Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II
The Queen's coffin paraded
Flowers and cards in front of large gates
A notice in a frame affixed to a gate
Elizabeth II lying-in-state at Westminster Hall
Top to bottom, left to right:
  1. The procession leaving Westminster Abbey after the state funeral
  2. Floral tributes left outside the Sandringham Estate
  3. Notice of the Queen's death posted at Holyrood Palace
  4. Elizabeth II lying in state at Westminster Hall
Date
  • 8 September 2022 (2022-09-08), 15:10 (BST) (death)
  • 12 September 2022 (2022-09-12) (thanksgiving service)
  • 19 September 2022 (2022-09-19) (state funeral and interment)
Location
Coordinates57°2′27″N 3°13′48″W / 57.04083°N 3.23000°W / 57.04083; -3.23000
Budget£162 million
ParticipantsList of guests at the state funeral
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Death and state funeral
of Elizabeth II
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Succession

Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms, died on 8 September 2022 at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, at the age of 96. Elizabeth's reign of 70 years and 214 days was the longest of any British monarch. She was immediately succeeded by her eldest son, Charles III.

Elizabeth's death set in motion the most recent version of Operation London Bridge, a funeral plan first devised in the 1960s, and Operation Unicorn, the plan for the Queen's death in Scotland. Elizabeth's coffin lay at rest in St Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh from 12 to 13 September, after which it was flown to London, where it lay in state in Westminster Hall from 14 to 19 September. An estimated 33,000 people filed past the Queen's coffin in Edinburgh, and approximately 250,000 people queued to pay their respects in London. The United Kingdom observed a national mourning period of ten days.

Elizabeth's state funeral on 19 September was the first held in Britain since Winston Churchill's in 1965. A funeral service was held at Westminster Abbey, followed by a procession to Wellington Arch which featured around 3,000 military personnel and was watched by approximately one million people in central London. The state hearse then transported the Queen's coffin to Windsor, followed by another procession through Windsor Great Park and a committal service at St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle. The Queen was interred later that evening with her husband, Prince Philip, in the King George VI Memorial Chapel, in a private service attended only by her closest family.

Designated as a public holiday in the UK and several Commonwealth states, the state funeral included dignitaries from around the world and featured the largest security operation ever mounted in the UK. Coverage of the state funeral was one of the UK's most watched special television broadcasts, surpassing the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton, the previous most-watched royal event of the 21st century. The period of official mourning and the funeral was estimated to have cost the government £162 million.