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Becca Monaghan
Sep 19, 2022
King Charles leads royal family into Westminster Abbey ahead of Queen's funeral
BBC
Mourners flocked to the streets of London to pay their respects to Queen Elizabeth II on the day of her funeral.
The coffin left Westminster Abbey earlier today on a mile-long public procession with King Charles III, the Prince of Wales and other members of the royal family walking behind the State Gun Carriage of the Royal Navy.
They travelled along Broad Sanctuary, Parliament Square, Whitehall, Horse Guards Parade, Horse Guards Road, The Mall, Constitution Hill, and ended at London’s Wellington Arch.
The coffin was then transferred to the new State Hearse for its final journey to Windsor Castle, where a committal service will be held at St George's Chapel.
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Spectators' attention soon turned to the new monarch, who, at 73, effortlessly managed to walk the entire distance.
Many were impressed, with one saying: "Remarkable that Charles (73) and Anne (72) could walk such a long distance without much effort. Anne walked matching steps with the military men."
A second reiterated: "Fair dos to King Charles III, I don't know many 73-year-olds that could walk that far without a break!"
Others felt sorry for the new monarch and took to Twitter.
\u201cI really feel for King Charles and Princess Anne, it\u2019s a fair walk for people in their seventies. #queensfuneral\u201d— A... Fan (@A... Fan) 1663589313
\u201cAs someone who's just started a new job, I really feel for King Charles. A new role at 73, whilst grieving for your mother, but being obliged to travel across all four Nations and walk many miles in the public eye. After today I hope he and his family can rest and grieve together\u201d— CatWhitehouse (@CatWhitehouse) 1663593013
\u201cKing Charles is in his 70s, I believe. I'm just curious how many miles he has had to walk/parade throughout all the events since his mother, the Queen passed away. Seems quite a lot for an elder person.\u201d— \ud83d\udc08 barkway \ud83d\udc15 (@\ud83d\udc08 barkway \ud83d\udc15) 1663591104
\u201cThe walk they did in London was so long. Anne and Charles especially look so exhausted. I just want to hug them. \ud83d\ude22\u201d— SylviaDaisyPouncer!\ud83d\udc9a (@SylviaDaisyPouncer!\ud83d\udc9a) 1663599011
\u201c@MonarchyUK I should imagine that everyone on that long, long walk with Her Majesty's coffin today (19 September 2023) will need to put their poor aching feet up tonight, including King Charles III \ud83d\udc96\u201d— Charlie Proctor (@Charlie Proctor) 1663514123
\u201c@RoyalCentral The long walk for King Charles & Princess Anne both in their 70s. They have so much stamina\u201d— Royal Central (@Royal Central) 1663587379
\u201c@cspanwj I was impressed Charles \nwas able to walk that long distance \nbeing 73 years old.\u201d— Robert (@Robert) 1663593053
\u201cCharles must be knackered after that walk \ud83d\udc4f #queensfuneral\u201d— Megan \ud83d\udc78\ud83c\udffc (@Megan \ud83d\udc78\ud83c\udffc) 1663592493
\u201cGot to admit I really didn\u2019t think Charles would be able to handle this walk in his condition. #QueensFuneral\u201d— Ashlee (@Ashlee) 1663590424
The King and other members of the royal family re-joined the funeral procession behind the Queen’s coffin as they made their way to St George's Chapel in Windsor castle.
The televised committal service with around 800 guests is set to take place, followed by a private burial service at 7.30pm.
The Queen will be buried with her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, in George VI memorial chapel in St George’s Chapel.
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