Queen Elizabeth II mourned by Britain and world at funeral

LONDON (AP) — Britain and the world are saying a final goodbye to Queen Elizabeth II at a state funeral that drew presidents and kings, princes and prime ministers.

Crowds massed along the streets of London on Monday to honor a monarch whose 70-year reign defined an age. In a country known for pomp and pageantry, the first state funeral since Winston Churchill’s was filled with spectacle. Ahead of the service, a bell tolled 96 times. That’s once a minute for each year of Elizabeth’s life. Royal Navy sailors used ropes to draw the gun carriage carrying her flag-draped coffin to Westminster Abbey before pallbearers bore it inside the church. Atop the coffin sat a handwritten note from King Charles III.

A committal service was later held in St. George’s Chapel.

Source: AP – All contents copyright 2022 Associated Press.  All rights reserved.