Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II Facts for Kids

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Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II
Top to bottom, left to right: The Queen's coffin being processed following the state funeral Floral tributes left outside the Sandringham Estate Notice of the Queen's death posted at Holyrood Palace Tribute to Elizabeth II that was on displayed public screens throughout the United Kingdom Elizabeth II lying in state at Westminster Hall People mourning following the Queen's death outside of Buckingham Palace
Date	8 September 2022 (2022-09-08), 15:10 (BST) (death) 12–13 September 2022 (lying at rest) 14–19 September 2022 (lying-in-state) 19 September 2022 (2022-09-19) (state funeral and interment)
Location	Balmoral Castle, Aberdeenshire (death) St Giles' Cathedral, Edinburgh (lying at rest) Westminster Hall, London (lying-in-state) Westminster Abbey, London (funeral) King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle (final resting place)
Budget	GB£162 million
Participants	List of guests at the state funeral

Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms, died on 8 September 2022 at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, at the age of 96. Elizabeth's reign of 70 years and 214 days was the longest of any British monarch. She was immediately succeeded by her eldest son, Charles III.

Elizabeth's death set in motion the final version of Operation London Bridge, a funeral plan first devised in the 1960s, and Operation Unicorn, the plan for the Queen's death in Scotland. Elizabeth's coffin lay at rest in St Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh from 12 to 13 September, after which it was flown to London, where it lay in state in Westminster Hall from 14 to 19 September. An estimated 33,000 people filed past the Queen's coffin in Edinburgh, and approximately 250,000 people queued to pay their respects in London. The United Kingdom observed a national mourning period of 10 days.

Elizabeth's state funeral on 19 September was the first held in Britain since Winston Churchill's in 1965. A funeral service was held at Westminster Abbey, followed by a procession to Wellington Arch which featured around 3,000 military personnel and was watched by approximately one million people in central London. The state hearse then transported the Queen's coffin to Windsor, followed by another procession through Windsor Great Park and a committal service at St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle. The Queen was interred later that evening with her husband, Prince Philip, in the King George VI Memorial Chapel, in a private service attended only by her closest family.

Designated as a public holiday in the UK and several Commonwealth countries, the state funeral included dignitaries from around the world and featured the largest security operation ever mounted in the UK. Coverage of the state funeral was one of the UK's most watched special television broadcasts, surpassing the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton, the previous most-watched royal event of the 21st century. The period of official mourning and the funeral was estimated to have cost the government £162 million.

Images for kids

The Queen at the opening of the Welsh Parliament, October 2021
Death certificate issued for Elizabeth II
A Hearse specially provided by Willliam Purves transporting Elizabeth ll's coffin arrives in Edinburgh on route to the Palace Holyroodhouse on 11 September
The State Hearse carrying Elizabeth ll's coffin arrives at Buckingham Palace
Elizabeth II lying-in-state at Westminster Hall
The Queen's coffin on the State Gun Carriage of the Royal Navy during the procession to Westminster Abbey
Representatives from Canada, Australia, and New Zealand during the procession to Wellington Arch
The King, the Princess Royal, the Duke of York, the Earl of Wessex, the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Sussex, Peter Phillips, the Earl of Snowdon and the Duke of Gloucester walk behind Queen Elizabeth II's coffin. Sir Timothy Laurence was also in the procession but is not seen in the photo.
Map showing countries from which at least one representative attended the funeral
Police officers from Wales on duty in Sloane Square, London, before the funeral
Sailors on board HMS Queen Elizabeth watching the funeral
Statement from the King following the death of the Queen
The press covering the Accession Council outside St James's Palace
King Charles III addressing the Scottish Parliament following his accession
The Union Flag flown at half-mast at Buckingham Palace
The flag of Sudan at half-mast following the death of the Queen
The Brandenburg Gate illuminated with the Union Flag on 16 September as a tribute to the Queen
Floral tributes to Elizabeth II at the British Embassy in Berlin
The Sydney Opera House illuminated in the Queen's honour on 10 September
A book of condolence for the Queen in the Manitoba Legislative Building
The memorial parade before the Canadian commemorative ceremony
Gun salute in honour of the Queen on the grounds of the Manitoba Legislative Building
A man paying his respects to the Queen in front of a makeshift memorial at the British consulate in Hong Kong
The Queen's Personal New Zealand Flag paraded at the New Zealand State Memorial Service]]
A 96-gun salute at Government House, Saint Lucia
Some of the floral tributes left by the public in Green Park, London

Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II facts for kids

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