Britain | The monarchy

The state funeral of Elizabeth II came off without a hitch

Britain buries its longest-reigning queen

TOPSHOT - The Bearer Party take the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, from the State Hearse, into St George's Chapel inside Windsor Castle on September 19, 2022, for the Committal Service for Britain's Queen Elizabeth II. - Monday's committal service is expected to be attended by at least 800 people, most of whom will not have been at the earlier State Funeral at Westminster Abbey. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell / POOL / AFP) (Photo by JEFF J MITCHELL/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

A coffin is a heavy weight on any shoulder but this one—English oak and lead-lined—looked heavier than most. Just before 11am on September 19th, eight soldiers with red coats and neatly trimmed necks lifted the coffin of Elizabeth II, crown on top, onto eight shoulders. Then they started to walk.

This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline “Elizabeth’s journey”

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