U.S. President Joe Biden joined a long list of world leaders for Queen Elizabeth II’s state funeral on Monday inside London’s Westminster Abbey, where royal pageantry was on full display to pay tribute to a monarch whose rule spanned seven decades.
The queen was the United Kingdom’s longest-reigning monarch. Millions are mourning the monarch as she is laid to rest.
World leaders, dignitaries, politicians, public figures, and European royals were among the 2,000 attendees. Members of the public have gathered in their thousands along the route the Queen’s funeral procession is taking to Windsor.
Previously on Sunday, the Bidens paid their respects to the late queen and President Biden signed a condolence book, saying “the world is better for her.”
Biden was one of the few world leaders to arrive in his own motorcade at the Queen’s funeral, but for the last 10 days, his aides have worked behind the scenes to ensure he had as small of a footprint as possible while she was laid to rest.
Those familiar with Biden’s schedule said the White House was extremely conscious of not making the trip about Biden, and not to distract from the funeral itself. The only events on Biden’s schedule were those planned in coordination with the palace.
Plans for the Queen’s funeral have been in place for years.
Today, the queen’s funeral began at 11 am ET, followed by two minutes of silence. She will be buried at Windsor Castle next to her husband, Prince Philip, at St. George’s Chapel. The government has declared her burial a bank holiday — meaning almost everything will be closed.
Last week, tens of thousands of people lined up for at least 12 hours to pay their respects at her casket in Westminster Hall. Since it opened last Wednesday, hundreds of thousands of people have gone to pay their respects to the late Queen. Many stood for more than half a day in a queue that stretched across central London.
Be the first to comment