Queen Elizabeth updates: State funeral ends 11 days of ceremonies
Queen Elizabeth was buried with her husband, Prince Philip.
Britain's Queen Elizabeth II "died peacefully" on Thursday, Sept. 8, at Balmoral Castle, the British royal family's estate in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, according to a statement from Buckingham Palace. She was 96.
Elizabeth was Britain's longest-reigning monarch. She ascended to the throne in 1952 and, in June, celebrated her Platinum Jubilee, marking 70 years as queen.
Latest headlines:
- Coffin descends into royal vault
- Committal service begins at St. George’s Chapel
- Coffin arrives at St. George's Chapel for committal service
- Coffin departs London for final time
- Procession underway from Westminster Abbey to Wellington Arch
- Prince George, Princess Charlotte walk behind coffin with parents
Coffin descends into royal vault
Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin has descended into the royal vault at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor, marking the end of the queen’s public funeral services. The service concluded with the singing of "God Save The King."
The final event is Queen Elizabeth's private burial at St. George’s Chapel. She will be buried with her husband, Prince Philip, and her parents.
Committal service begins at St. George’s Chapel
Queen Elizabeth’s committal service is underway at St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle.
Guests at the service include United Kingdom Prime Minister Liz Truss and former Prime Minister Tony Blair.
At the end of the service, Queen Elizabeth’s coffin will be lowered into the royal vault.
Coffin arrives at St. George's Chapel for committal service
Queen Elizabeth’s coffin has arrived at St. George's Chapel in Windsor for the final ceremony of the week, a committal service. Elizabeth will be reunited with her husband, Prince Philip, and her coffin will be lowered into the royal vault.
The hearse is draped with flowers thrown by onlookers.
Minister recounts conversations with queen in her final days
Rev. Dr. Iain Greenshields, moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, recounted to ABC News the weekend he spent with Queen Elizabeth in Balmoral in her final days.
“She was 96 and you could see her fragility, but as soon as she started talking and as soon as she was engaged with you, a different kind of person emerged,” Greenshields said.
She was still filled with her signature humor, he noted.
“I was staying in a place called the Tower Rooms and she said, ‘Your queen is sending you to the tower. She just smiled at me as she said that, and she made sure that I understood, that I got the joke,” he said.
“I asked her what I could possibly give to somebody who has everything, and she smiled at me. I offered her the cross, and she took it very graciously and she wished me the very best in my year ahead as the moderator of the Church of Scotland,” he said.
For Queen Elizabeth, faith was “fundamental,” he said.
“She said right at the beginning of her time, when she was becoming queen, that she was going to ask God for wisdom,” he said, “and that’s something that persisted throughout her life.”
“When I was chatting to her about her faith, she spoke about it and said she had no regrets about starting that journey of faith. She had no regrets at all,” Greenshields said.
Greenshields called her death “astonishing,” noting that she’d been “so vital, so alive, so engaging.”