London said goodbye to the Queen “in a manner that befitted her extraordinary reign” as hundreds of thousands lined the streets for her state funeral.
There was praise on Tuesday for the way the phenomenal public show of respect and affection for the nation’s longest-serving monarch complemented the splendour and dignity of the ceremony.
At least 200,000 people lined the route through central London, with countless others viewing the funeral cortege travel along the A4 and A30 on its way to Windsor Castle. The funeral is set to be one of the most-watched TV events.
Writing in Tuesday’s Standard, Mayor Sadiq Khan, who attended the service at Westminster Abbey, said: “It is important we have been able to come together to celebrate her phenomenal life, to give our heartfelt thanks for her unfailing service and to reflect on her remarkable journey.
“The herculean effort of our police officers, transport workers, armed forces personnel, civil servants, health workers and mass of volunteers has afforded us the chance to say goodbye to our longest-serving monarch in a manner that befitted her extraordinary reign.
“I know I speak on behalf of our capital, and our nation, when I say thank you to everyone involved. She was the very best of us, and we will forever be in her debt.”
Mr Khan told the Standard: “Moments in our national story that can be considered truly historic are rare, but Her Majesty’s funeral will command a chapter all of its own. Being invited to attend the Queen’s funeral was a supreme privilege and I was proud to pay a final tribute, on behalf of all Londoners, for her remarkable life and seven decades of selfless service.”
More than 250,000 people had silently filed past the Queen’s coffin during the four-day lying-in-state at Westminster Hall, Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan revealed on Tuesday morning.
At times the queue stretched more than five miles to Southwark. Some waited up to 24 hours. Ms Donelan described the public show of respect as “remarkable”.
Asked about the cost of the funeral, she was unable to give a figure but told Sky News: “I think the British public would argue that that was money well spent. You saw so many thousands out there and I don’t think anybody can suggest that our late monarch didn’t deserve that send-off, given the duty and the selfless service that she committed to over 70 years.
“It was great sense of the community coming together. I always think of our late monarch as the glue that brought society together,” she added.
She praised the help of the Samaritans, Red Cross, the police and establishments along the South Bank that opened their doors to those queuing.
“It was a real team effort to enable people to have that moment to say goodbye and I want to pay tribute to everybody involved — all the volunteers, all the marshals, the stewards, it was incredible.”
The Metropolitan Police said it conducted the largest policing operation in its history at the funeral, with new commissioner Sir Mark Rowley taking control of the force just days earlier.
Around 15,000 officers, including 3,000 drawn from all other UK forces, and 1,500 soldiers protected huge crowds, royalty, world leaders and other dignitaries. More than 2,000 were on duty around Windsor Castle.
Only 67 arrests were made over the 11-day period since the Queen’s death by officers assigned to funeral duties in central London. Met deputy commissioner Dame Lynne Owens said it had been the force’s “honour and privilege” to escort the late monarch on her final journey. “Officers and staff worked tirelessly with the encouragement of the public,” she said.
The 2,000-strong congregation included US president Joe Biden, French president Emmanuel Macron, Emperor Naruhito of Japan and former British prime ministers.
Armed police, motorbike escort riders, officers on horseback, dog teams and a marine unit were among the specialists involved.
Rooftop snipers were in place while the cortege was moving, accompanied by a helicopter escort outside of the capital. There were more than 22 miles of crowd control barriers in central London alone.
Most foreign dignitaries were taken by bus from the Royal Hospital in Chelsea. President Biden’s armoured limousine, dubbed The Beast, got stuck in traffic outside a Pret a Manger restaurant near Marble Arch.
The royal family will remain in mourning for seven days. They are not expected to carry out official engagements and flags at royal residences will remain at half-mast.
No date has been set for the coronation of King Charles, the Government said on Tuesday. Asked whether the proceedings should be scaled down due to the cost-of-living crisis, Ms Donelan told LBC that “of course, we will be considering everything, but we haven’t made these decisions yet”.
She added that the Queen’s coronation had been a “remarkable event”, and recalled “how the country came together” for the jubilee celebrations, adding that such occasions “can in many ways boost the economy as well”.
