Queen Elizabeth II buried at Windsor Castle chapel, says Palace
At 7:30 pm local time on Monday or past midnight, in the wee hours of Tuesday
Indian time, Queen Elizabeth II's coffin, earlier lowered into the Royal Vault in St
George’s Chapel, was to be reunited with her husband of 70 years, Duke of
Edinburgh Prince Consort Philip’s coffin (still lying in the Royal Vault) and they
both were to be moved and interred (buried) in the King George VI Memorial
Chapel (of the Queen's father) in the same premises in a private service.
Nothing is known about the event other than a Palace announcement that it has been
done in an intimate ceremony. The Queen being head of state of a host of
Commonwealth countries, those peoples had a right to know!
LONDON, Sept 19: With great pomp and circumstance, a funeral of several rounds
of processions, extensive pageantry of the royalty and military, heads of state
and governments and royalty from around the world in solemn attendance, and
above all, the multitudes cramming the London streets and lining the long way
up to Windsor to pay their last respects with flowers, the much revered people's
monarch was accorded a tearfiul farewell in her last journey on Monday.
Seventy years on the throne, the longest-reigning and oldest living British
monarch breathed her last "peacefully" on September 8 at the age of 96 at her
own Balmoral Castle in Scotland she had been halting for the summer but had
fallen sick.
More than 2,000 invitees attended the State funeral for Queen Elizabeth II
at Westminster Abbey in London at 11 am on Monday. That included heads of state
and government and royals and other dignitaries from across the world like US
President Joe Biden and the emperor and empress of Japan.
One of the most watched events on television history, it was a huge gathering
of world leaders never seen before as the Queen was also head of state of a
host of Commonwealth countries and much respected worldwide.
Several millions of others around the world viewed broadcasts of the day's
funeral proceedings that included the processions from Westminster Hall, where
the coffin lay in state for four days and five nights, to nearby Westminster
Abbey, the venue of the State funeral, then to Wellingdon Arch on way to Windsor
Castle, and one at the Castle, as also a committal service at St. George's Chapel
in the castle where the casket was lowered into a Royal Vault temporarily before
the final burial after dusk at King George VI Memorial Chapel in the premises
nearby.
At the State funeral the coffin was topped with the Royal Standard, the Imperial
State Crown, the Sovereign's orb and sceptre and a wreath made up of flowers
from royal gardens chosen by her son and new King Charles himself. Charles and
his sons Prince William and Prince Harry and other royals followed the gun carriage
in procession from Westminster Hall to Westminster Abbey nearby. Armed forces
and other regiments and bands added pageantry to the procession to Abbey and
further. Horses were also lined up the procession to Abbey.
At Westminster Abbey monarchs are crowned, married and funerals held. The Queen
herself was also married to Prince Philip in 1947 and crowned in 1953 there.
The service was conducted by the Dean of Westminster David Hoyle, with the
Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby delivering the sermon. Prime Minister
Liz Truss read a lesson, where former Prime Ministers were seated together.
The hymn sung was "The Lord's my shepherd" which was also the one sung at her
wedding.
Last Post - a short bugle call for funeral - was played followed by a two-minute
national silence. The national anthem and a lament played by the Queen's piper
brought to an end the State funeral service past midday.
The last State funeral at Abbey was of Winston Churchill, former Prime Minister.
The walking procession from Westminster Abbey to Wellington Arch began at noon.
Big Ben tolled at one-minute intervals and gun salutes were fired every minute
from Hyde Park as the procession moved. Armed services from the UK and the Commonwealth
joined. Once again, the King and members of the royal family walked behind the
gun carriage. At Wellington Arch, the coffin was then transferred to the State
Hearse for the long drive to Windsor 33 km from Westminster.
Hundreds of thousands of well-wishers lined either side as the coffin was driven
from London to Windsor Catle, the Queen's favourite abode since childhood.
The three processions
There were three processions for the funeral and as many funeral services.
The first was a short one from Westminster Hall where the queen lay-in-state
to Westminster Abbey in the State Gun Carriage of the Royal Navy driven by 142
naval personnel. This carriage had been used on previous funerals too like the
funeral of the Queen's father, George VI, in 1952. The official State funeral
service at Westminster Abbey was attended by 500 foreign dignitaries and a congregation
of 2,000 other invitees and royals; then the procession was from Westminster
Abbey to Wellington Arch in the same Gun Carriage; here the coffin was transferred
to the State Hearse for the onward journey to Windsor Castle outside London.
Along the long route either side crammed mourners waited long hours to say the
final Goodbye to the Queen. The third procession was within the Castle premises,
to St George's Chapel, along the Long Walk, followed by the royals on foot.
The Royal Vault and the final burial
The ceremony of funeral service in St George’s Chapel was held at 4 pm. There
were 800 royals and other close ones. Here the crown, orb and the sceptre -
sympols of power and monarchy - were removed from the coffin and placed at the
altar. Lord Chamberline, the royal household officer, broke the Wand of Office
and kept it on the coffin, ending his services.
At 4:30 pm the service closed with the national anthem sung by the congregation.
"God Save the King" and a Lament, a musical expression of grief. The funeral
service ended. Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby in his sermon spoke of
the queen's "abundant life."
At the committal service, the Queen's coffin was lowered into the Royal Vault,
with the Dean of Windsor saying a Psalm and the Garter King of the Arms pronouncing
the Queen's titles. 800 close people attended. The chapel service was not open
to the public.
"Go forth upon thy journey from this world, O Christian soul," Psalm 103 was
read as the coffin was lowered.
A piper played a lament that melted away in the background when the coffin
was being lowered into the Royal Vault of St George's chapel.
Television stopped here. They said the burial at King George VI Memorial Chapel
at 7:30 pm will be a private moment for her royal family.
At 7:30 pm local time on Monday or past midnight, in the wee hours of Tuesday
Indian time, the Queen Elizabeth II's coffin was to be reunited with her husband
of 70 years, Duke of Edinburgh Prince Consort Philip’s coffin and they both
were to be moved and interred (buried) in the King George VI Memorial Chapel
(of the Queen's father) in a private service.
Prince Philip had been resting in the Royal Vault beneath the St George’s
Chapel, where he was temporarily interred when he died last year.
The close royal family were to return to the chapel for the private burial
service around 7:30 p.m. local time, it was stated but nothing more was known.
The Queen has been buried in the King George VI Memorial Chapel at St George's
chapel, Windsor Castle, in an intimate ceremony, the Palace announced later.
King George VI Memorial Chapel
The Queen Elizabeth II's parents, father King George VI and mother who came
to be known as Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother (not Queen Elizabeth I) and
the ashes of sister Princess Margaret (why she who died days before their mother
in 2002 was cremated is not known) are interred in the King George VI Memorial
Chapel in the premises of the main, medieval St George's Chapel in the sprawling
grounds of the 1,000-room, 72-acre, fortified Windsor Castle some 33 km west
of London and located south of Thames. The King George VI Memorial Chapel was
commissioned by the Queen Elizabeth II for her father after his death and the
coffin interred there thereafter. While a casket is awaiting final burial (internment)
it remains in a Royal Vault.
(A chapel is a small place of worship which can be anywhere - like even
residences - and without clergymen or priests while a church is a dedicated
building with clergymen or priests managing the prayers. A large church can
also accommodate one or more chapels. A cathedral is bigger than a church and
is run by a bishop.)
The very ancient Windsor Castle, like the Buckingham Palace, belongs to the
monarchy and its medieval St George's Chapel may be used for services like weddings
and burials. While she owned properties like Balmoral in Scotland where she
breathed her last.
The Windsor Castle had been the Queen's preferred private residence since she
took refuge there during the World War when she was a child. During the thousand
years of its existence it was occupied by monarchs uninterruptedly.
Quotes:
The Queen's life was marked by a stoic endurance at times. Especially 1992
was a year turned out to be an "annus horribilis" - Queen quoted a correspondent.
She used this expression in a speech in 1992 to describe that year, when there
was a serious fire at Windsor Castle, the Princess Royal got divorced, the
Duke of York separated from his wife and the Prince of Wales had marriage
problems.
A monarch who genuinely cared about everyone! - A commoner
"She fell in love at age 18 and she never looked at anyone else," - Sally
Bedell Smith, Queen's biographer.
Spider spotted on coffin, a good omen - An unknown commentator
Once a stranger ('stoaway') was found in her bedroom. Displaying presence
of mind, she engaged him in a conversation till security arrived.
Biographical note:-
Queen Elizabeth II was born on 21 April 1926 in London
Full name: Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor
Parents: Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother (died in 2020, a few days after
Princess Margaret, Queen Elizabeth II's only sister) & George VI (died in
1952)
The Queen married Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and Prince Consort, in
1947; He died in 2021
Elizabeth II was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms
from February 6, 1952 until her death in 2022.
King Charles III, Anne the Princess Royal, Prince Andrew the Duke of York,
and Prince Edward the Earl of Wessex are the Queen's children
The incident has triggered a debate on social media whether the officer refused to take orders from a party leader or he was accused of any corruption, some netizens justifying the handling in either case, that Ratnakar was blocking public welfare work! It is true the Govt machinery has been the enemy Number One of the people of this country, existing for itself and for these politicians, for well over seven decades. India will never make an inch of progress - real progress, not make-believe-progress - unless and until this machinery is eliminated.
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Many of the victims were charred beyond recognition, making identification difficult. Three hundred nineteen body parts have been sent for DNA matching with relatives to determine the identities.
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(Today's headlines )
Trump said, "Elon is not really leaving" and will be "back and forth" to the White House because DOGE is his "baby." "I think he’s going to be doing a lot of things.”
Musk wrote: "My scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end... The @DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government." Now on it will be on auto-pilot.
PROGNOSIS: DOGE was prematurely born to protect the country by aborting an impending socio-economic disaster which very few people could see coming.
Although its immediate job was to save American taxpayers billions by slashing waste, eliminating fraud, cutting Government bloat and ensuring utmost efficiency in administration for the good of the people.
(Today's headlines )
"Coming from a system like in England, empowering," she says she never had an idea of this sort of experience... being asked to “socialise with middle-aged men” who financed the event...humiliating...
Originally from Junagadh, Gujarat, Pataudi was relocated to Etawah Lion Safari in September 2019 before being transferred to Gorakhpur Zoo in 2021. Recently it was receiving treatment for pancreatic and liver infections. After tigress Shakti died in the zoo on May 7 due to bird flu, Pataudi was shifted to Kanpur. Some birds are also reported to have died mysteriously around Gorakhpur. All zoos in UP are closed for fear of a bird flu outbreak.
Three other animals too had died - a tiger, a leopardess and a female wolf. Wolf Bhairavi died last Saturday, leopardess Mona died the Thursday before that and tiger Kesari died on March 30. Some of them had Shakti's symptoms but the cause of death has not been confirmed yet.
As tourist inflow is an indicator of normalcy returning to an erstwhile terrorist infested Valley, the Government has been trying hard to make everything travel-friendly, launching lot many projects and bringing Kashmir on the national rail map that physically completes the process of Kashmir's integration with the rest of India. And that defeats the designs of Pakistan eyeing Kashmir and simply explains a recrudescence of terrorism in J&K.
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Of 2.08 km in length, it features 99 spans and a 72.5-metre vertical lift span that rises up to a height of 17 metres, facilitating smooth movement of ships while ensuring seamless train services to the holy town of Rameswaram on Pamban island.
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What motivated Trump's newfound policy, apart from being a stunt to justify his existence in the White House, is a false realisation that increased tariff will make foreign goods prohibitive, thereby boosting local production, and create more jobs, and more prosperity will ring in! If that is true, India would have been shining by now: Producing own Rolls-Royce La Rose Noire Droptail and Scotch Whiskies! And what about coconut and palm oil by America!
(Today's headlines )
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Suddenly these colonial clerks feel this effortless, little rule will tremendously enhance security and convenience for the railway passengers manifold. More stations will be covered in the next 77 years! (Also See:
New Delhi station stampede... What went wrong?)
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