Politics

Crowds gather for Queen Elizabeth II’s state funeral

London, Sep 19 (EFE).- The United Kingdom came to a pause Monday for the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II as crowds gathered in central London and guests, including members of the royal family and a host of world leaders, congregated at Westminster Abbey.

High profile guests at the state funeral include the President of the United States Joe Biden, the Emperor of Japan Naruhito, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, the President of India Draupadi Murmu, Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan, the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain, among many more.

After the funeral service in Westminster Abbey, the queen’s coffin will travel by hearse to Windsor Castle. From there, a procession will carry the queen down the Long Walk — a five-kilometer promenade — towards Windsor Castle where she will be laid to rest next to her father, George VI, the Queen Mother and her husband, Prince Philip.

Dozens of mourners have gathered outside Windsor Castle since the early hours of the morning ahead of the late monarch’s burial. The streets of central London were also lined with members of the public eager to witness the historic event.

The burial later Monday will be a small affair attended by members of the royal family.

The queen’s funeral is one the most high-profile events the UK has organized in decades and a massive security operation has been deployed to ensure the safety of attendees.

Elizabeth died on September 8 at the age of 96, and was the longest-serving monarch in British history with 70 years on the throne.

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