On Monday, Britain said goodbye to Queen Elizabeth II with a magnificent funeral that was rooted in tradition and a send-off that reflected the widespread support she was able to maintain during her astonishing seven-decade reign.
Dignitaries and members of the royal family met at Westminster Abbey for a solemn service. As a tribute to her broad appeal and skilled diplomacy, presidents, prime ministers, princes and princesses, and other prominent personalities sat side by side to pay their respects.
The burial honored the Queen with the kind of pomp she employed to promote the royal family and “brand Britain” throughout her life. It acted as both a state and religious ceremony and marked the conclusion of 10 days of grief.
People in their tens of thousands came to the streets surrounding Westminster Abbey and along the 25-mile route of the procession from the heart of London to Windsor, hoping to get a sight of the sovereign’s flag-draped coffin as it was transported by hearse to her ultimate resting place.
