for 12 hours.
The queen's lying-in-state ended at 6:30 a.m. local time.
The queen will be buried at Windsor Castle, joining her family and husband
Queen Elizabeth II will be buried at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. Her father, King George VI, and her mother, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, are already buried there, along with the ashes of her sister, Princess Margaret.
Following his death in 2021, Prince Philip’s coffin was placed in the 200-year-old Royal Vault beneath St. George’s Chapel. It will be moved to the chapel to lie alongside Queen Elizabeth’s.
The doors to Westminster Abbey open, guests file in
Doors to Westminster Abbey, where the funeral will be held, opened at 8 a.m. local time.
Meanwhile, the bell at Westminster Abbey has begun tolling 96 times, to commemorate her years of life.
The guest list: Who is expected to attend the Queen's funeral
The event will be attended by 2,000 people. Among them will be members of the British royal family, other royals, and heads of state from around the world.
President Joe Biden confirmed he would be in attendance, as will First Lady Jill Biden. Also expected to attend are Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, and Jamaican Governor-General Sir Patrick Allen.
There will also be about 200 civilians invited to attend for their public service.
How to watch the queen's funeral in the U.S.
In the U.S., coverage of the event by news outlets has already begun.
The funeral service will conclude around 6:55 a.m. ET. At that time, a national two-minute observation of silence will unfold. The funeral will end at 7 a.m. ET.
After that, the queen's coffin will be transported to Windsor Castle, where she will be buried.