Britain and the world bid farewell to Queen Elizabeth as state funeral marks end of era

Queen Elizabeth, Britain’s longest-serving monarch, died September 8 at her Balmoral estate in Scotland at age of 96

US President Joe Biden, Chinese Vice-President Wang Qishan among world leaders at state funeral at Westminster Abbey

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Britain’s King Charles follows the coffin of Queen Elizabeth as it is carried out of Westminster Abbey. Photo: AP

Published: 8:57pm, 19 Sep 2022Updated: 6:02am, 20 Sep 2022

Hundreds of world leaders and members of international royalty gathered at historic Westminster Abbey on Monday to remember the legacy of Queen Elizabeth, Britain’s longest reigning monarch, after her death at the age of 96.

Her state funeral, the first in Britain since former prime minister Winston Churchill’s funeral in 1965, followed 10 days of services and remembrances, including hundreds of thousands of people filing past her coffin while she was lying in state for four days. An official period of mourning will continue until a week after her funeral.

“Her late Majesty famously declared on her 21st birthday broadcast that her whole life would be dedicated to serving the nation and the Commonwealth,” Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, said. “Rarely has such a promise been so well kept. Few leaders have received the outpouring of love that we have seen.”

Queen Elizabeth, who served 70 years on the throne following her father’s death in 1952, died on September 8 at her Balmoral estate in Scotland. The queen had limited her public duties in recent months after suffering “episodic mobility issues”.

On Monday, Britain came to a standstill, with shops, restaurants and the London Stock Exchange all closed for a public holiday in her honour. Broadcasts of the ceremony were streamed in Hyde Park and cinemas across the country.

An estimated 32 million watched the televised broadcast, making it the largest ever televised event in Britain.

In Hong Kong, dozens of mourners gathered outside the British consulate to pay their respects.