Drawn up in the September sunshine, they stood heads bowed, and rifles reversed as the gun carriage passed from London to Windsor. The scale of the military detachments drawn from different contingents across the commonwealth was much bigger than what was witnessed during Prince Philip's funeral.
Just like her husband, Prince Phillip the Duke of Edinburgh who was laid to rest during the height of the pandemic, Queen Elizabeth also chose the hymns sung and readings at her funeral. A section of the music played included songs played at her wedding to Prince Philip and her coronation seventy years ago.
The committal whose climax was the lowering of the Queen's coffin to the royal vault marked the public events that followed the queen's death. There was also of breaking of the band, a ceremony to mark the end of Queen Elizabeth II's reign.
The BBC reports that, the Lord Chamberlain, former MI5 chief Baron Parker, "broke" his wand of office and place it on the coffin. The snapping of the white staff will signal the end of his service to the sovereign as her most senior official in the Royal Household.
The wand will be buried with the queen's coffins and St George's chapel, says the British public broadcaster.
Why Windsor Castle
Windsor castle had been home to the Queen. The 952-year old castle is the oldest and largest continuously inhabited castle in the world with more than 1,000 rooms. It served as a private home where the Queen usually spent her weekends, as well as a place where she could conduct official business.
Right at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, the late Queen relocated from her residence at Buckingham Palace to Windsor Castle in March 2020. Refurbishments ongoing at Buckingham Palace necessitated the relocation, but reports indicate that she deeply loved Windsor Castle.
At St. George's Chapel in Windsor is where her grandson, Prince Harry the Duke of Sussex married Meghan Markle the Duchess of Sussex.
Reuters reports that "Queen Elizabeth will be buried alongside her husband Prince Philip in a small chapel in the grounds of Windsor Castle in a private ceremony after her state funeral on Monday.
Reuters further explains that Windsor Castle is the resting place of more than a dozen English and British kings and queens. Most are buried in St. George's Chapel, including Henry VIII, who died in 1547, and Charles I, who was beheaded in 1649.
Founded by William the Conqueror in the 11th Century, it is the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world, according to the Royal Collection Trust website. It has been the home of 40 monarchs, including Queen Elizabeth.
Queen Elizabeth commissioned the King George VI memorial chapel, named for her father, which is next to the quire of the main chapel, in 1962. It is where he and his wife, the Queen Mother, are interred, along with their younger daughter Princess Margaret.
The coffin of Elizabeth's husband, Prince Philip, who died on April 9, 2021, last year, has been stored in a Royal Vault so that he can be buried alongside the queen." Reuters concludes.
Private Burial
The Guardian explains that the right reverend David Conor will lead the service from 9:30pm local time before the burial of Queen Elizabeth II and Duke of Edinburgh in the crypt of the King George VI Memorial Chapel.
It adds "He also led the committal service at St George's Chapel on Monday afternoon. The Queen's coffin will be interred with the Grenadier Guards' Queen's Company Camp Colour - a smaller version of the Royal Standard of the regiment - which the King placed on her coffin at the end of the committal service. The Grenadier Guards are the most senior of the foot guards regiments and the Queen was their colonel-in-chief.
Only one Royal Standard of the regiment is presented during a monarch's reign and it served as the Queen's Company Colour throughout her time as Queen, concluded the Guardian's reportage.
Buried with her husband
When the Duke of Edinburgh died in April 2021, his coffin was placed in the 200-year-old Royal Vault beneath St George's Chapel. However, this is not Prince Philip's final resting place, and he will be transferred to the memorial chapel within St George's to lie alongside his wife, Queen Elizabeth II's coffin, the Telegraph reports.
According to the Guardian, the Queen's coffin has been lying in the royal vault at the church, at Windsor Castle, since the committal service this afternoon.
"Members of the Royal family will return to the chapel for the intimate event, where she will be buried in the King George VI Memorial Chapel. It will begin at 7.30pm. The memorial chapel is a small annex at the church.
Elizabeth II is the 11th former monarch to be buried in the chapel in Windsor Castle. She will be buried alongside her father King George VI, the Queen Mother and her sister Margaret.
Her late husband, Prince Philip, will have his coffin moved to join her, after his death and burial last year.
The Queen commissioned the chapel in 1962, and it was completed in 1969. Her father's remains were moved there from the royal vault in the March of the same year." Explained the Telegraph reportage.
Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-serving British monarch, died on September 8 at her Balmoral estate in Scotland.
