queen's journey since death

In pictures: The Queen's final journey

Queen Elizabeth II has travelled from Balmoral where she died, to London for her funeral service and a final procession through the streets before being laid to rest in Windsor.

The Queen's oak coffin was taken on a gun carriage before being transferred to a car which after a procession in Windsor became adorned in flowers.

The Queen has been buried beside her husband of 73 years, Prince Phillip, her mother Margaret, and father King George VI.

This is her final journey in pictures. 

• Queen Elizabeth II
• Queen Elizabeth II Death
• Royal Family

Six days after her funeral, Buckingham Palace released a photograph of Queen Elizabeth II's final resting place within St. George's Chapel.

The slab is hand-carved from Belgian black marble and features brass letter inlays reading the names of her parents - King George VI and Queen Elizabeth - followed by the late Queen's name along with that of her husband, Prince Philip. A garter star separates the two royal couples, and the years of birth and death have been inscribed next to each name.

The Queen's coffin being brought into St George's Chapel for the committal service at Windsor Castle.

The pallbearers made a slow and steady climb up the staircase with the coffin, with the crown, orb and scepter resting on the lid.

The Ceremonial Procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II travels down the Long Walk as it arrives at Windsor Castle for the Committal Service at St George's Chapel.

Throngs of crowds lined the streets to glimpse the Queen's final leg before her coffin is lowered into the royal vault.

The British Army flank a flower-adorned hearse carrying the Queen's oak coffin to her final resting place.

The Queen's coffin was placed in a hearse after the final procession through London ended.

Royal Navy soldiers can be seen pulling the gun carriage carrying Queen Elizabeth's coffin.

Scores of mourners congregated in the streets as the Queen's procession moved through London following her funeral.

Royal Navy Sailors walk ahead and behind the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped in the Royal Standard, as it travels on the State Gun Carriage of the Royal Navy, from Westminster Abbey to Wellington Arch.

Queen Elizabeth II's funeral cortege borne on the State Gun Carriage of the Royal Navy travels along The Mall in London.

The Coldstream Guards travel with the Queen along The Mall.

The coffin of Queen Elizabeth II is carried past Wellington Arch following her funeral service in Westminster Abbey in central London.

Queen Elizabeth's coffin was taken on a gun carriage from Westminster Abbey through the streets of London for a final procession after the end of her state funeral service.

King Charles III and other senior royals are marching behind the coffin to Wellington Arch at Hyde Park Corner.

Tens of thousands of people lined the route.

Britain's royal family, along with hundreds of world leaders and dignitaries gathered at the Gothic abbey in London for the service.

Here you can see dozens of sailors in the royal navy trail the Queen's coffin as she is farewelled through the streets of London a final time.

The flag draped over Queen Elizabeth II's coffin is the Royal Standard, which represents the Sovereign of the United Kingdom by picturing the four home nations.

A total of 2000 guests were seated as well as members of the British Royal Family to pay their respects to Queen Elizabeth II.

After 10 days of mourning, a chapter lasting 70 years has closed and a new one has opened.

Here you can see Prince Harry and Anne, Princess Royal, seen beside the coffin as official funeral processions at Westminster Abbey begin.

In Pictures: The Queen’s Final Journey From Balmoral Has Begun

Photo: Getty

The  Queen’s coffin has left her beloved Scottish retreat Balmoral, as Britain’s longest-reigning monarch begins her final journey to Westminster Abbey for her state funeral. Three days after her death at the age of 96 on 8 September, Her Majesty’s coffin is being conveyed by road from Aberdeenshire to the Palace of Holyroodhouse, 175 miles away in Edinburgh, where it will rest in the Throne Room overnight.

It is the first part of a four-day journey to London, ahead of the Queen’s state funeral , which will be held on Monday 19 September. Mourners were lining the streets from early on Sunday morning for the chance to pay their respects, as the Queen’s last journey got underway. The hearse drove through the gates of the Scottish estate shortly after 10am, giving the public its first sighting of the monarch’s coffin. It was draped in the Royal Standard of Scotland and decorated with a simple wreath of white flowers. The wreath includes dhalias, sweet peas, phlox, white heather, and pine fir, all picked from the Balmoral Estate.

Despite the crowds gathered in Ballater, just a few miles from Balmoral, a pin-drop silence descended on the main street as Her Majesty’s hearse approached. See the procession in the pictures below.

A man sits on a bench in Ballater, Aberdeenshire, as he waits to view the Queen’s cortège.

A tribute at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh on 11 September.

Members of the public gather beside a makeshift memorial in Ballater, as they wait to view Queen Elizabeth II’s hearse.

On Sunday September 11, the public saw the Queen’s coffin for the first time, as it was conveyed to Holyroodhouse Palace in Edinburgh.

Photo: Samir Hussein

The Queen’s coffin, draped in the Royal Standard, departs Balmoral.

The Queen’s only daughter, Princess Anne, accompanied her mother’s coffin on the first part of its journey from Balmoral.

The Queen’s hearse approaches the closest town to Balmoral.

Members of the public bow their heads as the Queen’s coffin drives past.

The crowd was silent as the cortège drove slowly through Ballater, a community with close links to the royal family.

The hearse passes by Glenmuick Church, Ballater.

Many members of the public chose to dress in black to witness the Queen’s final journey.

The simple wreath was made using flowers freshly picked from the grounds of Balmoral.

Flags are lowered as the hearse passes.

Onlookers watch as the Queen’s funeral cortège passes through Banchory, Aberdeenshire.

A car carrying the Princess Royal was among the convoy following the hearse.

Hundreds of people gathered to see the hearse.

Crowds watch as the funeral cortège makes its way over the King George VI Bridge in Aberdeen, crossing the River Dee.

Outside St Giles’s Cathedral in Edinburgh, where the Queen’s coffin will lie in state on September 12, the proclamation of the new King was taking place.

Members of the Royal Regiment of Scotland attend the proclamation of King Charles III in Edinburgh, as the Queen’s coffin was making its way to the city.

The procession makes its way over the Queensferry Crossing, which the Queen declared officially open five years ago.

Crowds lined the Royal Mile in Edinburgh on both sides to see the Queen’s coffin as it made its way to the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

The procession passes Mercat Cross in Edinburgh.

Members of the public throng Edinburgh’s Royal Mile.

The Queen’s coffin arrives at the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

The Princess Royal curtsies as her mother’s coffin is carried into Holyroodhouse, the monarch’s official residence in Scotland.

Originally published in Vogue.co.uk

Read next:  Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth: Their Love Story in 30 Photos

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Queen Elizabeth's death and funeral

By Rob Picheta , Ed Upright, Aditi Sangal , Elise Hammond and Maureen Chowdhury, CNN

Queen's coffin begins journey to St. Giles' Cathedral, followed by King Charles III

From CNN's Max Foster

The Queen's coffin has begun its journey from Edinburgh's Palace of Holyroodhouse to St. Giles' Cathedral, with King Charles III heading the procession.

Elizabeth II's other children — Princes Edwards and Andrew, and Princess Anne — are accompanying the King and Queen Consort.

They will walk past the crowds of people who have lined the route of the Scottish capital.

It is likely to be a somber and difficult undertaking for the new King, marking the first time he has glimpsed his mother's coffin since it left Balmoral Castle.

Queen's coffin emerges from Palace of Holyroodhouse in Scotland's capital

Queen Elizabeth II's coffin has emerged from the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, ahead of the procession that will take it to St. Giles' Cathedral for a service.

A royal salute has been given, and a rendition of God Save the King is underway.

That short journey will begin shortly.

The UK is invited to observe one-minute silence on eve of Queen's funeral, PM's spokesperson says

From CNN's Alex Hardie

The UK public is being invited to observe a one-minute silence at 8 p.m. [local time] on Sunday Sept. 18, Prime Minister Liz Truss’ spokesperson said Monday.

The minute’s silence will be held the evening before Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral for a national moment of reflection, according to the prime minister’s spokesperson. 

King Charles III and Queen Consort arrive at Palace of Holyroodhouse for Ceremony of the Keys

From CNN’s Arnaud Siad in London

King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort, have arrived at Palace of Holyroodhouse, the official residence of the British monarch in Scotland where Queen Elizabeth is lying at rest.

He is currently greeting members of the public standing behind barriers.

The King will then attend the Ceremony of the Keys.

The monarch is traditionally welcomed to the city of Edinburgh, “[his] ancient and hereditary kingdom of Scotland,” by the Lord Provost of the City of Edinburgh, Robert Aldridge – the City’s civic head. He will offer Charles the keys to the city, according to the website of the British monarchy.

The gesture of offering the keys is purely ceremonial, and the King is expected to decline them, with the words: "I return these keys, being perfectly convinced that they cannot be placed in better hands than those of the Lord Provost and Councillors of my good City of Edinburgh."

The King will later walk behind the Queen's coffin as it moves in procession from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St. Giles' Cathedral.

King Charles III lands in Scotland

King Charles III and Camilla, the Queen Consort, have now landed in Edinburgh, Scotland.

The King will later walk behind Queen Elizabeth II's coffin in a procession from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St. Giles' Cathedral in the Scottish capital.

They departed from the RAF Northolt airbase in west London earlier aboard a G-LEGC Embraer Legacy 600 jet.

Cloud of colonialism hangs over Queen Elizabeth’s legacy in Africa

From CNN's Stephanie Busari

The  death of Queen Elizabeth II  has prompted an outpouring of reflection and reaction online. But not all was grief – some young Africans instead are sharing images and stories of their own elders, who endured a brutal period of British colonial history during the Queen’s long reign.

“I cannot mourn,” one wrote on Twitter,  posting an image  of what she said was her grandmother’s “movement pass” – a colonial document which prevented free travel for Kenyans under British rule in the east African country.

Another  wrote  that her grandmother “used to narrate to us how they were beaten & how their husbands were taken away from them & left to look after their kids,” during colonial times. “May we never forget them. They are our heroes,” she added.

Their refusal to mourn highlights the complexity of the legacy of the Queen, who despite widespread popularity was also seen as a symbol of oppression in parts of the world where the British Empire once extended.

Kenya, which had been under British rule since 1895, was named an official colony in 1920 and remained that way until it won independence in 1963. Among the worst atrocities under British rule occurred during the Mau Mau uprising, which started in 1952 – the year Queen Elizabeth took the throne.

Africa’s memory of the Queen cannot be separated from that colonial past, professor of communication Farooq Kperogi at Kennesaw State University told CNN.

Read the full article here.

How the Queen stayed relevant and transformed the monarchy

Analysis by CNN's Max Foster

“I declare before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong.”

This line, delivered on Elizabeth II’s 21st birthday,  defines her career  like few others. Within five years, she would be Queen – and she’d go on to be the longest serving monarch in British history.

Elizabeth II dedicated herself to lifelong service. This explains why she never abdicated, even as many of her younger contemporaries did. Between February 2013 and June 19, 2014, four European monarchs stepped down: Pope Benedict XVI of Vatican City; Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands; King Albert II of Belgium; and King Juan Carlos I of Spain.

Elizabeth, a devout Christian who rarely missed a Sunday at church, resisted the exodus because of the promise she made not just to her subjects but to God. There’s a clue to that at the end of her 21st birthday speech: “I shall not have strength to carry out this resolution alone unless you join in it with me, as I now invite you to do: I know that your support will be unfailingly given. God help me to make good my vow, and God bless all of you who are willing to share in it.”

Even when her husband,  Prince Philip , retired in 2017, Elizabeth continued public engagements and brought in other members of the family to accompany her as needed. Just days after Philip’s death in 2021, she resumed official duties with the appointment of new ambassadors to the UK.

Elizabeth understood the power of the media from an early age, and harnessing it was to become another key theme of her reign. That speech on her 21st birthday was recorded not just for radio but also for the emerging medium of television. At her coronation in 1953, she personally requested that cameras be allowed in to Westminster Abbey to broadcast the ceremony live.

People famously went out to buy television sets so they could watch. It was a sacrosanct moment the public had never before been able to witness; they remembered where they were and who they watched with. The Queen had inadvertently invented event television. All she wanted was for as many people as possible to feel part of it.

A phrase often attributed to Elizabeth was that “you have to be seen to be believed.” She understood that it wasn’t enough to go out in public, but she had to be seen there. Television gave her a bigger audience and when color was introduced, she  wore brighter shades  so she would stand out.

Read more about the modernizing monarch here:

TV, travel, walkabouts: How the Queen stayed relevant

Charles and camilla to fly to scotland.

King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla have arrived at the RAF Northolt airbase in west London, and will soon fly to Edinburgh, Scotland.

There, the King will walk behind the Queen's coffin from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St. Giles' Cathedral in the Scottish capital.

Charles will later meet with Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon before he attends Scottish Parliament to receive a motion of condolence.

Queen's corgis to live with the Duke and Duchess of York

From CNN's Max Foster and Niamh Kennedy

The Queen's corgis will live with the Duke and Duchess of York, Andrew and Sarah, a source close to the Duke of York told CNN on Sunday.

The pair, who divorced in 1996, both reside at the Royal Lodge on the Windsor estate.

The source told CNN that Sarah, Duchess of York bonded with the late Queen over a shared love of dog walking and horse riding.

Even after her divorce from Andrew, Sarah continued her friendship with the Queen by walking dogs through the Windsor estate, the source added.

In addition to her two Pembroke Welsh corgis, Muick and Sandy, the Queen is reported to have left behind an older, mixed breed "dorgi" called Candy and a cocker spaniel named Lissy.

See pictures of the Queen's corgis here:

Photos: The Queen and her corgis

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Watch CBS News

King Charles III returns to London amid outpouring of grief and thanks for Queen Elizabeth II

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By Tucker Reals , Haley Ott

Updated on: September 9, 2022 / 11:38 PM EDT / CBS News

London — People in Britain and its commonwealth nations woke up on Friday with a new monarch for the first time in most of their lives. King Charles III returned to London from Scotland to meet the prime minister and address the British people for the first time as their monarch. 

Buckingham Palace announced that Charles had requested a formal "period of Royal Mourning" for his mother,  Queen Elizabeth II , who died on Thursday after a record 70-year reign. The U.K.'s longest-reigning monarch , one of the world's most enduring and instantly recognizable personalities, died at her beloved summer home in Scotland, Balmoral Castle, at the age of 96. 

The following week and a half will see a meticulously orchestrated process of both mourning and constitutional transition play out across Great Britain. It will be colored by the grief of a grateful nation mourning a queen with whom many felt a deep connection.  

Tributes continued to pour in from leaders, dignitaries and celebrities from across the globe Friday as thousands of people flocked to Buckingham Palace and the queen's other homes to lay flowers and notes of thanks for Elizabeth's lifetime of dedication and service. King Charles showed up with his wife, Queen Consort Camilla, to shake the hands of well-wishers in front of Buckingham Palace.

Follow the latest developments below, as a new era dawns in Great Britain.

British public pays tribute to Queen Elizabeth

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Mothers bring daughters to honor Queen Elizabeth II

As we walked through the crowds at Buckingham Palace, we couldn't but notice the mothers and daughters who came to honor the only monarch many of them have ever known.

"It's a great inspiration for me, for my child," one mother told CBS News about what it meant to have a woman reign for so long.Other women also brought their daughters to lay flowers.

"When we found the news out yesterday, the little ones were uncontrollably crying," a mother said. "A great loss. And obviously, even in their generation, in their lifetime, we're probably never going to see a queen again."

"It's like someone that's always been there, like a grandma," another mother said, adding that the message for all the girls in her family is "that anything's possible, isn't it?"

Queen Elizabeth was not just a monarch but a matriarch for the United Kingdom. She was a source of strength and inspiration for many of the women at Buckingham Palace on Friday.

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Former royal aide on how roles of King Charles, Prince William and Princess Kate will change

The former communications director for then-Prince Charles thinks the now king will carry on the passion he had for certain issues as he takes the throne.

In an interview with "CBS Evening News" anchor and managing editor Norah O'Donnell on Friday, Julian Payne, who is also a CBS News contributor, said King Charles could have spent the last few decades doing very little, but he chose to campaign "for the things he was passionate about."

"I absolutely am certain that he will take the spirit of that into the monarchy now as king," Payne said.

Payne said the king has "always been a modernizer," explaining that Charles put "a recycling bin in Buckingham Palace in the early 1980s and got everybody recycling their bottles."

"This is not somebody who has sat on tradition and never, never changed," he said. "He actually is always, always pushing forward."

O'Donnell also asked Payne how the roles of Prince William and his wife, Kate, will change. They became the prince and princess of Wales.

"That is quite a powerful moniker to carry. What I think you'll see, is they will naturally follow into that role as people that are putting philanthropy at the heart of their work," Payne said. "But I think what you can expect is for that work really to kick up a notch. And also, don't forget the prince of Wales, now as he is, he also has the Duchy of Cornwall to look after. This is the estate which brings in the revenue that pays for the prince of Wales and his family. So that's a huge job as well."

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Elton John pays tribute to Queen at his final Toronto show

Elton John paid tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at his final concert in Toronto on Thursday night, saying he was inspired by her and is sad she is gone.

"She led the country through some of our greatest and darkest moments with grace and decency and genuine caring," John said.

"I'm 75 and she's been with with me all my life and I feel very sad that that she won't be with me anymore, but I'm glad she's at peace," he said. "I'm glad she's at rest and she deserves it. She worked bloody hard."

The singer-songwriter then performed his 1974 track "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me."

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Charles: Queen's death is "the moment I've been dreading"

King Charles III told British Prime Minister Liz Truss Friday that the death of his mother was a moment he's been "dreading" but said he had to "keep everything going."

"It has been so touching. ... All those people, come to give their condolences," he told Truss during their meeting.

"It's the moment I've been dreading, as I know a lot of people have," he added, referring to his mother's death. "But you try and keep everything going."

Read more here

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5 things to know about Queen Elizabeth II's wealth

The  passing of Queen Elizabeth II  involves not only the  transfer of the crown  to King Charles III but also a shift of her personal wealth and the ownership in trust of a massive portfolio of assets that range from iconic castles to the Crown Jewels.

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Charles meets with Prime Minister Liz Truss

The royal family posted a picture of King Charles III holding an audience with new Prime Minister Liz Truss on Friday.

This afternoon, The King held an Audience at Buckingham Palace with the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. Liz Truss MP. pic.twitter.com/G3h0ALT6It — The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) September 9, 2022

Earlier this week, Truss met with Queen Elizabeth II to be officially appointed as Boris Johnson 's successor after she was selected to lead the British government.

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Charles expresses love for Harry and Meghan in address

King Charles III expressed love for his son Prince Harry and Harry's wife Meghan in his address Friday.

He wished the couple well "as they continue to build their lives overseas."

Meghan, 41, and Harry, 37, have been in a tense relationship with Britain's royal family since they stepped away from royal duties and left the U.K. in early 2020, citing what they said were the unbearable intrusions and racist attitudes of the British media.

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Biden says he'll attend Queen Elizabeth II's funeral

President Biden on Friday said he'll be going to the funeral of  Queen Elizabeth II  whenever it takes place.

"Yes," Mr. Biden said, asked by a reporter in Ohio if he'll attend the funeral. "I don't know what the details are yet, but I'll be going."

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Charles: "My beloved mother was an inspiration"

In his address Friday, King Charles III called Queen Elizabeth II "an inspiration."

"Throughout her life, Her Majesty the Queen, my beloved mother, was an inspiration, an example to me and to all my family, and we owe her the most heartfelt debt any family could owe to their mother," Charles said.

He paid tribute to his mother's dedication to her country.

"That promise of lifelong service I renew to you all today," Charles said.

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Charles names William and Kate "our new Prince and Princess of Wales"

During his first address to the British people since the death of Queen Elizabeth II, King Charles III named his son Prince William and William's wife Kate "our new Prince and Princess of Wales."

The king said they "will, I know, continue to inspire and lead our national conversations, helping to bring the marginal to the center ground, where vital help can be given."

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"She loved America, and we loved her"

Jane Hartley, the U.S. ambassador to the U.K., told "CBS Mornings" that there was no closer ally to the United States than Queen Elizabeth II.

"I think she loved America, and we loved her. When I first arrived, it was right before the  Platinum Jubilee , and I was amazed at the number of people on the street that just adored her. And there was so much respect. But there were many, many Americans there," Hartley said.

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Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip's seven-decade love story

Queen Elizabeth II spent her entire 70-year reign at the helm of Britain's royal family with her longtime love Prince Philip by her side. Their story began when they were just children and lasted until April 9, 2021, the day Philip died.   

Click here for a look back at the couple's remarkable royal love story. 

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Harry and Meghan's children Archie and Lillibet are now a prince and princess

Archie and Lillibet, the children of Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, have become a prince and princess after the passing of Queen Elizabeth II.

When they were born, the two children were too far down the line of succession to be given those titles under rules set out by King George V in 1917. 

Archie was given the title Earl of Dumbarton when he was born. He could have had the title of "Lord," but his parents chose for him to be called "Master Archie" instead, according to Buckingham Palace.

It is possible for King Charles III, the new monarch, to change the rules to take the His and Her Royal Highness (HRH), the prince and princess titles, away from his grandchildren, but veteran royal correspondent and CBS News contributor Roya Nikkhah said it was unlikely he would do so.

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"The Crown" pauses production "as a mark of respect" for queen

" The Crown ," Netflix's acclaimed series about Queen Elizabeth II and her family, has paused production due to the monarch's death. A spokesperson for the series said production was paused on Friday "as a mark of respect" and will also be suspended on the day of the queen's funeral. 

The show, which has won 22 Emmy Awards so far, is in production on its sixth season. Its first two seasons focused on the early years after the queen ascended to the throne and has gradually moved closer to current events. 

Its fifth season, with Imelda Staunton playing the queen, will premiere later this year.  

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Somber Scottish capital prepares to receive queen's coffin

Sadness, drizzle and a strange frisson filled the Edinburgh air as the Scottish capital prepared to receive the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II this weekend. The monarch died at her Scottish Balmoral estate Thursday and the coffin's arrival in Edinburgh will be the first stage on its journey to a state funeral in London.

Against a damp wall at Holyroodhouse, the royal palace in Edinburgh, the mass of flowers continued to grow. Gary Millar, a 45-year-old technician, added a bouquet to the pile that started to build when news broke of the queen's death.

Millar had arrived early in the morning to show his "respects" and "to honour the lady."

"She honoured us her whole reign by doing her duty and I think it's time that the public gave that back a little," he said, his voice tight with emotion.

In Scotland, led by a government that wants independence from the United Kingdom, the queen is much more popular than the monarchy itself. For Millar, the late sovereign "held the country together."

"She was the figurehead of our union of Great Britain. She's been around all my life," he continued, praising her "hard work" and "dedication."

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King Charles and Camilla greet well-wishers at Buckingham Palace

King Charles III and his wife Camilla, the queen consort, arrived at Buckingham Palace in central London on Friday and greeted crowds gathered outside the palace gates.

The new king flew back to London from Scotland just after 1:30 p.m. local time (8:30 a.m. Eastern).

King Charles was due to meet the U.K.'s new Prime Minister Liz Truss later in the day, and deliver his first message to the nation as its monarch early in the evening.  

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Accession Council for new King Charles III to be televised for 1st time ever

Clarence House, the former home and official office of Britain's new King Charles III, said Friday that the centuries-old ceremony by which the U.K. government will formally recognize his reign would be televised.

The broadcast of the two-part Accession Council , which will take place on Saturday at St. James's Palace in London, will be a first. The Council has been convened for British governments to formally acknowledge new monarchs for around 1,000 years. It is the oldest part of Britain's government.

The process comes in two parts, the first of which takes place without the new king, as "Privy Counsellors" and a bevy of other dignitaries "formally announce the death of the Monarch and proclaim the succession of the new Sovereign."

Charles will then join the council along with his wife, Queen Consort Camilla, and his son and heir, Prince William, who are also members, to attend his first session of the gathering and to declare his support for the British constitution and the Church of Scotland, of which the monarch is the official head. 

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French president: "To you, she was your Queen. To us, she was THE Queen."

French President Emmanuel Macron expressed "deep sadness" and a sense of "emptiness" after the passing of the monarch and praised her "great affection for France."

Macron said in a video message that the queen mastered "our language, loved our culture and touched our hearts."

Macron described her as a "great head of state," and said that with her, Britain and France share "a warm, sincere and loyal partnership."

To you, she was your Queen. To us, she was The Queen. She will be with all of us forever. pic.twitter.com/PaL1DRmlHK — Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) September 9, 2022

Speaking in English, the French president said: "To you, she was your Queen. To us, she was THE Queen."

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U.K. leader lauds queen as "rock on which modern Britain was built" as MPs pay tribute

Members of the United Kingdom's parliament gathered in the House of Commons on Friday to pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II. Prime Minister Liz Truss called the queen, who died the previous day at the age of 96, "the rock on which modern Britain was built," and "one of the greatest leaders the world has ever known."

"We remember the pledge she gave on her 21st birthday to dedicate her life to service," Truss said. "The whole house will agree, never has a promise been so completely fulfilled."

"She was the rock on which modern Britain was built" UK Prime Minister Liz Truss pays tribute to Queen Elizabeth II, calling her "one of the greatest leaders the world has ever known" https://t.co/dhbqfe9lNu pic.twitter.com/Qxfslt3ZRW — BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) September 9, 2022

"As the longest-serving monarch this country has known she would have been assured of a notable entry in our history books even if it were not for the magnificence in which she undertook the role as Queen," the speaker of the House of Commons, Lindsay Hoyle, said.

"She was the most devoted monarch. As well as Queen, she was a wife, a mother, a grandmother and great grandmother — roles she carried out with the same sense of occasion and human kindness as the role of Queen," Hoyle said.

The tributes on the floor of the House of Commons were expected to continue until about 10 p.m. local time.

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Nelson Mandela Foundation reflects on his close bond with the queen

Nelson Mandela was on first-name basis with Queen Elizabeth II, a rare privilege contravening royal etiquette, the late anti-apartheid hero's foundation said Friday, sharing anecdotes of their fond relationship.  

"By his own admission, Nelson Mandela was an anglophile, and in the years after his release from prison cultivated a close relationship with the Queen," the Nelson Mandela Foundation wrote in a statement, sending condolences to the royal family. "They also talked on the phone frequently, using their first names with each other as a sign of mutual respect as well as affection."

Fondly known to South Africans as Madiba, Mandela spent decades in prison before leading his country from white minority rule to a multi-racial democracy. He died in 2013 aged 95 .

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King Charles III expected to address the nation today

King Charles III left Balmoral Castle on Friday to travel back to London to meet Prime Minister Liz Truss and then deliver a televised speech to the nation in the early evening. Charles and the queen's three other children, and her grandsons Prince William and Prince Harry, all rushed to Balmoral on Thursday to be by her side.

A service of prayer and reflection will be held at London's St. Paul's Cathedral at 6 p.m. local time (1 p.m. Eastern), which the public will be allowed to attend and which will also be televised. The prime minister and the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan were expected to attend.

If the timing of the king's speech coincides with the service, it is expected that the speech will be played to the audience inside St. Paul's Cathedral.

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British sports come to halt to mourn queen

The Premier League has postponed its upcoming round of matches as a mark of respect following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, adding to the cancellation of high-profile golf, cricket and horse racing events across Britain on Friday.

England's top-flight soccer clubs held a meeting Friday and said they wanted to "pay tribute to Her Majesty's long and unwavering service to our country."

The English Football League - the three divisions below the Premier League - also called off their games scheduled for the weekend. 

Important golf, cricket and horse racing events scheduled to take place on Friday have been postponed or canceled.

The England and Wales Cricket Board announced there would be no play on Friday in the third and deciding test between England and South Africa. There was no immediate update on whether play would be resuming over the weekend.

Other events called off included cycling's Tour of Britain, which also canceled the final two stages of the race scheduled for the weekend, and the third day of horse racing's St. Leger festival in Doncaster. The St. Leger, one of British racing's classics, will now take place on Sunday, organizers said Friday.

Horse racing was the queen's favorite sport.

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Palace says "period of Royal Mourning" to last until 7 days after queen's funeral

Buckingham Palace said Friday that King Charles III had requested a formal "period of Royal Mourning be observed from now until seven days after The Queen's Funeral."

The palace has not yet confirmed the date for Queen Elizabeth II's state funeral, but it is expected to be held on Monday September 19 .

"Royal Mourning will be observed by Members of the Royal Family, Royal Household staff and Representatives of the Royal Household on official duties, together with troops committed to Ceremonial Duties," the palace said in a statement.

The palace also confirmed that gun salutes would be fired Friday afternoon in London's Hyde Park and at the Tower of London, with one round being fired for each year of the queen's 96 years.

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"Our hearts are broken": U.K. newspapers mark queen's death

Poignant photographs of Queen Elizabeth II dominated the front pages of Britain's grieving newspapers Friday, charting her journey from coronation to matriarch of the nation.

A picture of the 27-year-old Elizabeth taken at her 1953 coronation, full of regal splendor clasping the Sovereign's Orb and Scepter in the vaulted walls of Westminster Abbey, covered the front pages of The Times, Guardian, Daily Star and Independent.

The Sun, Daily Telegraph, Daily Express and Daily Mirror instead chose images of the white-haired monarch as she neared the end of her record-breaking 70-year-reign.

The Telegraph carried a quote made by the queen for the victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks. "Grief is the price we pay for love," it said.

Most tabloids marked the occasion with subdued black-and-white front pages, although the Sun splashed its header in royal purple, above the headline "We loved you Ma'am."

"Rest in peace, Ma'am. The Sun and our readers loved you. We are proud you were our Queen," it added.

The Daily Express carried the headline "Our Beloved Queen is Dead," while the Daily Mirror simply wrote "Thank you."

"Our hearts are broken", said the Daily Mail headline. "How to find the words? Our grief is a hundred different emotions, all of them hard to grasp," said its front-page splash.

"As God Save the Queen played on the radio and TV, as we heard that our beloved monarch had died, a nation's heart broke," it added.

The story unsurprisingly filled the inside pages of the souvenir edition papers, with most dedicating at least 20 pages to the seismic events.

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U.K. prime minister was told of queen's passing 2 hours before the world

Britain's new Prime Minister Liz Truss was told at 4:30 p.m. local time (11:30 a.m. Eastern) on Thursday that Queen Elizabeth II had died. 10 Downing Street, the premier's office, confirmed that the Cabinet Secretary had informed Truss of the monarch's passing almost two hours before Buckingham Palace told the world.

It was Truss' second day on the job. She was chosen to take over the prime minister's office by members of her Conservative Party following the resignation of Boris Johnson, who was forced out by a succession of scandals.

The new prime minister was notified of Elizabeth's passing about four hours after the palace issued an extremely rare statement about the queen's health, saying doctors were "concerned," and had put her under medical supervision at her Scotland home, Balmoral Castle. The announcement caused immediate concern, and as every senior member of the royal family rushed to Balmoral to be by her side, it quickly became clear that the situation was serious.

When Buckingham Palace did tell the world about Elizabeth's passing at about 6:30 p.m., it said only that she had "died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon."

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U.K. labor unions call off strikes "out of respect for" the queen

British railway and postal workers, at the forefront of sector-wide strikes over a cost-of-living crisis, have halted upcoming walkouts following the death of Queen Elizabeth II. The Communication Workers Union had planned to continue a 48-hour stoppage Friday but this has been called off "out of respect for" the queen, CWU general secretary Dave Ward said in a statement late Thursday.

The RMT rail union said it was suspending walkouts planned the next week and the TSSA transport union has called off its September strikes. Train drivers union Aslef has also suspended a planned stoppage.

"RMT joins the whole nation in paying its respects to Queen Elizabeth," its general secretary Mick Lynch said in a statement. "The planned railway strike action on 15 and 17 September is suspended... We express our deepest condolences to her family, friends and the country."

Network Rail, which manages Britain's railways, said it welcomed "the unions' decision to call off" strikes.

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Putin, Xi offer condolences

Among the many world leaders sending condolences to Great Britain were Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping.

Putin sent a telegram to King Charles III saying in part, "For many decades, Elizabeth II rightfully enjoyed the love and respect of her subjects, as well as authority on the world stage. I wish you courage and perseverance in the face of this heavy, irreparable loss."

And Xi offered "sincere sympathies to the British government and people," noting that the queen was the first British monarch to visit China.

Elizabeth's death came amid increasingly tense relations between Britain and China. Xi said he's willing to work with Charles on promoting "healthy and stable" bilateral ties.

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Empire State Building honors the queen

David Caplan, executive editor of digital content for the two all-news radio stations in New York, WCBS and WINS, noted a special salute to the late Queen Elizabeth II:

Empire State Building glittering purple + silver for Queen Elizabeth II @1010WINS @wcbs880 pic.twitter.com/agLoODOTAW — David Caplan (@DavidCaplanNYC) September 9, 2022

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What to know about King Charles III

With the passing of Queen Elizabeth II Thursday, her first son Charles has ascended the throne. Charles, 73, had been the Prince of Wales — the title reserved for future British kings-in-waiting — for longer than anyone else in the history of the United Kingdom's monarchy.

Buckingham Palace confirmed that the new monarch would be known as King Charles III.

In many ways, Charles has been the first modern heir to the British throne: He was sent off to school rather than being tutored privately at the palace, and after that he went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree at Cambridge.

The young prince then served in both the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy, being deployed on several warships during the 1970s.

CBS News correspondent Mark Phillips takes an in-depth look at Charles role in the royal family up to this point, his rocky love life and some of his "bonkers" pursuits. Read the full story here . 

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U.K. will likely get revamped national anthem, new look for its currency

Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, decades of symbols in Her Majesty's honor – from the national anthem to currency – will likely see a shift. 

The national anthem, "God Save the Queen," will likely be reversed to "God Save the King," its original title. The first verse of the song will now be recited as, "God save our gracious King! Long live our noble King! God save the King! Send him victorious, Happy and glorious, Long to reign over us, God save the King."

Another change will be the currency, which currently includes an image of the queen facing toward the right. Now, with King Charles III in charge, all new coins will likely have his image, and facing toward the left, as is tradition.

Other similar changes are likely for the U.K.'s stamps and flags. Read the full story here .

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Japanese PM calls queen's death "a great loss"

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida called the queen's death a "great loss" in a statement on social media early Friday morning.  

"I extend my heartfelt condolences to the Royal Family, the government and the people of the United Kingdom," Kishida said. "The loss of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is a great loss not only to the British people but also to the international community. Japan's thoughts are with the United Kingdom as the British people overcome this deepest sadness."

The loss of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is a great loss not only to the British people but also to the international community. Japan’s thoughts are with the United Kingdom as the British people overcome this deepest sadness. — 岸田文雄 (@kishida230) September 9, 2022

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U.S. Open holds moment of silence for Queen Elizabeth II

The U.S. Tennis Association held a moment of silence before the first U.S. Open women's semifinal match Thursday night — won in straight sets by Ons Jabeur over Caroline Garcia.

"We would like to pause to remember Queen Elizabeth II," the stadium announcer said. "Our thoughts are with the people today of the United Kingdom. Remember to be part of us in a second of silence."

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What to expect in the days leading up to Queen Elizabeth II's funeral

For years, the U.K. government has had a detailed plan – codenamed Operation London Bridge – in place for what happens after the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

Although it was a closely guarded secret, following the queen's death Thursday, the plan was widely reported by the British media.

The government plan refers to the day of the queen's death as D-Day, or D+0. However, since the queen's death came so late Thursday, the schedule was shifted, and D-Day was pushed to Friday.

This means that the state funeral for the queen, D+10 under the plan, will take place on Monday, Sept. 19, in Westminster Abbey.

Read the full story on Operation London Bridge here . 

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Celebrities react to queen's death

Celebrities from Sir Elton John to Victoria Beckham shared tributes to Queen Elizabeth II on social media on Thursday.

"She was an inspiring presence to be around, and lead the country through some of our greatest, and darkest, moments with grace, decency, and a genuine caring warmth," John shared with his fans on  Instagram . He ended his tribute with, "Queen Elizabeth has been a huge part of my life from childhood to this day, and I will miss her dearly."

Sir Paul McCartney , also no stranger in his love and admiration for the queen, wrote on his Instagram: "God bless Queen Elizabeth II / May she rest in peace / Long live The King." McCartney's connection to the queen goes back decades to when he was just 10 years old. He  wrote an essay  about her for a competition that was being held in England for school-aged kids, and he won for his division. 

"Today is a very sad day not just for our country but for the entire world. I'm deeply saddened by the passing of our beloved Monarch, Her Majesty The Queen," Beckham, the fashion designer and singer, shared on her  Instagram . "She will be remembered for her steadfast loyalty and service and my thoughts are with the royal family at this incredibly sad time." 

Read the full story here .

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NATO secretary general says he's "deeply saddened" by queen's death

Jens Stoltenberg, the NATO secretary general, tweeted that he was "deeply saddened by the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II."

"Over more than 70 years, she exemplified selfless leadership and public service. My deepest condolences to the Royal Family, to our #NATO Allies the United Kingdom and Canada, and to the people of the Commonwealth."

Deeply saddened by the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Over more than 70 years, she exemplified selfless leadership and public service. My deepest condolences to the Royal Family, to our #NATO Allies the United Kingdom and Canada, and to the people of the Commonwealth. pic.twitter.com/hHyqBdhKcx — Jens Stoltenberg (@jensstoltenberg) September 8, 2022

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Examining Queen Elizabeth II's legacy with U.S. presidents

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"A figure of global significance": Spanish prime minister lauds Queen Elizabeth II

Pedro Sánchez, the prime minister of Spain, offered his condolences to the royal family and the people of the U.K.

He called the queen "a figure of global significance, witness and author of British and European history," in a tweet Thursday.

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Former prime minister on his "lively" conversations with the queen

Sir John Major, who served as Britain's prime minister from 1990 to 1997, opened about his relationship with Queen Elizabeth, describing their conversations when he was in office as "lively."

In an interview with "CBS Evening News" anchor and managing editor Norah O'Donnell on Thursday, Major said the queen had the gift of being resilient.

"One of the many gifts the queen has is that when she faces great difficulty, she has the capacity to be a stoic," Major said. "She puts her head down. She plows on. She knows whatever the problems are, she will come through the other end of that."

"It is part of the training for monarchy," he continued. "I mean, self evidently, you need to be very selfless. You need to have a great understanding of the way your nation works and the way people think and act in order to be a successful monarchy. And you need a great capacity to discharge your obligations and your duty. And the queen had a remarkable sense of duty all her life."

Major also described her as "very funny."

"The conversations with her weren't starchy, dull, boring," he said. "They were very lively. You were talking to someone with a lively intellect. She was she was fun to be with."

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Queen Elizabeth faced complex role as monarch and mother

As a monarch to millions and mother to four, Queen Elizabeth II faced "unique challenges," according to historian and author Amanda Foreman."

Queen Elizabeth II as a mother had some unique challenges," Foreman told CBS News. "She had to be away for many months at a time, and yet she took her duties as a mother very seriously."

She was often called detached for leaving her children with nannies and sending them to boarding school.

"Those comparisons, I think, hurt her feelings greatly because she loved her children — that was always obvious," Foreman said.

As her children grew, their lives often exploded on the front page of tabloids and TVs around the world.

"Queen Elizabeth had to walk a very difficult line, kind of a mediator between the public's expectations of her and her children and how her children were actually feeling," Foreman said. "And it was very difficult."

The queen's legacy will include leading her family and her country into a modern era.

"She showed that yes, you can be a mother, you can be a wife, but you can still be a woman in a position of power and influence," Foreman said.

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Crowds gather at Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle to mourn Queen Elizabeth II

As the flag lowered in London and all over the United Kingdom, crowds began to gather at the golden gates of Buckingham Palace. Mourners sang the national anthem, "God Save the Queen," for a much-loved monarch.

Mourners who gathered outside Windsor Castle told CBS News what the loss meant to them.

"She was everything to us and it was a massive part of our upbringing," a crying woman said. 

"It's a very sad moment, a very sad moment," a man said.

"She's always been there and it'll never be the same again," an elderly woman said.

A young man in the crowd said Queen Elizabeth was "a queen with a lot of love for her people."

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Cycling's Tour of Britain cancels final 3 stages

Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, cycling's Tour of Britain has canceled its final three stages, set to take place Friday through Sunday.

Spanish cyclist Gonzalo Serrano, the leader after Thursday, was declared the winner.

"The Tour of Britain organisation, alongside the teams, riders and officials involved in the event, send their deepest condolences to the Royal Family at this sad time," the race said in a statement. 

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Moment of silence held prior to Manchester United match

Manchester United's home clash in the Europa League against Real Sociedad went ahead but a minute's silence was held before kick-off and players wore black armbands.

The Premier League said it was "deeply saddened" by the queen's death.

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European golf's PGA Championship suspended

Play at the PGA Championship at Wentworth, near London, was suspended on Thursday evening when news broke about the death of the 96-year-old monarch and it was later confirmed that there would be no play on Friday.

"Out of respect for Her Majesty and the Royal Family, play has been suspended at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Club for the remainder of Thursday and flags at Wentworth Club will be lowered to half-mast," a European Tour statement said.

"Furthermore, no play will take place at the BMW PGA Championship on Friday and the golf course and practice facilities will be closed."

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Six Historic Royal Palaces to close to the public Friday

Six palaces, designated as the Historic Royal Palaces , will be closed to guests on Friday after the death of Queen Elizabeth II. The sites include the Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace, Banqueting House, Kensington Palace, Kew Palace and Hillsborough Castle.

"Historic Royal Palaces joins millions of people around the world in mourning the death of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II," its website said.

Guests who booked tickets for the palaces will be refunded, and ticket sales have been temporarily suspended, according to its website.

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House of Commons to spend two days offering tributes to the queen

British politicians across the political spectrum united in sorrow Thursday at the death of Queen Elizabeth II, a passing that brought the country's usually fractious politics to a halt.

For the next several days, essential government functions will continue, but much of the routine business of politics will be put on pause. Parliamentary business will give way to two days of tributes from lawmakers in the House of Commons on Friday and Saturday.

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Double rainbow appears over Windsor Castle

A rainbow appeared over Buckingham Palace in London shortly before the queen's death was announced. Not long after, as people gathered outside of Windsor Castle to mourn her death, a double rainbow appeared there as well.

Queen Elizabeth II grew up at Windsor, and throughout her time as monarch, she spent many of her private weekends and a month around Easter at the castle, according to the  Royal Collection Trust . Several members of the royal family have been married there, including the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in May 2018; Princess Eugenie in October 2018; and Princess Beatrice in 2020.

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London mayor calls queen "a source of great stability"

In a statement after the queen's death, London Mayor Sadiq Khan celebrated her "extraordinary service."

"Throughout a period of unprecedented transformation, she was a source of great stability, inspiring hope during the most testing of times and exemplifying the best of what it means to be British," he wrote.

"I'm proud to have served as Mayor of London while Queen Elizabeth II was our monarch. I know Londoners, and people across the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth, are immensely proud and grateful for what she achieved for us all over so many years."

He offered his condolences to the royal family.

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Israeli president: "Her passing is the end of an era"

Israeli President Isaac Herzog extended his "deepest sympathies to the British people and all nations of the Commonwealth" following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.  

"Queen Elizabeth was a historic figure: she lived history, she made history, and with her passing she leaves a magnificent, inspirational legacy," Herzog said in a statement. 

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Australian prime minister: "This is a loss we all feel"

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese wrote in a statement that "Australian hearts go out to the people of the United Kingdom who mourn today."

"This is a loss we all feel, for few have known a world without Queen Elizabeth II," he wrote.

The Australian leader also reflected on the queen's history with the country. 

"From her famous first trip to Australia, the only reigning sovereign to ever visit, it was clear Her Majesty held a special place in her heart for Australia," Albanese wrote, adding, "She celebrated our good times, she stood with us in the bad. Happy and glorious but steadfast too."

Albanese called the queen's death "the close of the second Elizabethan age."

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English Football League postpones Friday matches

The English Football League (EFL) has postponed all of its scheduled matches for Friday "as a mark of respect" to the former monarch.

Earlier, the league tweeted : "The EFL and its Clubs are truly saddened to learn of the passing of Her Majesty the Queen Elizabeth II, at the age of 96."

It has not yet determined whether the matches scheduled for the remainder of the weekend will be played.

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Eiffel Tower goes dark in honor of the queen

The Eiffel Tower's lights were turned off Thursday night following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, Anne Hidalgo, the mayor of Paris, tweeted .

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NYC's Empire State Building to honor Queen Elizabeth II

The Empire State Building in New York City will "shine in purple and sparkle in silver to honor the life and legacy of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II" on Thursday night.

Tonight, our tower lights will shine in purple and sparkle in silver to honor the life and legacy of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II. pic.twitter.com/qIpk7lQgbc — Empire State Building (@EmpireStateBldg) September 8, 2022

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"Deeply saddened" Pope Francis prays for queen, new king

Pope Francis said Thursday he was "deeply saddened" at the death of Queen Elizabeth II, offering prayers for her "eternal rest" and for her son Charles as he becomes king.

In a personal telegram to the new monarch, the head of the Catholic Church paid tribute to the queen's "life of unstinting service... her example of devotion to duty, her steadfast witness of faith in Jesus Christ," and, addressing the new King Charles III, said, "I invoke an abundance of divine blessings as a pledge of comfort and strength in the Lord."

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India's president says "world has lost a great personality"

Indian President Droupadi Murmu also offered her condolences to the royal family and the people of the United Kingdom.

"In the demise of  Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II of UK, the world has lost a great personality," the president's tweet said. "An era has passed since she steered her country and people for over 7 decades. I share the grief of people of UK and convey my heartfelt condolence to the family."

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Italy's premier calls the queen the "absolute protagonist" of past 70 years

Italian Premier Mario Draghi in a condolence message hailed the queen as having been "the absolute protagonist of world history of the last 70 years." 

Draghi, who is now acting in a caretaker role ahead of Italian parliamentary elections later this month, said Queen Elizabeth II had represented the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth "with equilibrium, wisdom, respect for institutions and for democracy."

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French president remembers Queen Elizabeth II as "a friend of France"

French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted Thursday that the queen "embodied continuity and the unity of the British nation over 70 years. I retain the memory of a friend of France, a queen of hearts who marked as never before her country and her century."

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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle add tribute to Queen Elizabeth II on Archewell website

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who were in England at the time of Queen Elizabeth II's death, posted a tribute to the late monarch on their organization's website.

The Archewell homepage is completely black, with a simple "In loving memory of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 1926-2022" written in white on the page.

Prince Harry, one of the queen's grandsons and the second son of now King Charles III, traveled to the Scotland estate where his grandmother died.

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U.N. chief lauds Queen Elizabeth II as a " reassuring presence throughout decades"

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a statement Thursday that he was "deeply saddened" by Queen Elizabeth II's passing and he offered his "sincere condolences to her bereaved family, the Government and people of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the wider Commonwealth of Nations."

Guterres said Elizabeth, "was widely admired for her grace, dignity, and dedication around the world. She was a reassuring presence throughout decades of sweeping change, including the decolonization of Africa and Asia and the evolution of the Commonwealth."

"Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was a good friend to the UN and a reassuring presence throughout decades of sweeping change, widely admired for her grace, dignity & devotion." -- @antonioguterres pays tribute to Queen Elizabeth II. https://t.co/802DvbUb5s pic.twitter.com/y2LhKqCvfu — United Nations (@UN) September 8, 2022

He called her "a good friend of the United Nations," and praised her commitment to environmental issues in particular.

"The world will long remember her devotion and leadership," Guterres said.

Both the U.N. General Assembly and Security Council observed moments of silence Thursday in honor of the late monarch.

#QueenElizabeth honored with Moment of Silence in UN General Assembly & Security Council 👇with tribute by UK Amb @BWoodward_UN @CBSNews |UN Read about her legacy here @CBSNews @CBSMornings https://t.co/1rbdbuHWkW pic.twitter.com/v58DA760Oq — Pamela Falk CBS News Correspondent United Nations (@PamelaFalk) September 8, 2022

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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says most Canadians "have known no other Sovereign"

In a statement , Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wrote of the queen's impact on the people of Canada, saying most of its residents have "known no other Sovereign."

"Queen Elizabeth II was a constant presence in our lives," he said. "Time and again, Her Majesty marked Canada's modern history. Over the course of 70 years and twenty-three Royal Tours, Queen Elizabeth II saw this country from coast to coast to coast and was there for our major, historical milestones."

"She would proclaim 'it was good to be home' when returning to her beloved Canada. She was indeed at home here, and Canadians never ceased to return her affection."

Trudeau said Canadians will enter a "period of mourning" — along with the rest of the Commonwealth — "ending with a national day of mourning when a commemorative service will be held to mark the passing of our Sovereign."

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U.K. Prime Minister Liz Truss addresses the nation

Britain's new  Prime Minister Liz Truss  said that Queen Elizabeth II was "the rock on which modern Britain was built."

In a statement outside her residence at Number 10 Downing Street, Truss said the loss of the queen was "a huge shock to the nation and to the world," and that the country must come together to support the new monarch, King Charles III.

"Through thick and thin, Queen Elizabeth II provided us with the stability and the strength that we needed. She was the very spirit of Great Britain, and that spirit will endure," Truss said.

Earlier this week, Truss had met with the queen at her home in Balmoral to be officially appointed as prime minister, after the resignation of the former U.K. leader, Boris Johnson.

"She has been a personal inspiration to me and to many Britons. Her devotion to duty is an example to us all. Earlier this week, at 96, she remained determined to carry out her duties as she appointed me as her 15th prime minister... In the difficult days ahead, we will come together with our friends across the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth and the world, to celebrate her extraordinary lifetime of service. It is a day of great loss, but Queen Elizabeth II leaves a great legacy," Truss said.

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Former U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson pays tribute

Britain's former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who resigned from the nation's top political post only two days before Queen Elizabeth II's passing, issued a long statement Thursday mourning the late queen and calling it Britain's "saddest day."

The late queen, Johnson said, had a "unique and simple power to make us happy. That is why we loved her."

"It is only really now that we grasp how much she meant for us, how much she did for us, how much she loved us," the former prime minister said. 

Statement on the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II (3/3) pic.twitter.com/yHPiUfBWlH — Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) September 8, 2022

"Though our voices may still be choked with sadness we can say with confidence the words not heard in this country for seven decades. God save the King," concluded Johnson. 

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President Biden remembers Queen Elizabeth II

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden issued a statement Thursday to remember the queen, calling her "more than a monarch. She defined an era."

"In a world of constant change, she was a steadying presence and a source of comfort and pride for generations of Britons, including many who have never known their country without her," the Bidens said.

Read more here .

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Charles will be known as King Charles III

Speaking outside her residence at Number 10 Downing Street on Thursday, Britain's new Prime Minister Liz Truss said that Queen Elizabeth II was "the rock on which modern Britain was built."

Truss said the loss of the queen, who had officially appointed Truss only two days before her death, was "a huge shock to the nation and to the world," and that the country must come together to support the new monarch, King Charles III.

Clarence House later confirmed the king's title.

Truss finished her statement by saying "God save the king."

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Charles, Britain's new king, expresses sadness at mother's death

Charles, Britain's new king , has made a statement after the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.

"The death of my beloved Mother, Her Majesty The Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family," the statement says.

"We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished Sovereign and a much-loved Mother. I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world. During this period of mourning and change, my family and I will be comforted and sustained by our knowledge of the respect and deep affection in which The Queen was so widely held."

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The official announcement

A statement released by Buckingham Palace announced the queen's passing and the ascension of her eldest son, Prince Charles, as the new king:

The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon. The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow.

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Rainbow appears outside Buckingham Palace

As the world awaited news from Balmoral, where the senior members of the royal family gathered to be by the queen's side on Thursday, a rainbow appeared outside Buckingham Palace in London.

A rainbow has appeared opposite Buckingham Palace over crowds hoping for better news on the Queen’s health @itvnews pic.twitter.com/UsE0CM0siP — Romilly Weeks (@romillyweeks) September 8, 2022

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Tucker Reals is cbsnews.com's foreign editor, based in the CBS News London bureau. He has worked for CBS News since 2006, prior to which he worked for The Associated Press in Washington D.C. and London.

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The day Queen Elizabeth died: the inside story of her final hours

As meticulously laid palace plans kicked in, others were taken by surprise. We recall those historic hours

Plans in the event of Queen Elizabeth II’s death were meticulous; they were revisited and updated regularly. On 8 September , they were executed flawlessly. But not everything could be anticipated.

Balmoral Castle, despite its grand, gothic revivalist exterior, is intimate compared with Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle, which is one of the reasons the late queen loved it. Its private quarters and official offices are quite close together.

So on the morning of 8 September, few, if any, at Balmoral would have been unaware of the momentous events unfolding as the queen’s life quietly ebbed.

Two days previously, leaning heavily on a stick but with that familiar smile in place, she had appointed her 15th and final British prime minister, Liz Truss. But an announcement just after 6pm the following evening, that the queen was postponing a virtual privy council meeting on the advice of doctors, was concerning.

The imminent death of a sovereign is a major constitutional matter. No 10 would have been alerted immediately about her deteriorating condition. Simon Case, the cabinet secretary, and Sir Edward Young, the queen’s private secretary, would serve as the pivotal liaison between the palace and Downing Street.

That evening, Case was informed, and passed the message on to Truss, that there was the distinct possibility the queen’s condition might worsen rapidly. As Truss worked late on the energy statement, her first major act as prime minister, she had in the back of her mind the fact it might all be overshadowed, according to sources.

If any of the staff at Windsor were uncertain of how serious the situation was, the departure of the queen’s helicopter from Windsor Castle shortly before 7am to take the Prince of Wales from Dumfries House in Ayrshire, where he was staying that night, to his mother’s bedside, would have alerted them.

Charles arrived at Balmoral shortly before 10.30am, and the Duchess of Cornwall was driven from nearby Birkhall to join him. The Princess Royal, in Scotland on engagements, was already there.

In No 10, Case was categorical that bad news was on its way, perhaps in a matter of hours. Truss had still not packed all her clothes for her move into Downing Street and, according to the biography Out of the Blue , aides were sent to her Greenwich home to locate black clothing.

Truss was also still mid-reshuffle when the palace started to inform key people in government through its planned “cascade” system. One minister said they walked into their new department to be told without any ceremony: “You have a meeting in 30 minutes.” Officials said in direct language that they expected the queen’s death was imminent and that the first job of the minister would be an immediate briefing on the so-called London Bridge plans .

“That was like a baptism of fire for me,” the minister recalled. “I didn’t back Liz, I was expecting to be on the backbenches. So not only was I thinking about moving departments, taking a job that was very new to me, but within minutes I was part of one of the most high-profile operations on Earth.”

Indications to the general public that something was wrong came in a place where the queen is almost never mentioned – the House of Commons. Truss had finished her opening remarks and was listening to Sir Keir Starmer. The new chancellor of the duchy of Lancaster, Nadhim Zahawi, slipped into the chamber and inserted himself between Kwasi Kwarteng and Truss to speak to the prime minister, handed her a note, then slipped out again. MPs picked up the frisson almost immediately, beginning to whisper among themselves.

The next person to be told was Labour’s deputy leader, Angela Rayner, who read a note passed from outside the chamber , which she handed to the shadow chancellor, Rachel Reeves, who also looked at it grim-faced.

The note was in plain English – with no codes about “London Bridge”. It said: “The queen is unwell, and Keir needs to leave the chamber as soon as possible to be briefed.” Rayner tried not to be “too dramatic” in handing the note to Starmer, she has since said, torn by a desire not to distract him mid-flow while also realising the urgency of the situation. She then saw the speaker, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, gesticulating, suggesting she should interrupt the Labour leader regardless.

At 12.32pm a statement was released from Buckingham Palace: “The queen’s doctors are concerned for Her Majesty’s health and have recommended she remain under medical supervision. The queen remains comfortable and at Balmoral.”

The BBC’s Huw Edwards, dressed in black tie , announced the news to the general public. An evening call from Truss to the French president, Emmanuel Macron, was cancelled.

For the queen’s family members not already at Balmoral and unable to know how swiftly she would deteriorate, it would have been a difficult call: head there too early and risk spreading alarm; too late, and miss the opportunity to say goodbye.

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When Buckingham Palace announced at 12.50pm that William, Andrew, Edward and Sophie were on their way to Scotland, the gravity of situation was very clear. At about 2pm, in a separate statement, the Sussexes, who were staying at Frogmore Cottage on a visit to the UK to attend an awards ceremony, announced that they, too, would be heading to Scotland.

Two hours later, when it became clear that Kate was remaining at the Cambridges’ new Windsor home, where the couple’s three children were still settling in to the school they had started at three days previously, plans for Meghan to accompany Harry appeared to have been dropped.

There has been much speculation over why Harry did not accompany his brother and uncles onboard the jet that left RAF Northolt at 2.40pm. There have been suggestions the flight was originally intended to depart at 1.30pm. If that was the case, no reason has been given for the delay.

In any event, Harry would travel separately, leaving Luton airport onboard a private jet at about 5.30pm. He would still be in the air when the announcement of the queen’s death was made at 6.30pm.

It would later transpire, when her death certificate was made public weeks later, that the queen died at 3.10pm. She was pronounced deceased – the cause of death later given as “old age” – by Dr Douglas Glass, her official apothecary in Scotland, who holds GP clinics for Balmoral staff. He has since said there was concern for the queen’s health for several months: “It was expected and we were quite aware of what was going to happen,” he is quoted as saying in Gyles Brandreth’s new biography, Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait .

William and the other royals landed at Aberdeen airport at 3.50pm, 40 minutes after her death. With William at the wheel, they drove to Balmoral, arriving at 5.06pm, an hour and 25 minutes before the news would be made public.

By then, the official cascading of the news was in full swing. An internal palace team was calling all those who needed to be informed as soon as possible: No 10, Lambeth Palace, the chief of the defence staff, prime ministers and high commissioners of the 14 other countries of which she was head of state, to name but a few.

By the time Harry landed at Aberdeen airport at 6.45pm, the world knew. Buckingham Palace has since denied reports that Charles or his aides were unable to contact his second son ahead of the public announcement. “The public was only informed after every family member had been informed,” the new king’s spokesperson said at the time.

Harry finally arrived at Balmoral at 7.52pm. By then, Charles had released his own personal tribute to the late monarch, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.

Outside No 10, the podium was put in place. Truss, in the black clothes her aides had managed to locate for her, stepped up to it at 7.07pm. It was, she said, “the passing of the second Elizabethan age”.

It was the end, too, of a truly historic day.

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One year on: What's changed since the Queen's death and what does the future hold?

• Thursday 7 September 2023 at 9:44am

Royal Editor

In a special report, ITV News Royal Editor Chris Ship spoke to some of those who were at Balmoral when Queen Elizabeth II died and assesses what the past year tells us about the future of the monarchy

When Queen Elizabeth II cancelled her virtual meeting with the Privy Council on a Wednesday evening last September, her family, staff and then prime minister Liz Truss, who the Queen had invited to form a new government the day before, knew that something was seriously wrong.

In previous weeks and months, including during the historic Platinum Jubilee celebrations earlier that summer, we'd grown used to the monarch cancelling events at the last minute due to her failing health.

In fact, in her final year, Buckingham Palace had decided to stop announcing the Queen's attendance at events in advance and opted instead to tell us just moments before if she was actually going to be there.

That same year she had already cancelled her attendance at the State Opening of Parliament, the annual Commonwealth Day service, at Westminster Abbey, and the traditional Maundy Thursday service, in Windsor - where she was now spending most of her time.

She even cancelled two of her scheduled appearances at her own jubilee, including horse racing at the Epsom Derby.

Her courtiers would tell us there was "nothing alarming" about Queen Elizabeth's health.

It was just her "usual mobility issues", they would say. On repeat.

In private however, in the Queen's inner circle and in her family they were quietly making preparations for an imminent Accession, something the country hadn't seen for 70 years.

Obviously, they didn't know when it would happen, but they knew the day was not far away.

It makes it all the more remarkable that, just two days before her death, the Queen did her final duty as Monarch and Head of State : receiving the outgoing prime minister, Boris Johnson, and the incoming one, Liz Truss.

The significant change had been the location.

The politicians had to go to the Queen - 500 miles north of London at Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire - as she was too frail to make the journey to Buckingham Palace.

And it is why, one year on, the King will spend this week on the Balmoral estate he loves so much, away from the public gaze.

On Friday September 8, he will mark the passing of his mother in quiet contemplation at the place where she died, much like Queen Elizabeth did herself each year at Sandringham on the anniversary of the death of her own father, George VI.

The King's Standard flies atop Balmoral Castle right now, where, in keeping with his mother's tradition, Charles III has spent his summer break, walking the hills and hosting family and the prime minister. 

Just like the late Queen and late Duke of Edinburgh, Charles and his consort, Camilla, have been enjoying the contrast between the peace and solemnity of the Scottish Highlands and their busy life of public engagements across the country and overseas, during the rest of the year. 

It's one of a number of traditions the King has maintained as his new reign is marked by continuity rather than radical change. 

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His schedule is much more restrictive and predictable now he has assumed the role as Head of State. 

There are weekly audiences with the prime minister, national events to attend, a quota of State Visits to achieve, foreign dignitaries to receive on top of the annual acts of remembrance and religious worship with which he is very familiar from his previous role as Prince of Wales.

And at a time when politics is fractious (the King is already on his second prime minister) and the economic situation is highly uncertain (interest rates and cost of living) Charles III has opted for stability over radical change.

Many had this King marked out as a great reformer, a man impatient for change after spending so long as heir to the throne.

Instead, he has chosen a path of continuity after he and his aides concluded the country didn't need any further upheaval in another branch of the British constitution.

King Charles has not, thus far, been the campaigning monarch some had expected. 

Less radical revolution at the palace. More considered evolution.

Yes, he still cares deeply for the environment and the natural world, but he's using his position differently from the way he operated as Prince of Wales. 

He followed the then government advice not to attend the COP27 climate change summit in Egypt, even if that was against his own instincts (he gave the key note speech at COP26 in Glasgow when he was Heir).

He chose instead to host a reception at Buckingham Palace for the world's leading environment advocates before he left for Egypt.

Later this year, the King will spearhead a campaign against food waste. Nothing political in that and yet it still chimes with his green credentials.

He has supported Ukrainians living in this country, but he hasn't given big speeches about the Russian invasion.

He decided to give not a single word of response to Prince Harry's accusations in his book 'Spare' and his son's criticisms of Queen Camilla and Prince William. 

The core working Royal Family is smaller, but that's not the result of any big reforms by the King.

Rather the inevitable consequence of the Queen and Prince Philip's passing, Harry and Meghan's departure, and Prince Andrew's isolation following his controversial association with Jeffrey Epstein.

The Coronation was just as grand and put on the spectacle the world expected, but it was shorter, much smaller and significantly more diverse than the one his mother had staged in 1953. 

At every level, continuity has been the guiding principle for Charles III and his staff.

However long his reign will be, or as the King himself has put it, whatever "the remaining time God grants me", it will be much shorter than the one which came before. 

He has therefore accepted that his son, the new Prince of Wales, will have a much better opportunity to be the modernising monarch, when the crown is placed upon his head as King William V.

It means the legacy of King Charles, when the time comes for it to be written, will have to include his long stint as heir to the throne as well as his time on the throne itself.

But he faces a new challenge from a campaign for the UK to become a republic which is much louder and more visible than ever. The were protests at the Coronation and at nearly every big event to King attends There will be another outside Buckingham Palace on the day of the anniversary of the Queen’s death Recent option polls show support for Monarchy remains steady, but just a third of young people support the Royal Family. Monarchy is increasingly less relevant to the younger generation and many 18 - 24-year-olds would rather the country had an elected Head of State.

We have grown used to seeing the King and his Queen consort much more often than we saw Queen Elizabeth in her final years.

Change will happen under this Monarch, but at a much slower pace than many had predicted.

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What's Come Out About The Queen Since Her Death One Year Ago

It is hard to believe that it has already been a year since Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning monarch of the United Kingdom, passed away. And yet, so much has changed in her realm and in her family since her death that it's hard to believe. Her eldest son, King Charles III, ascended the throne and took part in an impressive coronation ceremony in May 2023, the likes of which had not been seen since the queen's own coronation 70 years prior.

Prince William and Kate Middleton were made Prince and Princess of Wales, titles formerly held by William's parents, Charles and Diana. Camilla went from being the Duchess of Cornwall to being Queen Camilla; Prince Harry released his bombshell memoir "Spare" and his hit Netflix docuseries "Harry and Meghan "; and Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, bravely made it public knowledge that she was battling breast cancer. 

It's been quite a year for the royal family. But in the wake of The Queen's passing, the world has not stopped remembering her, mourning her, or discussing her. And through all of this discussion and remembrance have come multiple revelations that had been unknown to the public during Queen Elizabeth's life.     

The Queen's beautiful last words to Sarah Ferguson

Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, is the former wife of Prince Andrew. Over the course of her life in the public eye, she has dealt with her fair share of scandals, from her post-divorce dating life to her staunch support of her ex-husband even in the midst of his fall from grace. However, Queen Elizabeth II always made it clear to Fergie that her affection for her former daughter-in-law had not wavered. 

Before the queen passed away, she made sure to give Sarah Ferguson a loving and sage piece of advice. In early September 2023, just about a year after The Queen's heartbreaking death , Ferguson revealed on her "Tea Time with the Duchess and Sarah" podcast that the last thing Queen Elizabeth ever said to her was, simply, "Just be yourself, Sarah." She went on to say that this made it clear that the queen saw that Fergie had tried so often to be someone other than who she truly was in order to fit in and to please everyone. 

"And she saw it," Fergie said. "She just got so annoyed when I wasn't being myself. And that's probably when I got into all the pickles. But now I am myself, and I'm just so lucky to be able to be myself."

The Queen's reaction to Harry's request to marry Meghan

One thing the public was never aware of until recently was how the queen responded when Prince Harry asked her permission to marry Meghan Markle. In his book "Spare," which came out in January 2023, the Duke of Sussex revealed that in 2017, when wanted to propose to Meghan, both his own staff and Queen Elizabeth II's advised him that it was customary to ask the monarch's permission. 

He eventually broached the subject when his grandmother was relaxed during a family hunting trip to Sandringham. Harry said that he nervously approached his grandmother and said, "Granny, you know I love Meg very much, and I've decided that I would like to ask her to marry me, and I've been told that, er, that I have to ask your permission before I can propose.'"

"You have to?" Harry remembers the queen replying. 

"Well, yes, that's what your staff told me, and my staff as well. That I have to ask your permission," Harry recalls saying. "Well, then, I suppose I have to say yes," came the reply. Harry remembers being perplexed by her response, and then realized she had said "I have to say yes" because he had initially said "I have to ask." Upon realizing The Queen approved of the marriage, Harry recalls thinking, "She's saying yes, you muppet! She's granting permission. Who cares how she words it, just know when to take yes for an answer." 

The Queen's sadness at Harry's departure from royal life

Perhaps one of the most shocking events concerning the royal family in the last years of Queen Elizabeth II's reign was when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped down from royal duties and chose instead to raise their family in California, away from the British press and royal pressures. For a long time, people could only speculate how this move made the monarch feel, but in an interview with "Good Morning America" in January 2023, Prince Harry discussed this very issue openly. 

During the interview, Harry was asked whether his grandmother ever expressed negative feelings about his decision to step down to active royal duties. "No. My grandmother and I had a very good relationship. It was never a surprise to anybody, least of all her," Harry replied. He then went on to explain that the queen was all too familiar with the amount of scrutiny Harry and Meghan were facing on a daily basis and the effect it was having on them. "She knew what was going on, she knew how hard it was. She never said to me that she was angry. I think she was sad that it had got to that point," he added.

Whenever a family member has publicly discussed the queen since her death, the tone has been similar to that of Harry's during this interview — warm, somber, loving, and proud. It's clear the impression she made during her momentous reign will never be forgotten.

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Queen Elizabeth’s Final Moments Before Her Death Revealed in New Book

Intimate details about the Queen’s final moments have come to light in a new book by royal biographer Robert Hardman

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More than one year after Queen Elizabeth 's death, new details have emerged, casting a revealing light on the circumstances surrounding the iconic monarch's death.

In an excerpt from royal biographer Robert Hardman’s new book, The Making of a King: King Charles III and the Modern Monarchy (out Jan. 18), in Daily Mail on Friday, the author shares a memo of the monarch's final moments from her private secretary, Sir Edward Young, who was at Balmoral when the Queen died on Sept. 8, 2022.

"Very peaceful. In her sleep. Slipped away. Old age. She wouldn't have been aware of anything. No pain," Young notes in the previously unseen memo that's now part of the Royal Archives, according to Daily Mail.

The outlet also revealed that while there were concerns for the Queen's well-being at the time, her death occurred with such abruptness that King Charles (then Prince Charles) found himself hastily boarding a helicopter for an eleventh-hour journey to Balmoral.

On the evening of Sept. 7, Princess Anne and Charles' private secretary, Sir Clive Alderton, were advising him to be on standby. "They were both saying to him: 'Think how you would feel if you never said goodbye,' " says a member of staff, according to the excerpt.

At the same time, the Queen seemed stable. According to one of those involved, the consensus was "a day or two, not an hour or two."

En route to Scotland, he read his "London Bridge" notes, a meticulously prepared protocol for the aftermath of her death.

While at Balmoral, Charles and his wife Camilla (now Queen Camilla) spent an hour with the Queen privately at her bedside in the hours before she died, according to the book.

Princess Anne, along with Angela Kelly, the Queen's senior dresser and trusted confidante, took turns by her bedside. The Rev Kenneth MacKenzie, a seasoned minister at the nearby Crathie Kirk, joined them, reading passages to the Queen from her Bible.

Meanwhile, Charles personally reached out to both of his sons, Prince William and Prince Harry , urging them to make their way to Scotland to bid their farewells, the outlet reports. During that moment, he still held the belief that the Queen had not mere hours, but rather days, remaining before her passing.

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The book also includes the private moment when Charles learned his mother had died — and he was now monarch.

While Charles was out gathering mushrooms at Birkhall (his home on the Balmoral estate) to clear his mind after visiting his mother, Anne called to summon the prince back to the castle immediately, according to the excerpt. He and Camilla got into their car with their team and drove back to Balmoral Castle. Charles received the news of the Queen's death while behind the wheel. His senior aide took the call from Sir Edward Young, prompting Charles to pull over. In that moment, he was addressed as "Your Majesty" for the first time, and in that moment he realized his mother had died. "We’re nearly there," the new King replied softly.

As soon as he arrived at the castle, Charles went straight to his mother's bedside to say his private farewells with Camilla by his side.

According to the excerpt, despite numerous attempts, the King tried to personally inform his younger son, Harry, but since he was already airborne, he couldn't get through to him.

As Charles and senior staff members began mapping out the days ahead, a footman entered the room with one of the Queen's famous red boxes that contained sensitive state documents, according to the outlet. As Young turned the key to open it, he found two sealed letters: one to Charles and one to himself. While the contents of the letters may never be disclosed, it's clear that the Queen knew her death was near and planned accordingly.

The Queen also left behind her list of candidates to join the order of Merit — her final royal duty.

Upon the Queen's passing, the United Kingdom — where she reigned for a record 70 years — mourned. Around the world, including in the other nations that called her the head of state or sovereign, her death was grieved by those to whom she was an unwavering fixture amid the turmoil of ever-changing times.

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The loss was most profound for her large family, including her four children, eight grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.

The monarch's state funeral was held at Westminster Abbey in London on Sept. 19, gathering 2,000 leaders and royals from around the world. The service was followed by a committal service at St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle, where she was later buried in a private ceremony beside her husband Prince Philip, her father King George VI, her mother Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother and her sister Princess Margaret.

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Queen's funeral plans: Everything you need to know - from how to watch to royal traditions

Tens of millions of people around the world are expected to watch as the Queen's funeral takes place on Monday. Here is our guide to what is happening on the day, from the service and the procession, to the music and burial - and how the rehearsals have secretly taken place.

Sunday 18 September 2022 22:56, UK

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The plans have been honed over years, a strict timetable of procedure for what will be the biggest state funeral and security operation ever held in the UK.

The funeral for the Queen , Britain's longest reigning monarch, takes place on Monday, and details of what will happen on the day have now been announced by Buckingham Palace.

It will be a day of emotion and sadness, but also a celebration of the monarch's life and 70-year reign, and thousands are expected to line the streets in London and Windsor to pay their respects as she makes her final journey.

Queen lies in state - latest news Watch live: Queen lies in state

Millions more will be watching at home in the UK and around the world as the funeral is televised in what could become the most watched broadcast in history.

It has been 70 years since the death of the previous monarch, Queen Elizabeth II's father George VI, so the vast majority of people in the UK are unaccustomed to the traditions and pageantry that have been on display over the last few days. And for those who do remember her father's reign and death, the Queen's funeral, taking place in the digital age, will be incomparable in scale and much more accessible.

The man in charge of the operation, the Earl Marshal, the Duke of Norfolk, says the state funeral will "unite people across the globe and resonate with people of all faiths", and pay a "fitting tribute to an extraordinary reign".

Here is our guide to the event - from details of the rehearsals and everything happening beforehand to the Queen's burial, other state funerals and the historic significance of the locations.

What time is the Queen's funeral, where does it take place - and why?

After several days of her coffin lying in state, the Queen's funeral will be held at Westminster Abbey in London on Monday, starting at 11am. Poignantly, this is where she married Prince Philip 75 years ago and her coronation also took place here in 1953.

Breaking centuries of tradition, this is the first funeral service for a monarch to take place at Westminster Abbey since the ceremony for King George II in 1760, as they were later held at Windsor. However, the funerals for both Princess Diana and the Queen Mother took place here in 1997 and 2002 respectively.

It is thought the move was chosen by the Queen herself, according to reports, as the venue can hold more people and the London location is better to accommodate crowds.

The funeral will be conducted by the Very Reverend Dr David Hoyle Dean of Westminster, while the sermon will be preached by the Most Reverend and Right Honourable Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury.

The Choirs of Westminster Abbey and His Majesty's Chapel Royal, St James's Palace will perform under the direction of James O'Donnell, the Abbey's Organist and Master of the Choristers.

What happens before the service?

A continuous vigil of her coffin is kept by the King's Body Guards at the Palace of Westminster. Each watch lasts for six hours, with individuals within those watches keeping vigil for 20 minutes.

The coffin is draped with the Royal Standard, on which lie the Instruments of State, the Imperial State Crown, the Orb and the Sceptre. These will remain for the duration of the event.

A national moment of reflection takes place the day before the funeral, at 8pm on Sunday, and will be marked by a one-minute silence.

Community events and vigils may be organised to observe this across the UK, but people can also mark the moment privately at home or on doorsteps alongside neighbours. Those who want to pay their respects overseas are also encouraged to observe the one-minute silence at 8pm BST.

The Queen's lying in state closes at 6.30am on the morning of the funeral. Following this, her coffin will be taken in a grand military procession from the Palace of Westminster to Westminster Abbey, which is closed for preparations until the funeral.

Following the coffin will be the King, members of the Royal Family, and members of the King's household.

And what happens afterwards?

Following the funeral, the Queen's coffin will travel in procession from Westminster Abbey to Wellington Arch, also known as Constitution Arch, which was built as an original entrance to Buckingham Palace and sits between the corners of Hyde Park and Green Park.

From there, the coffin will travel to Windsor. Here, the hearse will travel in procession to the gothic St George's Chapel, which sits within the walls of Windsor Castle, via the Long Walk. A committal service will then be held at St George's.

This is the church regularly chosen by the Royal Family for weddings, christenings and funerals - where Prince Harry and Meghan were married in 2018 and where Prince Philip's funeral was held just last year.

Later in the evening, there will be a private interment service with senior members of the Royal Family.

Where will the Queen be laid to rest - and will it be with Prince Philip?

The Queen's final resting place will be the King George VI memorial chapel, a small annex to the main chapel at Windsor - where her mother and father were buried, and where the ashes of her sister, Princess Margaret, are kept.

Reports on why Margaret was cremated differ - some say she opted for this as she felt a burial was "too gloomy", others say her decision was influenced by the fact there was not much room left for typical burials.

When Prince Philip died, he was temporarily laid to rest in the Royal Vault at St George's, but will now be moved to the memorial chapel to join the Queen.

The Navy's important role

The procession will involve a total of about 6,000 representatives from all three armed forces, with members of the Navy towing the gun carriage which will carry the Queen's coffin to Westminster Abbey.

This follows the tradition set at the funeral of Queen Victoria in 1902, when horses panicked and a party of sailors were commandeered to haul the carriage through the streets of Windsor.

Since then, the carriage, originally built in 1899, has been kept in an environmentally secure room at HMS Excellent in Portsmouth - where its custodian, Lieutenant Commander Paul "Ronnie" Barker turns its wheels a quarter-turn each week to ensure they do not become bowed by gravity.

And the role of the former head of MI5...

Lord Chamberlain - Baron Parker of Minsmere - is the most senior official of the Royal Household, and the former head of the spy agency.

He headed the Queen's working household and it is his job to ensure the smooth running of all the different departments.

On ceremonial occasions, the Lord Chamberlain carries a white staff and a gold key, the symbols of his office - and tradition dictates that he must now break his staff over the Queen's grave - a symbolic gesture marking the death of the sovereign he serves.

The last Lord Chamberlain to break his staff in this manner was the Earl of Clarendon over King George VI's grave in 1952.

The Queen's journey to Westminster Abbey

On the day of the funeral, after lying in state finishes at Westminster Hall at 6.30am, the doors will be closed in preparation.

Shortly after 10.35am, the Queen's coffin will be lifted and carried in procession to the state gun carriage of the Royal Navy positioned outside the north door.

The gun carriage will then set off at 10.44am, with the route to the abbey lined by members of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines.

A tri-service guard of honour will take place on Parliament Square, accompanied by the band of the Royal Marines.

The procession will arrive at 10.52am and the coffin will be carried into the abbey for the service.

The doors to Westminster Abbey will have opened at 8am to allow the general congregation to take their seats.

The ceremony itself

Invited heads of state and overseas government representatives, including foreign royal dignitaries, will travel collectively from Royal Hospital Chelsea to the abbey.

The funeral will be conducted by the Dean of Westminster, with Prime Minister Liz Truss and the Secretary General of the Commonwealth to read Lessons. The Archbishop of York, the Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster, the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland and the Free Churches Moderator will say prayers.

The sermon will be given by the Archbishop of Canterbury, who will also give the commendation. The Dean of Westminster will then pronounce the blessing.

Towards the end of the ceremony, at about 11.55am, the Last Post will sound, followed by a two-minute silence to be observed in the Abbey and throughout the UK.

The national anthem will be played and there will be a lament at the close of service at around midday.

The coffin will be followed out by the King, the Queen Consort and members of the Royal Family.

Procession to Wellington Arch

Members of the Royal Family will walk in procession from the abbey to Wellington Arch, where the procession is due to arrive at 1pm.

The King and members of the Royal Family will again follow in the procession, which will also include detachments from the Armed Forces of the Commonwealth. Minute guns will be fired in Hyde Park by the King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery.

Big Ben will toll throughout this procession.

At Wellington Arch, the coffin will be transferred from the gun carriage to the state hearse to travel to Windsor. As the procession departs, the parade will give a royal salute and the national anthem will be played. His Majesty The King and Members of the Royal Family will then depart for Windsor.

The Queen Consort, the Princess of Wales, the Duchess of Sussex and the Countess of Wessex will follow by car.

There will be a procession led by a dismounted attachment of the Household Cavalry, with pipers and drums and a band from the Coldstream Guards. Members of the Queen's personal staff will follow.

The route will be lined by the armed forces. Minute guns will be fired and a bell will toll.

The procession will halt at the West Steps of St George's Chapel, and the coffin will be carried inside.

Some 800 people, including members of the Queen's Household and Windsor estate staff, will attend the committal service, which starts at 4pm.

The coffin will be lowered into the Royal Vault as the Dean of Windsor reads a psalm.

The Queen's piper will play a lament as he walks away.

The Archbishop of Canterbury will give a blessing, and the national anthem will be sung.

The burial service will be entirely private, taking place at 7.30pm and conducted by the Dean of Windsor.

The earth that will be scattered onto the coffin will have been gathered from the royal mausoleum at Frogmore.

How has such a large operation been rehearsed?

In the quiet of the early hours of the morning on Thursday, thousands of military personnel took part in preparations for the procession of the Queen's coffin from Westminster Hall to Wellington Arch.

Bagpipes sounded at 2.45am, marking the start of the procession through the dark and quiet streets of the capital, with many areas sealed off for the operation.

Towed by almost 100 naval personnel and bearing a black coffin, the State Gun Carriage travelled from Westminster Hall, on to Westminster Abbey, and then through central London.

While the rehearsal was held early for as much privacy as possible and to avoid disruption, hundreds of mourners who had waited in line overnight to pay their respects to the Queen lying in state got to witness the historic preparations.

Those who were there saw the Scots Guards marching away from New Palace Yard and on to the abbey, followed by sailors pulling the gun carriage using white ropes, and several members of the Household Cavalry on horseback.

Four soldiers stood either side of the coffin as it was taken into Westminster Abbey, where indoor procedures were also rehearsed.

Mournful brass and drums heralded the coffin leaving the venue before the procession moved on to Wellington Arch.

At around 5.20am, the sound of brass playing God Save The Queen rang out from under the arch, before the state hearse departed through the Apsley Gate of Hyde Park between rows of Household Cavalry.

Beethoven's Funeral March and the hymn Jerusalem could be heard before the sun came up.

What is a state funeral and who else has received one?

A state funeral is a public funeral ceremony held to honour people of national significance. While usually reserved for monarchs in the UK, Britain's last state funeral was that of former prime minister Sir Winston Churchill (pictured above) in 1965.

The Queen herself granted permission for the use of both Westminster Hall and St Paul's Cathedral for his ceremony, acknowledging that the nation should "have the opportunity to express their sorrow" over the death of an "inspiring leader who strengthened and supported us all" during Second World War Two.

Prince Philip, the Queen Mother, Princess Diana and Baroness Thatcher all had ceremonial funerals, which share many of the same features. A ceremonial funeral was also held for King Richard III in 2015 following the discovery of his skeleton under a car park in Leicester in 2012, more than 500 years after his death.

Who will attend (and who won't)?

Westminster Abbey can hold up to 2,200 people. On the day of the funeral, world leaders, politicians, public figures and those who worked with the Queen, as well as monarchs from other countries, will join members of the Royal Family to pay their respects.

The Queen's four children - King Charles III, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward - will be present, as will Camilla, the Queen Consort, and the monarch's grandchildren - Princes William and Harry, Peter Phillips and Zara Tindall, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, and Lady Louise Windsor and James, Viscount Severn.

Spouses of all close family are expected to be present too, including Catherine, the Princess of Wales , and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex.

Prime Minister Liz Truss, Labour leader Keir Starmer and other UK politicians will also attend.

Members of Europe's royal families, from countries including Spain, the Netherlands, Monaco, Sweden, Denmark, Belgium, and Greece, are likely to fly to London for the funeral, and about 500 foreign dignitaries are also expected to attend.

US President Joe Biden and his wife, First Lady Jill Biden, were among the first to say they would be there, and French President Emmanuel Macron has also confirmed his attendance.

Read more: Your questions answered King Charles in pictures

It is understood all holders of the Victoria Cross or George Cross are able to attend and nearly 200 key workers and volunteers recognised in the Queen's Birthday Honours list have also been invited.

Invites have not been sent to Russia, Belarus, Myanmar, Syria, Venezuela or Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, while Iran, North Korea and Nicaragua have been invited only at an ambassadorial level, according to Whitehall sources.

The UK does not have diplomatic relations with Syria or Venezuela, while the political situation in Afghanistan since the Taliban swept to power a year ago means no representative has been invited from Kabul.

You can read more on who is set to attend here .

Attendance is by invitation only. However, as they did as the Queen's body travelled from Balmoral to Edinburgh, thousands are expected to line the funeral cortege route and millions around the world will watch at home on TV.

Security for the event

The complexity of organising the funeral, with dignitaries from around the world expected, has been compared by Whitehall insiders to organising hundreds of state visits within a matter of days, while normally there might only be two or three a year.

It presents a huge logistical, diplomatic and security challenge, with practice runs taking place in the dead of night.

The complex seating plan could only be formalised once guests had responded to the invitations - the deadline was on Thursday.

Air Marshal Edward Stringer, a former director of operations for the Ministry of Defence, was involved in revising the planning for Operation London Bridge back in 2017, and says procedures will have been revised and updated regularly since then.

Plans are carried out in accordance with the monarch's wishes, he says - and gives the example of the Queen approving for her body to be flown on a C-17 cargo plane, the same used for aid missions in Ukraine and for evacuations in Afghanistan, in the event it needed to be.

According to reports, the Queen said that if the plane was "good enough for my boys, it's good enough for me".

The funeral will be the "biggest security operation ever mounted" and the plans are "given regular revisits... and of course the sad passing of the Duke of Edinburgh during the pandemic will have made the whole business very real again".

One example of changes that have been made recently includes the announcement that NHS workers will be involved, Air Marshal Stringer said. "Well, that wouldn't have happened pre-pandemic. So [the plan] is continually revised and of course will be revised again in light of what King Charles wants."

The scale of the operation is "unprecedented" with "global public interest", he added.

"The plan is nothing, the planning is everything. Lots of planning and repeating the planning - you think through all the contingencies and what might happen and the plan itself might always have to change within the last week, but at least if you've thought about all possible options, you can adjust quite quickly."

One aspect to consider is so many heads of state being in the same place at the same time.

"You have an unprecedented collection of global VIPs - and it's the British state's responsibility to look after them. There's a lot to consider."

People travelling to London by train are being urged to stay for lunch to avoid mass crowds at Tube and train stations once the procession leaves the centre.

A full weekday timetable will operate, with about 250 additional services, including some overnight trains.

Transport for London (TfL) said most Tube lines will remain open for an additional hour until about 1am on the night of the funeral, to ensure people can "travel around the capital safely".

On the roads, National Highways will pause any planned closures of motorways serving London until after the funeral.

Martin Fellows, who is leading the organisation's planning for the mourning period, said some of the worst potential congestion hotspots on motorways are the M25 and roads feeding into London such as the M1, M3, M4, and M11.

He advised motorists to "allow plenty of time for your journey" and make sure vehicles are "well prepared".

London Victoria coach station and many central London roads will be closed on Monday.

Most National Express coaches due to depart from or arrive at London Victoria will use Wembley Stadium instead, while Megabus will switch to Hillingdon.

More than 100 of Heathrow Airport's flights will be also be cancelled to avoid aircraft disturbing the funeral.

The airport said it wants to ensure the skies over London will be quiet during the two-minute national silence as the Queen's funeral at Westminster Abbey nears its end shortly before noon.

No flights will be allowed to take off or land from 15 minutes before the silence starts until 15 minutes after it ends.

Departures and arrivals will also be halted during the arrival of the funeral cortege and procession at Windsor Castle, and diverted around the castle during the private family service on Monday night.

British Airways - the most-affected airline - will cancel 100 short-haul flights due to the restrictions. Virgin Atlantic said it will cancel four flights.

Heathrow warned that many roads near the airport will be closed on Monday due to the events in Windsor, and passengers are "strongly advised" to use London Underground and rail services to get to and from the airport.

The history of Westminster Abbey and the monarchy

As an 11-year-old girl, the Queen watched as her father was crowned at the Abbey, a venue that has been linked to the Royal Family since the 11th century, when Edward the Confessor rebuilt the church.

King Edward was the first to be buried here in January 1066. From then until 1760, some 13 kings of England - including Henry V and Henry VII, four reigning queens including Elizabeth I, 11 queen consorts and two other queens, including Mary Queen of Scots - have been buried in the Abbey. Since George II's burial in 1760, royal burials have been at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, or in the nearby mausoleum at Frogmore.

Queen Elizabeth's own coronation also took place here.

The last funeral for a British monarch

Prince Albert, Duke of York, the second son of King George V and Queen Mary, was proclaimed King in December 1936, following the abdication of his brother Edward VIII over his relationship with American divorcee Wallis Simpson.

He took one of his middle names, George, on succeeding to the throne.

George VI died on 6 February 1952 and his coffin lay in Westminster Hall where a short service was held and more than 300,000 people turned out to pay their respects. His funeral service took place at St George's Chapel in Windsor on 15 February 1952.

The Queen's coffin

The coffin is constructed out of English oak, lined with lead, and was made decades ago, according to experts.

Former Prime Minister Winston Churchill, Prince Philip and Princess Diana all had such coffins made for them, Sarah Hayes, manager for the Coffin Works museum in Birmingham, has said.

"It's to preserve the body for as long as possible, it's really about slowing down the process of decomposition," she said.

This is especially important for the queen because her coffin will be eventually placed in a church, not buried in the ground, she added.

The coffin is made of oak from the Royal Family's Sandringham Estate according to royal tradition, Ms Hayes said.

How will music play a part?

Funeral marches by classical composers Beethoven, Chopin and Mendelssohn will be played at the ceremony, as they were during the funeral procession for Queen Victoria in 1901, according to a former military music director.

"Everything that we do in state ceremonial is born out of a golden thread of history, heritage and tradition," retired Lieutenant Colonel Graham Jones, former senior director of music for the Household Division, said.

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Throughout his 40-year career serving as a military musician and then director of music, Lt Col Jones was responsible for planning, co-ordinating and delivering the music for major state ceremonial events such as the funeral of the Queen Mother, the Queen's birthday parade, and the Armistice Cenotaph Parade.

He said the funeral service at the abbey could reflect the Queen's personal taste in music, which was said to include musicals such as Oklahoma! and show tunes such as Cheek To Cheek, performed by Fred Astaire (pictured above).

"That's a matter between church and monarch, to decide the service and service content, and I know there has been quite a little bit of rumblings in the media about Her Majesty's top 10 favourite tunes and will any of those feature in the service," he said.

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Queen Elizabeth II's cause of death revealed on her death certificate

The queen died on Sept. 8, 2022, at age 96.

The cause of death for Queen Elizabeth II has been made public on her death certificate.

The queen's cause of death was old age, according to the Press Association, which cited the queen's death certificate.

The late monarch died on Sept. 8, 2022, at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. She was 96 years old at the time of her death.

The death certificate also revealed that Elizabeth died at 3:10 p.m. local time, and the informant of her death was Anne, the Princess Royal .

Anne is the queen's second eldest child and the only daughter of her four children with the late Prince Philip.

Anne was with the queen in her final hours, along with King Charles III, Elizabeth's eldest child, who inherited the throne upon her death.

The queen's younger sons Princes Andrew and Edward, along with other family members, including her grandsons Princes William and Harry, later traveled to Balmoral as well.

Anne would go on to escort her mother's coffin at every step of its journey from Balmoral Castle to St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, where the queen is buried.

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The queen was hospitalized in late October 2021 for what Buckingham Palace described as "preliminary investigations." After a one-night hospital stay, the queen returned home to Windsor Castle, where she resumed her work, the palace said at the time.

A few weeks later, on Nov. 14, the queen missed the annual Remembrance Sunday service after she sprained her back, Buckingham Palace said in a statement at the time.

In February 2022, the queen tested positive for COVID-19 but had only "mild cold-like symptoms" as a result of the virus, according to the palace.

MORE: Prince William, Kate give update on royal family after Queen Elizabeth II's funeral

Two months later, in April, she celebrated her 96th birthday at Sandringham, her country estate in Norfolk.

In June, the queen celebrated her Platinum Jubilee , marking 70 years on the throne.

She attended just three events during the four-day celebration, due to what Buckingham Palace described at the time as "some discomfort."

The queen's last public appearance came just two days before she died, on Sept. 6, when she held an in-person audience at Balmoral Castle with Britain's new prime minister, Liz Truss.

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Queen’s Death Certificate Reveals Cause and Time of Death

Queen Elizabeth died of “old age” at 3:10 p.m. on Sept. 8, the paperwork shows.

• Share full article

By Mark Landler

LONDON — Queen Elizabeth II died of “old age,” according to her death certificate, which was released on Thursday by the registrar general of Scotland. The certificate, which lists her occupation as Her Majesty the Queen, also notes that the queen died at 3:10 p.m. on Sept. 8 at Balmoral Castle.

The first fact is indisputable, given that the queen was 96. But the report offers no further details about the cause of her death , which came two days after she was photographed standing and smiling as she greeted Britain’s new prime minister, Liz Truss .

The time of death, just after 3 p.m., is more revealing, coming more than three hours before Buckingham Palace announced it at 6:30 p.m. That indicates none of her family saw the queen just before her death, aside from King Charles III and his sister, Princess Anne, who were both already in Scotland on official duties.

Her two other sons, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward, and her grandson Prince William arrived at Balmoral, in the Scottish highlands, shortly after 5 p.m., while Prince Harry, who traveled separately, did not get there until just before 8 p.m.

The death certificate was registered in Aberdeenshire by Princess Anne. The doctor who certified it was Douglas James Allan Glass, and the registrar general of Scotland, Paul Lowe, authorized its release.

Buckingham Palace first raised the alarm about the queen’s condition in a statement issued at 12:35 p.m. on Sept. 8. It said that her doctors were concerned about her health and that she had been placed under medical supervision. Members of the royal family immediately began heading for Balmoral Castle.

Ms. Truss had just announced a major energy market intervention in Parliament when news of the queen’s deteriorating condition began to circulate in the House of Commons. She left the chamber shortly afterward. Downing Street has said that Ms. Truss was informed of the queen’s death at 4:30 p.m.

The queen had problems with mobility for several months before her death. She had canceled multiple public appearances, including the bulk of the festivities marking her Platinum Jubilee, emerging only briefly on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to watch a flyover of jets in her honor.

In the photograph with Ms. Truss, the queen held a walking stick in her left hand. She had also recovered from a bout with Covid-19 in February, an experience that she later said left her exhausted and drained.

Mark Landler is the London bureau chief. In 27 years at The Times, he has been bureau chief in Hong Kong and Frankfurt, White House correspondent, diplomatic correspondent, European economic correspondent, and a business reporter in New York. More about Mark Landler

• OUR AMERICA

'Our America: A Queen's Journey' celebrates fearless females for National Geographic's 'Queens'

Ana Navarro leads the pack for "Our America: A Queen's Journey," a half-hour special celebrating National Geographic's newest series "Queens."

Now streaming on Hulu and Disney+, "Queens" is a groundbreaking series that highlights the animal kingdom through the female lens for the very first time. Narrated by Angela Bassett, the seven-part series was produced by a female-led production team from around the world.

"Our America: A Queen's Journey" aims to capture the spirit of "Queens."

We start in South Salem, New York, where photographer and National Geographic Explorer Katie Orlinsky is challenging the world to see through a different lens at a wolf sanctuary.

Next, viewers head to Oakland, California to meet Crystal Wahpepah, the Indigenous chef highlighting the food of her ancestors at her restaurant, Wahpepah's Kitchen.

Then viewers get a behind-the-scenes look at how composer and former member of electronic music group M3, Morgan Kibby, created the captivating score for "Queens."

Back in New York City, stylist Sakinah Bashir talks about bridging the divide between fashion and nature and how she nailed National Geographic's fashion week debut as the creative mind behind the "Queens"-inspired fashion show, "National Geographic Presents: Fit For A Queen."

Finally, in Washington, D.C., viewers meet two of the queens behind "Queens," Pamela Caragol, the show's executive producer and Janet Han Vissering, the senior vice president of development and production for National Geographic.

Check your local listings to watch "Our America: A Queen's Journey" on your local ABC station.

Disney is the parent company of National Geographic, Disney+, Hulu and this station.

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King Charles praises 'kindness' and friendship 'in times of need' ahead of his first public appearance since his cancer diagnosis

• King Charles III gave public remarks via an audio message at the Royal Maundy Service on Thursday.
• Buckingham Palace announced in February that Charles is undergoing treatment for cancer.
• King Charles and Queen Camilla will attend an Easter Sunday service this weekend.

King Charles III spoke about friendship and kindness in a series of remarks before his first public appearance since announcing his cancer diagnosis.

Charles, 75, shared his sentiments via a recorded audio message played at the Royal Maundy Service, an annual event that takes place on the Thursday before Easter Sunday, according to Royal Central . March 2023 was the first time Charles attended the service as a monarch, but he skipped this year's service while undergoing cancer treatment.

Buckingham Palace announced in February that Charles was diagnosed with cancer and would step back from public engagements while recovering.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, it is, for me, a great sadness that I cannot be with you all today. The Maundy Service has a very special place in my heart," Charles said in comments obtained by Royal Central.

He then touched on the importance of friendship.

"In this country we are blessed by all the different services that exist for our welfare. But over and above these organizations and their selfless staff, we need and benefit greatly from those who extend the hand of friendship to us, especially in a time of need," Charles said.

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Charles then addressed the people chosen to receive Maundy Money. The royal family's official website said that "local pensioners" receive money from the monarch to commemorate the Last Supper when Jesus washed the Apostles' feet.

"The 150 men and women who have been chosen today to receive the Maundy Money from my wife are wonderful examples of such kindness; of going way beyond the call of duty and of giving so much of their lives to the service of others in their communities," Charles said. "This act of worship, here in Worcester Cathedral, reminds me of the pledge I made at the beginning of the Coronation Service — to follow Christ's example 'not to be served but to serve.' That I have always tried to do and continue to do, with my whole heart."

He added: "It is my special prayer today that Our Lord's example of serving one another might continue to inspire us and to strengthen all our communities."

Although Charles did not attend Thursday's service, Buckingham Palace told the Associated Press that he and Queen Camilla will attend an Easter Sunday service at Windsor Castle's chapel.

Representatives for Buckingham Palace did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

Charles' remarks come after Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales, decided to share her own cancer diagnosis with the public last week. Middleton's video announcement came after weeks of speculation over her health and marital status .

Middleton, 42, called the diagnosis a "huge shock," and she's undergoing "preventive chemotherapy."

"It has been an incredibly tough couple of months for our entire family, but I've had a fantastic medical team who have taken great care of me, for which I am so grateful," she said.

Watch: King Charles makes first speech after Queen Elizabeth's death

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