Britain: Last Goodbye for the Queen – Entertainment

A minute of silence for the Queen

The people of Great Britain and the Commonwealth observed the late Queen’s memory of a minute’s silence on Sunday evening. At 8:00 pm sharp local time, the program stopped on television and radio stations. Prime Minister Liz Truss and her husband Hugh O’Leary marked the anniversary of the ceremony outside the famous black door at 10 Downing Street, the seat of government. In churches, clubs, and homes too, many people took the opportunity to reflect on the life and work of the King, who died on September 8th at the age of 96.

Surprise visit in the “waiting list”

Saturday King Charles III. (73) and his son Prince William (40) appear near the people. And both made a surprise visit to those waiting in line, the so-called “queue”. The crowd greeted her with applause and chants of “God save the King.”

In the face of crowds of mourners, the British Ministry of Culture called, on Sunday, to stop queuing for the Queen’s coffin. “To avoid disappointment, stop driving to join the waiting list,” the ministry wrote on Twitter.

The Queen’s grandchildren stay vigil

The Queen’s eight children and grandchildren woke up on the coffin for 15 minutes on Saturday. For once, Harry was allowed to wear a military uniform for the occasion. Although the 38-year-old had served in Afghanistan, he was denied it due to his retirement from the royal family.

Queen Elizabeth II died on September 8 at the age of 96 in her Scottish country home, Balmoral Castle. Her coffin is said to have remained in the state at Westminster Hall, the oldest part of the British Parliament, until early Monday morning.

The Queen had certain ideas for her funeral, according to former York Archbishop John Sentamu. “The Queen does not want and does not want what she calls long boring services,” he told the BBC. I told him that personally. About 2,000 people are invited to state law.

Steinmeier and von der Leyen also participate

Many representatives of the European aristocracy, such as Federal President Steinmeier, US President Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen have also been announced. A government official told the BBC the effort could be compared to a hundred state visits in a matter of days. The invitation of many countries with which Britain had bad relations or no relations at all did not receive the invitation. Remarkable is the absence of Russia.

The participation of Japanese Emperor Naruhito and his wife Empress Masako is a special honor. Traditionally, Japanese royalty do not attend funerals, either at home or abroad.

However, it should be surprising that Naruhito, like most of the guests of honor, is supposed to travel to Westminster Abbey by bus. This would help avoid traffic chaos. As reported by the BBC, there are said to be very few exceptions, such as US President Biden or Israeli President Isaac Herzog.

Buried in Windsor

After the service at the famous Westminster Abbey on Monday, the actual burial will not take place in London but in Windsor to the west, where the coffin will be moved. The Queen will receive her final resting place in the evening at a private funeral at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle – alongside her husband Prince Philip, who died last year.

A national minute’s silence was set at 8 p.m. (local time) on Sunday evening – a final pause by the subjects for their Queen. In a pre-recorded video message, King Consort Camilla said, “She has always been a part of our lives.” Camilla said that she herself could not remember anyone else at the top – and appreciated the attractiveness of the Queen: “I will always remember her smile, her smile is unforgettable.”