title: Prahlad Jani

text: In 2003, Sudhir Shah and other physicians at Sterling Hospitals, Ahmedabad, India observed Jani for 10 days. He stayed in a sealed room. Doctors said that he passed no urine or stool during the observation, but that urine appeared to form in the bladder. A hospital spokesperson said that Jani was physically normal, but noted that a hole in the palate was an abnormal condition. During this period, Jani's weight dropped slightly.


title: Prahlad Jani

text: From 22 April until 6 May 2010, Prahlad Jani was again observed and tested by Dr Sudhir Shah and a team of 35 researchers from the Indian Defence Institute of Physiology and Allied Sciences (DIPAS), as well as other organizations. The director of DIPAS said that the results of the observations could "tremendously benefit mankind", as well as "soldiers, victims of calamities and astronauts", all of whom may have to survive without food or water for long durations. The tests were again conducted at Sterling Hospitals. Professor Anil Gupta of SRISTI, involved in monitoring the tests, described the team as being "intrigued" by Jani's kriyas apparently allowing him to control his body's physiological functions.


title: Prahlad Jani

text: The team studied Jani with daily clinical examinations, blood tests, and scans. Round-the-clock surveillance was reportedly followed using multiple CCTV cameras and personal observation. The researchers say that Jani was taken out of the sealed room for tests and exposure to sun under continuous video recording.


title: Prahlad Jani

text: After fifteen days of observation during which he reportedly did not eat, drink or go to the toilet, all medical tests on Jani were reported as normal. The doctors reported that although the amount of liquid in Jani's bladder fluctuated and that Jani appeared "able to generate urine in his bladder", he did not pass urine. Based on Jani's reported levels of leptin and ghrelin, two appetite-related hormones, DRDO researchers posited that Jani may be demonstrating an extreme form of adaptation to starvation and water restriction. DIPAS stated in 2010 that further studies were planned, including investigations into how metabolic waste material is eliminated from Jani's body, from where he gets his energy for sustenance, and how he maintains his hydration status.


title: Prahlad Jani

text: Independent of DRDO studies, IIT Madras team has conducted an imaging study in 2017. They have collected Jani's brain images and measured the size of Pineal and Pituitary glands. The result of the imaging study shows that the size of Jani's Pineal and Pituitary glands are of the same order of a 10-year-old boy. The study results have been published in scientific journals.


title: Prahlad Jani

text: Michael Van Rooyen, director of the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, dismissed the observation results as "impossible", observing that the bodies of profoundly malnourished people quickly consume their own body's resources, resulting in renal/liver failure, tachycardia and heart strain. A spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association stated that, "The bottom line is that even fasting for more than a day can be dangerous. You need food to function." Nutrition researcher Peter Clifton also disagreed with study results, accusing the research team of "cheating" by allowing Jani to gargle and bathe, and stating that a human of average weight would die after "15 to 20 days" without water. People who avoid food and water to emulate mystical figures often die. Sanal Edamaruku characterized the experiment as a farce for allowing Jani to move out of the CCTV cameras' field of view, claiming that video footage showed Jani was allowed to receive devotees and to leave the sealed test room for sunbathing. Edamaruku also said that the gargling and bathing activities were insufficiently monitored. Edamaruku was denied access to the site where the tests were conducted in both 2003 and 2010, and accuses Jani of having "influential protectors" responsible for denying him permission to inspect the project during its operation, despite having been invited to join the test during a live television broadcast. The Indian Rationalist Association observed that individuals making similar claims in the past have been exposed as frauds. In 2010, the prominent scientific sceptic James Randi criticized the studies performed by the Indian government, citing insufficient scrutiny of the subject. He also proposed that if Prahlad Jani could prove his claims, he would receive the One Million Dollar Paranormal Challenge prize.


title: Prahlad Jani

text: In September 2010, Shah announced that scientists from Austria and Germany had offered to visit India to carry out further research on Jani, and scientists from the United States had also offered to join the research. Jani expressed interest in cooperating in further investigations.


title: Prahlad Jani

text: In 2006, The Discovery Channel aired a documentary called "The Boy with Divine Powers" featuring a five-minute interview with Jani and Shah. In 2010, the Independent Television Network (ITNA) posted an article and video featuring Prahlad Jani, commenting on the 2010 tests. In 2010 Prahlad Jani was featured in an Austrian documentary "Am Anfang war das Licht" (English title "In the Beginning There Was Light").


title: Prahlad Jani

text: In October 2010, the Italian television station Rai 2 broadcast a program named "Voyager" which presented an extensive report on Prahlad Jani and the tests.


title: Prahlad Jani

text: In October 2011, Jani was the "param pujya" (master of ceremony) in a large shobha yatra (religious procession) held near Gandhinagar.


title: Natalie Krill

text: Natalie Krill (born February 4, 1983) is a Canadian actress and former dancer. She appeared in the hockey drama "MVP" and in the independent film "Below Her Mouth."


title: Natalie Krill

text: Natalie Krill was born and raised in Saskatchewan. She enjoyed the arts at an early age, encouraged by her mother. Krill signed herself up for dance lessons at age 6, and studied ballet, tap and jazz dance until she was 18 years old, at which point she moved to Toronto to pursue an acting career.


title: Natalie Krill

text: Krill has appeared as Lorraine Fleming in the Moscow production of the musical "42nd Street"; the play based on the film "Dirty Dancing" when it made its North American premiere in Toronto in the fall of 2008; and the film "Hollywoodland". She has been seen in the role of Alex Kendrick in "The Listener" and in the role of Phoebe on the Canadian family channel show "The Next Step". In 2016, she co-starred in April Mullen's independent film "Below Her Mouth", which was an official selection at the Toronto International Film Festival, despite lukewarm reception from film critics.


title: Natalie Krill

text: Following her role in the erotic lesbian drama "Below Her Mouth", Krill anticipated questions about her sexuality, and she told a journalist, "Personally, I’m open. Like I don’t feel the need to label myself and I believe love is love." She and her husband Daniel Kannimae have a son, born in 2020.


title: Spherical aberration

text: In optics, spherical aberration (SA) is a type of aberration found in optical systems that have elements with spherical surfaces. Lenses and curved mirrors are prime examples, because this shape is easier to manufacture. Light rays that strike a spherical surface off-centre are refracted or reflected more or less than those that strike close to the centre. This deviation reduces the quality of images produced by optical systems.


title: Spherical aberration

text: A spherical lens has an aplanatic point (i.e., no spherical aberration) only at a radius that equals the radius of the sphere divided by the index of refraction of the lens material. A typical value of refractive index for crown glass is 1.5 (see list), which indicates that only about 43% of the area (67% of diameter) of a spherical lens is useful. It is often considered to be an imperfection of telescopes and other instruments which makes their focusing less than ideal due to the spherical shape of lenses and mirrors. This is an important effect, because spherical shapes are much easier to produce than aspherical ones. In many cases, it is cheaper to use multiple spherical elements to compensate for spherical aberration than it is to use a single aspheric lens.


title: Spherical aberration

text: "Positive" spherical aberration means peripheral rays are bent too much. "Negative" spherical aberration means peripheral rays are not bent enough.


title: Spherical aberration

text: The effect is proportional to the fourth power of the diameter and inversely proportional to the third power of the focal length, so it is much more pronounced at short focal ratios, i.e., "fast" lenses.


title: Spherical aberration

text: In lens systems, aberrations can be minimized using combinations of convex and concave lenses, or by using aspheric lenses or aplanatic lenses.


title: Spherical aberration

text: Lens systems with aberration correction are usually designed by numerical ray tracing. For simple designs one can sometimes analytically calculate parameters that minimize spherical aberration. For example, in a design consisting of a single lens with spherical surfaces and a given object distance "o", image distance "i", and refractive index "n", one can minimize spherical aberration by adjusting the radii of curvature formula_1 and formula_2 of the front and back surfaces of the lens such that


title: Spherical aberration

text: For small telescopes using spherical mirrors with focal ratios shorter than , light from a distant point source (such as a star) is not all focused at the same point. Particularly, light striking the inner part of the mirror focuses farther from the mirror than light striking the outer part. As a result, the image cannot be focused as sharply as if the aberration were not present. Because of spherical aberration, telescopes with focal ratio less than are usually made with non-spherical mirrors or with correcting lenses.


title: Spherical aberration

text: Spherical aberration can be eliminated by making lenses with an aspheric surface. Descartes showed that lenses whose surfaces are well-chosen Cartesian ovals (revolved around the central symmetry axis) can perfectly image light from a point on the axis or from infinity in the direction of the axis. Such a design yields completely aberration-free focusing of light from a distant source.


title: Spherical aberration

text: In 2018, Rafael G. González-Acuña and Héctor A. Chaparro-Romo, graduate students at the National Autonomous University of Mexico and the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education in Mexico, found a closed formula for a lens surface that eliminates spherical aberration. Their equation can be applied to specify a shape for one surface of a lens, where the other surface has any given shape.


title: Spherical aberration

text: Many ways to estimate the diameter of the focused spot due to spherical aberration are based on ray optics. Ray optics, however, does not consider that light is an electromagnetic wave. Therefore, the results can be wrong due to interference effects.


title: Spherical aberration

text: A rather simple formalism based on ray optics, which holds for thin lenses only, is the Coddington notation. In the following, "n" is the lens' refractive index, "o" is the object distance, "i" is the image distance, "h" is the distance from the optical axis at which the outermost ray enters the lens, formula_1 is the first lens radius, formula_2 is the second lens radius, and "f" is the lens' focal length. The distance "h" can be understood as half of the clear aperture.


title: Spherical aberration

text: If the focal length, "f", is very much larger than the longitudinal spherical aberration, LSA, then the transverse spherical aberration, TSA, which corresponds to the diameter of the focal spot is given by


title: Bobby Whitlock

text: Robert Stanley Whitlock (born March 18, 1948) is an American singer, songwriter and musician. He is best known as a member of the blues-rock band Derek and the Dominos, with Eric Clapton, in 1970–71. Whitlock's musical career began with Memphis soul acts such as Sam & Dave and Booker T. & the M.G.'s before he joined Delaney & Bonnie and Friends in 1968. His association with Delaney & Bonnie bandmate Clapton led to Whitlock's participation in sessions for George Harrison's 1970 triple album "All Things Must Pass", in London, and the formation of Derek and the Dominos that year. On the band's sole studio album, the critically acclaimed "Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs", Whitlock wrote or co-wrote seven of the album's fourteen tracks, including "Tell the Truth", "Bell Bottom Blues" and "Why Does Love Got to Be So Sad?"


title: Bobby Whitlock

text: Whitlock recorded four solo albums during the 1970s, among them "Bobby Whitlock" and "Raw Velvet", and contributed to albums by Clapton, Dr John and the Rolling Stones. He then withdrew from music until releasing "It's About Time" in 1999. Following his return, Whitlock has recorded and performed with his wife, CoCo Carmel, and since 2006 with other musicians based in Austin, Texas. Among his and Carmel's projects, "Other Assorted Love Songs, Live from Whitney Chapel" contains acoustic interpretations of songs originally recorded by Derek and the Dominos.


title: Bobby Whitlock

text: In an article for "Mojo" magazine in May 2011, music journalist Phil Sutcliffe described Whitlock as having been born in Memphis and learning to play the Hammond organ "peering over Booker T's shoulder at Stax studios". While still a teenager, Whitlock befriended acts associated with Stax Records, including Albert King, Sam & Dave, the Staples Singers and Booker T. & the M.G.'s, and was the first white artist signed to the label.<ref name="WhitlockBio/AM"></ref> His first contribution to a recording was in 1967, when he supplied handclaps on Sam & Dave's single "I Thank You".<ref name="Layla40/Goldmine"></ref>


title: Bobby Whitlock

text: Between 1965 and 1968, Whitlock performed regularly in the Memphis area, playing organ with local soul band the Short Cuts before forming the Counts. In his 2010 autobiography, Whitlock writes of this period in Memphis: "It was a great time and town for music then, especially soul music. It was real rhythm and blues. Albert King R&B, that's what I'm talking about. It was loose and all about music everywhere that you turned." With established Stax musicians such as Steve Cropper as his mentor, and Donald "Duck" Dunn and Don Nix preparing to produce a pop album by him on a Stax subsidiary label, Whitlock instead left Memphis after meeting the husband-and-wife team Delaney and Bonnie Bramlett. Whitlock recalls that he was performing at a club with the Counts when the Bramletts invited him to join a soul-revue band they were forming in Los Angeles.


title: Bobby Whitlock

text: Whitlock contributed on keyboards and vocals to two Delaney & Bonnie albums in 1969, "Home" and "Accept No Substitute".<ref name="Shapiro/Mojo"></ref> Their touring band, known as Delaney & Bonnie and Friends, included musicians he would continue to work with on projects through to the early 1970s: bassist Carl Radle; drummers Jim Keltner and Jim Gordon; and a horn section comprising Bobby Keys and Jim Price. Another member was Eric Clapton, who joined the Friends as lead guitarist midway through a U.S. tour in July–August 1969. On this tour, Delaney & Bonnie were supporting Clapton's short-lived supergroup Blind Faith, with Steve Winwood. Clapton later described Whitlock as "without doubt the most energetic sideman I had ever seen". Along with all the other members of Delaney & Bonnie, Whitlock flew to England in November 1969 to prepare for a highly publicized European tour, financed by Clapton.


title: Bobby Whitlock

text: In his autobiography, Whitlock states that their arrival in London changed the dynamics within the band, as the Bramletts now considered themselves "big stars" and the ones solely responsible for the new-found success. Once in London, Whitlock participated in a session for a solo album by the American soul singer Doris Troy, on the Beatles' Apple record label. The album, "Doris Troy" (1970), was co-produced by George Harrison, who, having championed Delaney & Bonnie in the British press, accepted Clapton's invitation to join the tour. Through Harrison, Whitlock and the band then played at John Lennon's "Peace for Christmas" concert, held at the Lyceum Ballroom in London on December 15, 1969.


title: Bobby Whitlock

text: In early 1970, Delaney & Bonnie and Friends backed Clapton on his debut solo album, "Eric Clapton", and toured America with the English guitarist. After arguments with the Bramletts over money, the other Friends quit the band and joined Leon Russell on Joe Cocker's Mad Dogs and Englishmen tour. Whitlock continued to work with Delaney & Bonnie until April,<ref name="DeRiso/SN"></ref> following sessions for their album "To Bonnie from Delaney" (1970). On Cropper's advice, he then returned to England to stay with Clapton at his home, Hurtwood Edge, in Surrey.


title: Bobby Whitlock

text: Seeking to start a new band, Whitlock and Clapton reunited with Radle and Gordon at a session for P.P. Arnold, before going on to back Harrison on his 1970 triple album "All Things Must Pass". Whitlock has described the latter sessions as "spectacular in every way". Although individual contributions remain hard to ascertain, due to the large cast of musicians on the Phil Spector-produced recording, Harrison biographer Simon Leng identifies Whitlock as one of two "core keyboard players" on "All Things Must Pass". Having traditionally favored Hammond organ as his keyboard instrument, Whitlock played piano for the first time on a studio recording during the session for Harrison's "Beware of Darkness".


title: Bobby Whitlock

text: In June 1970, early in the "All Things Must Pass" sessions, Clapton, Whitlock, Radle and Gordon formed the blues-rock band Derek and the Dominos. Their first release was a US-only single, "Tell the Truth", produced by Spector and written primarily by Whitlock. In August, once their work on Harrison's album was complete, Derek and the Dominos toured the UK, playing to small venues. That summer, Whitlock and his bandmates also participated in London sessions for Dr John's album "The Sun, Moon & Herbs" (1971).


title: Bobby Whitlock

text: Unhappy with Spector's treatment of their sound, the band went to Criteria Studios in Miami to work with producer Tom Dowd, on what became a double album – "Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs" (1970). As well as a remake of "Tell the Truth", the album included six other songs written or co-written by Whitlock,<ref name="Murray/AVClub"></ref> including "Anyday", "Why Does Love Got to Be So Sad?", "Keep on Growing" and "Thorn Tree in the Garden". In addition, Whitlock helped Clapton finish "Bell Bottom Blues", although he was not initially credited as a co-writer on that song. "Keep on Growing" and "Thorn Tree in the Garden" featured Whitlock on lead vocals, while on other tracks he and Clapton shared the singing in a style reminiscent of Sam & Dave.


title: Bobby Whitlock

text: Adding to the power of the Dominos' music, Clapton's inspiration for the songs on "Layla" was his unrequited love for Pattie Boyd, Harrison's wife.<ref name="Williamson/Uncut"></ref> Whitlock began a relationship with Boyd's sister Paula at this time, and was therefore, as he has described it, "in the inner circle ... in the middle of it with all of them". He comments on a musical dialogue between Harrison and Clapton in their songs: "There were subliminal messages, going back and forth, between two good friends as a way of healing and setting each other free ... I have always known that the better part of those songs [on "All Things Must Pass"] were directed to Eric, just like Eric's were to George on the "Layla" record."


title: Bobby Whitlock

text: Between October and December 1970, Derek and the Dominos toured the United States in support of "Layla". The Elton John Band was their opening act. In his autobiography, Elton John said, "They were phenomenal. From the side of the stage, I took mental notes of their performance ... it was their keyboard player Bobby Whitlock that I watched like a hawk. ... You watched and you learned, from people that had more experience than you." But the "Layla" album made little commercial impact on release, failing to chart in the UK.<ref name="Sutcliffe/Mojo"></ref> Clapton's despondency at being rejected by Boyd, the band's drug consumption, and personal conflicts between the members, particularly with Gordon, all contributed to the break-up of the Dominos in May 1971.


title: Bobby Whitlock

text: Whitlock recorded his debut solo album, "Bobby Whitlock" (1972), at London's Olympic Studios in 1971, with Andy Johns as his co-producer. The recording took place before the abortive sessions for the Dominos' second studio album; a press release for the 2013 reissue of "Bobby Whitlock" gives the recording date as starting in March 1971, while Dominos biographer Jan Reid writes of sessions happening in January that year. Whitlock played acoustic or electric rhythm guitar on much of the album, which also included musical contributions from all the Dominos (often recorded separately), the Bramletts, Harrison, Keys, Price and Keltner. Among its tracks, "Where There's a Will" was a Whitlock–Bonnie Bramlett collaboration that had featured in Delaney & Bonnie's live shows in 1969–70, and "A Day Without Jesus" was co-written by Whitlock and Don Nix. The record peaked at number 140 on the US "Billboard" 200 chart,<ref name="Billboard/AM"></ref> the same magazine praising it as "a persuasively powerful first album".


title: Bobby Whitlock

text: Whitlock's second solo album, also on ABC-Dunhill Records, was "Raw Velvet", released in November 1972. It included appearances by Clapton and Gordon, on "Hello L.A., Bye Bye Birmingham", although the majority of the album, including another remake of "Tell the Truth", featured new associates such as guitarist Rick Vito and ex-Van der Graaf Generator bassist Keith Ellis. The album was co-produced by Jimmy Miller, whose connection with the Rolling Stones led to Whitlock making an uncredited contribution to the band's "Exile on Main St." double album (1972). By this point, "Layla"s title track had become a hit song, following its release as a single to promote the "History of Eric Clapton" compilation (1972), leading to a critical reappraisal of Derek and the Dominos and belated commercial success. A 1970-recorded live album, "In Concert", was similarly well-received when issued in January 1973.<ref name="DominosBio/AM"></ref> "Raw Velvet" peaked at number 190 on the "Billboard" 200, however, and it was Whitlock's last album to place on the chart. Whitlock tried in vain to get Clapton to come out and play; realizing it was not going to happen, after two years of waiting, he went back to the United States.


title: Bobby Whitlock

text: His next solo album was "One of a Kind", co-produced with Bill Halverson and released in 1975 on Capricorn Records. "Rock Your Sox Off" followed in 1976, opening with a new recording of "Why Does Love Got to Be So Sad?" Whitlock then withdrew from the music industry; he told "Mojo" contributor Harry Shapiro in 2001: "I had my own problems to deal with." Speaking to "The Austin Chronicle" in 2006, Whitlock said of his retirement, "It wasn't hard to stop, because there was nothing going on in music", and rued the popularity of disco.


title: Bobby Whitlock

text: For much of the 1980s and 1990s, Whitlock lived on a farm in Mississippi, raising his children and doing occasional session work. He had his own television show with Steve Cropper. A rare music release during this period was "Put Angels Around You", a duet with Scottish singer Maggie Bell, issued as a single in 1983 on Led Zeppelin's Swan Song Records.


title: Bobby Whitlock

text: In 1999, Whitlock resumed his solo career with "It's About Time", which included contributions from Cropper and saxophonist Jim Horn.<ref name="Smith/AM/Time"></ref> Michael Smith of AllMusic described the album as "one of Whitlock's most intriguing creations yet" and a "fine set from a musician we haven't heard enough from in recent years". In April 2000, Whitlock reunited with Clapton to play live on the BBC's "Later... with Jools Holland". The following year, he contributed piano to "Sweet Tea" by blues guitarist Buddy Guy.


title: Bobby Whitlock

text: In 2003, Whitlock and his wife, musician CoCo Carmel, collaborated on "Other Assorted Love Songs", a live album that again revisited the Dominos' songs, as well as including Harrison's "All Things Must Pass".<ref name="Eder/AM"></ref> Music critic Bruce Eder praised the album, writing: "The classic pieces [from "Layla"] hold up magnificently ... [H]ere, acoustic guitar and piano are more than sufficient accompaniment and, indeed, coupled with Whitlock's powerful singing and range, make a strong case for these being the definitive versions."


title: Bobby Whitlock

text: Whitlock and Carmel moved to Austin, Texas in 2006. The couple worked with musicians such as David Grissom, Stephen Bruton and Brannen Temple, and special guest Willie Nelson, on the album "Lovers" (2008) and "Metamorphosis" (2010), another live recording. Released on the Domino label, "Lovers" included a song that Whitlock had begun writing with Clapton in the early 1970s, "Dear Veronica", and a remake of "Layla" that omitted the Gordon-composed ending, which Whitlock had never thought suitable for the track. "Vintage" (2009) compiled his unreleased songs from the 1990s and included appearances by Cropper and Horn. Whitlock's solo album "My Time" (2009) featured musical contributions from Cropper, Keltner, Horn, Tim Drummond and Buddy Miller. His subsequent releases with Carmel include "Esoteric" (2012) and another live album, "Carnival: Live in Austin" (2013). In 2013, in connection with the release of the latter album, Whitlock and Carmel gave an interview for Tracy Thibodeaux's "Pods o' Pop" in which he spoke in depth about the formation of Derek and the Dominos, composing with Clapton, and playing on Harrison's "All Things Must Pass".


title: Bobby Whitlock

text: In 2010, "Bobby Whitlock: A Rock 'n' Roll Autobiography", written with music historian Marc Roberty, was published, with a foreword by Eric Clapton. Whitlock's first two solo albums appeared, remastered, as "Where There's a Will, There's a Way: The ABC-Dunhill Recordings", released by Future Day Records in September 2013. In 2015, Bobby Whitlock and Coco Carmel's "The Just Us Tour 2015" visited the eastern and mid-western United States, using guest guitarists in each city. The tour ended with a performance at The Jass Blues Festival in Dhaka, Bangladesh.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: On 8 September 2022, at 15:10 BST, Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms, and the longest-reigning British monarch, died of old age at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, at the age of 96. The Queen's death was publicly announced at 18:30. She was succeeded by her eldest son, Charles III.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: The death of the Queen set in motion Operation London Bridge, a collection of plans including arrangements for her state funeral, and supported by Operation Unicorn, which set protocols for her death occurring in Scotland. The United Kingdom observed a national mourning period of 10 days. The Queen's lying in state took place in Westminster Hall from 14 to 19 September, during which time an estimated 250,000 people queued to pay their respects.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: The state funeral service was held at Westminster Abbey on 19 September, followed on the same day by a committal service at St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle. The Queen was interred with her husband Philip in the King George VI Memorial Chapel later that evening. The occasion of her state funeral was a public holiday in the UK and several Commonwealth states. The state funeral was one of the United Kingdom's most watched special television broadcasts, surpassing the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton, the previous most watched royal event of the 21st century.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: The Queen was in good health for most of her life, but began to decline after the death of her husband, Prince Philip on 9 April 2021. She began to use a walking stick for public engagements in October 2021. On 20 October, the Queen stayed overnight in King Edward VII's Hospital in central London, requiring scheduled visits to Northern Ireland and the COP26 summit in Glasgow to be cancelled. She also suffered from a sprained back in November which prevented her from attending the 2021 National Service of Remembrance.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: In February 2022, during the COVID-19 pandemic in England, the Queen was one of several people at Windsor Castle to test positive for COVID-19. Her symptoms were described as mild and cold-like, and she later commented that the disease "does leave one very tired and exhausted". The monarch's health became a cause of concern to commentators at this time.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: The Queen was said to be feeling well enough to resume her official duties by 1 March 2022 and attended the service of thanksgiving for Prince Philip at Westminster Abbey on 29 March. Despite this, the Queen did not attend several appointments over the following months, including the annual Commonwealth Day service in March, the Royal Maundy service in April, the State Opening of Parliament in May, and the National Service of Thanksgiving for her Platinum Jubilee in June. During the Jubilee the Queen also suffered "discomfort" after standing during Trooping the Colour and was largely confined to balcony appearances during the celebrations.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: Two days before her death, on 6 September 2022, the Queen accepted the resignation of Boris Johnson and appointed Liz Truss to succeed him as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom; these meetings took place at Balmoral Castle, rather than their usual location at Buckingham Palace. On 7 September she was scheduled to attend an online meeting of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom to swear in new ministers in Truss's government, but this was cancelled after she was advised to rest by doctors. The Queen's final public statement, issued that same day, was a message of condolences for the victims of a mass stabbing incident in Saskatchewan, Canada.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: The Queen died at 15:10 BST on 8 September 2022 at the age of 96, ending her 70-year reign. She had died of "old age", according to her death certificate which was made public on 29 September. Her death was publicly announced at 18:30. Elizabeth II was the first monarch to die in Scotland since James V of Scotland in 1542.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: Members of the royal family travelled to Balmoral Castle throughout the day. Prince Charles arrived at 10:30 and was met by Princess Anne who was already staying with the Queen. Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, also travelled to Balmoral from the Birkhall estate. Charles and Anne were by the Queen's side when she died. Prince William, Prince Andrew, Prince Edward, and Sophie, Countess of Wessex, left RAF Northolt on board a flight to Aberdeen Airport and arrived at Balmoral shortly after 17:00, while Prince Harry, who had travelled alone and departed later than the other family members, arrived at Balmoral at 20:00; Catherine and Meghan did not join them.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: Prime Minister Liz Truss is believed to have been informed of the Queen's declining health that morning by the Cabinet Secretary, Simon Case, and received an update at 12:00. The Leader of the Opposition, Sir Keir Starmer, was informed by a note passed to him by Deputy Leader Angela Rayner during a speech he was giving in the House of Commons. At 12:30 Buckingham Palace made a public announcement expressing concern for the Queen's health; the Speaker, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, made a brief statement of good wishes in response.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: Truss was informed at 16:30 that the Queen had died, and the royal family announced her death two hours later via newswires and a post on Twitter. A notice with the same statement was affixed to the railings outside Buckingham Palace and posted on the royal family website.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: BBC One continuously covered the Queen's condition from 12:40, after the first official statement, and special reports were also run on ITV, Channel 4, and Channel 5. British television announcements of the Queen's death began at 18:31, when news presenter Huw Edwards read the royal family's statement during a live broadcast on the BBC News channel and BBC One. At 18:32 the presenters of BBC Radio 4 and BBC Radio 5 Live made similar announcements.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: After the announcement, the Union Flags at Buckingham Palace and 10 Downing Street were lowered to half-mast. At Balmoral Castle the Royal Standard of the United Kingdom was lowered and then raised again, as the new king was present. The Royal Banner of Scotland was lowered to half-mast at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, as was the Welsh flag at Cardiff Castle. Crowds gathered outside royal residences, and rainbows were seen above Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: The Queen's death in Scotland meant that Operation Unicorn was the first part of Operation London Bridge to take effect. The Queen's body was transported to Edinburgh where ceremonial events took place, before her body was transported to London for the state funeral.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: The Queen's coffin left Balmoral Castle at 10:46 on 11 September, draped with the Scottish version of the Royal Standard of the United Kingdom and topped with a wreath consisting of flowers from the castle gardens. The journey of the cortege, which included Princess Anne and Timothy Laurence, was long and passed through Aberdeenshire, Aberdeen, Angus, Dundee, Perth and Kinross, and Fife. People lined the route of the cortege to pay their respects, and in Aberdeenshire farmers formed a guard of honour of tractors. The cortege reached the Palace of Holyroodhouse at 16:23 and the coffin was placed in the Throne Room. The coffin was made from oak and was lined with lead, reportedly weighing .


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: On 12 September the Queen's coffin was carried up the Royal Mile to St Giles' Cathedral in a procession which included the King, Princess Anne and Timothy Laurence, Prince Andrew, Prince Edward, the Bearer Party from the Royal Regiment of Scotland, and the Royal Company of Archers. The Queen Consort and the Countess of Wessex and Forfar followed closely in their car. Guns were fired every minute from Edinburgh Castle during the procession. On arrival the coffin was carried into the cathedral and the Crown of Scotland placed on it.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: A service of thanksgiving was then held to celebrate the Queen's life and highlight her association with Scotland. The service was led by the minister of St Giles' Cathedral, the Reverend Calum Macleod, and the homily given by the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, the Reverend Dr Iain Greenshields. Psalm 118 was sung in Gaelic by Karen Matheson. It was attended by the royal party; politicians, including Liz Truss and Nicola Sturgeon; and representatives from the Queen's Scottish charities and organisations.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: The Queen's coffin lay at rest at the cathedral for 24 hours, guarded by the Royal Company of Archers, which allowed around 33,000 people to file past the coffin. In the evening the King, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, and Prince Edward held a vigil at the cathedral, a custom known as the Vigil of the Princes; Princess Anne was the first woman to participate.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: On 13 September the Queen's coffin was taken by hearse to Edinburgh Airport and flown to RAF Northolt on a Royal Air Force C-17 Globemaster, accompanied by Princess Anne and Timothy Laurence. The Royal Air Force Bearer Party carried the coffin onto the aircraft and a Guard of Honour was formed by the Royal Regiment of Scotland. During the journey the Scottish version of the Royal Standard that draped the coffin was replaced by the Royal Standard that is used in the remainder of the United Kingdom.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: Upon the Queen's arrival in London, she was transported to Buckingham Palace, before being moved to Westminster Hall the following day for her lying-in-state before the state funeral.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: When the Queen arrived at RAF Northolt the Queen's Colour Squadron (63 Squadron RAF Regiment) assumed the role of the Bearer Party and formed the Guard of Honour. The coffin was placed in the state hearse and transported through London to Buckingham Palace, with people lining the street to watch. The coffin was then placed in the Bow Room at Buckingham Palace in the presence of the royal family.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: The Queen's coffin was taken in a military procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall on a horse-drawn gun carriage of the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery. The King, male members of the royal family, and Princess Anne followed the coffin on foot. This procession, as well the other processions held later in London and Windsor, marched at the funeral pace of 75 steps per minute and was accompanied by military bands playing marches by Johann Heinrich Walch, Felix Mendelssohn and Frédéric Chopin. Big Ben tolled each minute of the procession and minute guns were fired from Hyde Park by the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: Members of the three armed forces formed a guard of honour to receive the coffin at Parliament Square, after which soldiers from the Queen's Company, 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards, placed the coffin on a catafalque in Westminster Hall. The Archbishop of Canterbury and the Dean of Westminster then conducted a service in the presence of the royal family.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: The Queen lay in state in Westminster Hall from 17:00 on 14 September to 06:30 on 19 September. The coffin was guarded by members of both the Sovereign's Bodyguard and the Household Division. The Imperial State Crown and a wreath of flowers and foliage from Balmoral and Windsor castles had been placed on the coffin before the procession, and to these were added the Sovereign's Orb and the Sovereign's Sceptre with Cross; the Wanamaker Cross of Westminster was placed at its head and the regimental flag of The Queen's Company of The Grenadier Guards at its foot. An estimated 250,000 members of the public filed past the coffin, as did politicians and other public figures. Both the BBC and ITV offered a livestream of the Queen lying-in-state. On 16 September, a 28-year-old man was arrested under the Public Order Act after he ran from the queue inside Westminster Hall and touched the coffin.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: In the evening of 16 September the King and his siblings held a vigil around the Queen's coffin for approximately ten minutes, and on 17 September the Queen's eight grandchildren did the same. Prince Andrew and Prince Harry were permitted to wear military uniform on these occasions, who as non-working royals had not done at previous ceremonial events.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: On 18 September, pipers at four different locations in Scotland played "The Immortal Memory" at 18:00. At 20:00 a minute's silence was observed across the UK.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: Two queues were formed to view the lying-in-state, beginning 48 hours before Westminster Hall opened to the public. At its maximum extent the main queue was approximately long and had a waiting time of over 25 hours. This queue attracted much media attention, with many commentators noting the stereotype that British people are good at queueing. The accessible queue, for people with a disability or long-term condition, operated a ticket system and was therefore shorter.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: The queue experience was generally perceived to be positive, however there was an allegation of a man committing sexual assault by exposing himself, and some heckling of queuers. The London Ambulance Service also had to assist 710 people, mainly due to head injuries from fainting.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: Plans for the Queen's death had existed in some form since the 1960s, and the Queen was consulted about all the details included in her funeral plan. The Earl Marshal was in charge of organising the event.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: The planning and complexity of the funeral was compared to that of Winston Churchill in 1965, the last state funeral held in Britain and also a major international event. It marked the first time that a monarch's funeral service had been held at Westminster Abbey since George II in 1760. The Foreign Office handled the invitations, communications, and security arrangements from a headquarters called "The Hangar", redeploying 300 staff to manage the task. 500 foreign dignitaries and heads of state were expected to attend. Invitations were issued to every country with which Britain maintains diplomatic relations, except for Russia, Belarus, and Myanmar; Syria, Venezuela and Afghanistan were also asked not to attend. The timing of the funeral allowed guests who planned to address the general debate of the UN General Assembly the following day sufficient time to fly to New York City.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: The day of the funeral was a bank holiday in the United Kingdom. Many businesses, workplaces, and educational establishments closed for the day, including major supermarkets and the London Stock Exchange. In the National Health Service several trusts chose to cancel or reschedule all non-urgent appointments. Several food banks announced that they would close on the day of the funeral, though some remained open after facing public backlash.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: Hotel prices increased in the days before the funeral in London. Extra train services were made available across the country to allow people to travel to and from London and pay their respects for the lying-in-state and funeral service. Westminster City Council deployed its "Clean Streets" team to clean up different areas within central London.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: At 10:44 on 19 September the Queen's coffin was moved from Westminster Hall to Westminster Abbey on the State Gun Carriage of the Royal Navy. The carriage was drawn by Royal Navy sailors, known as Naval Ratings, maintaining a tradition which began at the state funeral of Queen Victoria. The King, members of the royal family, and members of the King's household walked behind. Non-working royals, including the Duke of York and the Duke of Sussex, did not wear military uniforms for the state funeral and the committal service. A wreath with foliage cut from the gardens of Buckingham Palace, Highgrove House, and Clarence House was placed on the coffin, together with a note from the King which read "In loving and devoted memory. Charles R." Before the service the tenor bell of the Abbey rang once a minute for 96 minutes, once for each year of the Queen's life. The coffin arrived at Westminster Abbey at 10:52.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: Music by British composers was played before the service, and as the coffin entered the abbey the choir sang the five sentences set to music. The service began at 11:00 and was conducted by the Dean of Westminster, David Hoyle, according to the 1662 "Book of Common Prayer". The lessons were read by Baroness Patricia Scotland, Secretary General of the Commonwealth, and Liz Truss, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and the sermon and commendation were given by the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby. Prayers were said by clergy from several Christian denominations.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: The music included the psalm setting "Like as the hart" by Judith Weir and the anthem "Who shall separate us?" by James MacMillan, both written for the funeral, as well as pieces performed at the Queen's coronation and wedding. The Choir of Westminster Abbey and Choir of the Chapel Royal led the singing, and were conducted by James O'Donell.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: The end of the service included a sounding of the "Last Post" and a two-minute silence, which was concluded with the "Reveille". The National Anthem, followed by the bagpipe lament "Sleep, dearie, sleep", marked the end of the ceremony. The "Allegro maestoso" from Elgar's "Organ Sonata in G" was played after the service.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: Two processions followed the service. The first was from Westminster Abbey to Wellington Arch, where the Queen's coffin was placed in the state hearse. From there it was transported to Windsor, where the second procession took place through Windsor Great Park.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: The procession in London began at 12:15 and included around 3,000 military personnel, stretching for over a mile. It began at the abbey and passed down Whitehall, through Horse Guards, up The Mall, past Buckingham Palace, and up Constitution Hill to end at the Wellington Arch near Hyde Park. Around a million people lined the streets of central London to watch the event.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: At the front of the procession were representatives of Commonwealth forces led by members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police on horseback, then representatives of the Royal Air Force, the British Army, and the Royal Navy and Royal Marines, followed by defence staff and armed forces chaplains, officers of arms, and the royal household. The Queen's coffin followed, again on the State Gun Carriage pulled by Royal Navy sailors, and surrounded by an escort party. The King and royal family members were next, some marching and some in cars, with a further escort and the household of the former Prince of Wales behind. At the rear of the procession were representatives of civilian services.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: Seven military bands were dispersed through the procession and again played funeral marches. Big Ben tolled each minute and minute guns were fired from Hyde Park by the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery. Standards were lowered and those in the procession gave salutes as they passed the Cenotaph. At Buckingham Palace, the King's Guard gave a royal salute to the Victoria Memorial and Palace staff waited outside the gates. At Wellington Arch the coffin was transferred with a royal salute to the state hearse for the journey to Windsor. The hearse left London for Windsor at 13:30, accompanied by Princess Anne and Timothy Laurence, travelling on A roads rather than motorways to allow the public to line the route.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: At 15:00 the coffin arrived in Windsor, where a final procession involving 1,000 military personnel took place down the Long Walk to St George's Chapel. Around 97,000 people lined the route. The Queen's fell pony, Emma, and two royal corgis, Muick and Sandy, stood at the side of the procession. The King and royal family joined the procession in the Quadrangle, during which Sebastopol Bell and the Curfew Tower bell tolled and the King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery, fired minute guns from the East Lawn of the castle. At the end of the procession the coffin was taken to St George's Chapel via the West Steps with the guard of honour formed by the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: The committal service began at 16:00 in the presence of 800 guests, largely made up of the royal household and staff from the Queen's private estates, but also including the royal family, governors general and prime ministers from the Commonwealth realms, and members of foreign royal houses. The Choir of St George's Chapel led the music, which included the Russian "Kontakion of the Departed", also sung at the funeral of Prince Philip. A selection of music was also played before the service.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: The Dean of Windsor, who conducted the service, read the bidding, the readings, and the commendation. The first reading was Revelation 21, verses 1–7, which was also included in the order of service for the funerals of Elizabeth's grandparents and father. The Rector of Sandringham, the Minister of Crathie Kirk and the Chaplain of Windsor Great Park delivered the prayers, and the Archbishop of Canterbury gave the concluding blessing.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: Near the end of the service the Imperial State Crown, orb, and sceptre were removed from the coffin and placed on the altar. The King then placed the Queen's Company Camp Colour of the Grenadier Guards on his mother's coffin, before the Lord Chamberlain symbolically broke his wand of office and also placed its halves atop the coffin. After this the Garter Principal King of Arms recited the styles of Elizabeth II and Charles III, between which a lament — "A Salute to the Royal Fendersmith" — was played by the Sovereign's Piper as the Queen's coffin was lowered into the Royal Vault. The singing of the National Anthem marked the end of the ceremony.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: After the funeral of the Queen on 19 September, she was later interred beneath of King George VI Memorial Chapel in a private service only attended by her closest family at 19:30, alongside her father King George VI, her mother Queen Elizabeth, and the ashes of her sister Princess Margaret. The remains of Prince Philip, who was temporarily interred in the Royal Vault following his funeral in 2021, were moved to the chapel after the interment of the Queen.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: Elizabeth II's coffin was constructed more than 30 years before the funeral. It is made of English oak and lined with lead to protect it from moisture damage. Due to the weight of the coffin, eight pallbearers were required for lifting and carrying rather than the usual six.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: The service at Westminster Abbey was attended by 2,000 people in total, including holders of the George Cross and Victoria Cross, representatives from the United Kingdom's faith communities, and foreign and Commonwealth heads of state and heads of government. Representatives from 168 countries, out of 193 UN member states and two UN observer states, confirmed attendance, including 18 monarchs, 55 presidents and 25 prime ministers.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: Due to the limited number of seats, foreign invitees were asked to keep their delegations as small as possible and to only bring their spouses. The UK government also requested those travelling by air to use commercial flights; private flights were directed away from Heathrow Airport. Additionally, the government asked guests not to use private cars to travel to Westminster Abbey, and instead use government-provided "coach transport from a central assembly point". This was only guidance; leaders including the President of the United States, Joe Biden, the President of Israel, Isaac Herzog, and the Vice President of China, Wang Qishan, were taken to the event through other means. Many dignitaries were present for a reception by the King at Buckingham Palace on the eve of the funeral, and all international guests were invited to attend a reception hosted by the Foreign Secretary, James Cleverly, after the funeral service.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: Around 10,000 police officers were expected to be on duty every day in London during the mourning period, a security operation described by the Metropolitan Police as the "biggest the UK has ever seen"; officers from across the country supported the operation under mutual aid agreements. Thames Valley Police announced that they would introduce new water patrols for observing busy waterways in the lead-up to the funeral, and mounted police officers, police dogs, and drones provided part of the security in Windsor. Prior to the service a special unit, the Fixated Threat Assessment Centre, began to monitor and review individuals identified as having a potentially dangerous obsession with the British royal family.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: MI5 and GCHQ worked in collaboration with counter terrorism police and the Metropolitan Police to provide security for the funeral. A group of 1,500 military personnel was also deployed, and Westminster was inspected by a military Wildcat helicopter. "Hundreds" of stewards from private security firms were hired to aid crowd management.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: The total cost of the funeral has not been published, but it is expected to exceed the £5.4million paid for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: The UK's economy (as measured by GDP) contracted by 0.6 per cent in September 2022, attributable in part due to Elizabeth's funeral and the period of national mourning that preceded it.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: The funeral and committal service of the Queen were the first to be broadcast to the public. Filming had been prohibited during the state funeral of George VI, although the procession of his coffin was partially televised.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: The funeral was broadcast by the BBC, ITV, and Sky, with the latter two simulcasting the service on all of their channels and not showing advertisements. The BBC Two broadcast included British Sign Language interpretation. BBC Radio broadcast events on Radio 2, 3, 4, 5 Live, the World Service, and its Local Radio network. Global's radio brands also broadcast their own coverage. Channel 5 was the only major public service network that did not air the Queen's funeral.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: Big screens were set up at cathedrals and public areas to broadcast the service. Shops, licensed establishments, parish and public halls remained open in Jersey to allow people to watch the Queen's funeral.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: Buckingham Palace requested that video footage did not "intrude on the grief" of individual members of the royal family, that footage of the funeral be avoided from usage on entertainment programmes and allowed only for news coverage, and that five short pieces of video featuring members of the royal family would not be broadcast again.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: The funeral was broadcast live in Australia, The Bahamas, Canada, India, Mauritius, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, and Sri Lanka. The funeral was also carried live by dozens of broadcasters in most of Europe and across the world.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: The television broadcast was the second most watched broadcast during the 21st century in the United Kingdom (after the prime ministerial statement on COVID-19 during the lockdown) and the third most watched royal event in British history (surpassing the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton, and approaching the weddings of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer, and Princess Anne and Mark Philips).


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: Upon the Queen's death, her eldest child Charles, Prince of Wales, immediately acceded to the British throne as King Charles III.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: There was some speculation regarding the regnal name that would be adopted by the former Prince of Wales upon succeeding his mother. During her formal televised address outside 10 Downing Street, Prime Minister Liz Truss made the first mention of the King's regnal name during a tribute to the Queen. Clarence House officially confirmed the new King would be known as Charles III shortly after the Prime Minister's address. Buckingham Palace released the King's first official statement as monarch at 19:04:


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: Most of Charles III's pre-accession Scottish titles, as well as the title Duke of Cornwall, were passed to his eldest son and the new heir apparent to the throne, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge. On 9 September, William was named Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester, succeeding his father.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: The Accession Council assembled on 10 September at St James's Palace to formally proclaim the accession of Charles III. Although about seven hundred people were eligible to attend the ceremony, because the event was planned on such short notice, the number in attendance was two hundred. In addition to other formalities, the Council confirmed "Charles III" as the King's regnal name. At 11:00, 21-gun salutes at the Tower of London, Cardiff Castle, Edinburgh Castle, Castle Cornet, Gibraltar, and naval bases and ships at sea marked the accession of Charles III. The King greeted crowds outside Buckingham Palace after the ceremony.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: On 10 September, senior MPs swore an oath of allegiance to Charles III in a special session of Parliament. The King then met with the Prime Minister for a second time and held audiences with members of her cabinet and leaders of the opposition parties.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: The coronation of Charles III and Camilla is expected to take place on 6 May 2023 at Westminster Abbey. No plans have been announced for William to be invested as Prince of Wales.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: King Charles III and Queen Camilla travelled from Balmoral to Buckingham Palace, where they greeted the crowd of mourners outside the gates. The King then held an audience with the Prime Minister before paying tribute to his mother in a publicly broadcast message. In Charles's first address as King he stated that a national period of mourning would be observed until the day after the state funeral (19 September), and an additional seven days would be observed by the royal family, royal household, and troops on ceremonial duties.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: On 11 September, the King met the Commonwealth Secretary General at Buckingham Palace, after which he hosted the High Commissioners of Commonwealth realms.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: On 12 September, the King travelled to Westminster Hall with the Queen Consort to receive condolences from the House of Commons and the House of Lords and to give a speech to both houses. He and the Queen Consort then travelled to the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, where they greeted members of the public and viewed floral tributes before the King inspected the Guard of Honour from the Royal Regiment of Scotland. The Ceremony of the Keys followed. The King then had an audience at Holyroodhouse with the First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, and the Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament, Alison Johnstone. The King and the Queen Consort visited the Scottish Parliament to receive a motion of condolence and observed a two-minute silence with MSPs.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: On 13 September, the King and the Queen Consort travelled to Northern Ireland, where they met with members of the public in Royal Hillsborough before arriving at the Castle. The King met the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Chris Heaton-Harris, and party leaders, and the Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly, Alex Maskey, delivered a message of condolence. The King and the Queen Consort also met with major faith leaders in Northern Ireland. A service of reflection was held in St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast on 13 September, where John McDowell, the Archbishop of Armagh and head of the Church of Ireland, paid tribute to the Queen for her efforts in bringing peace to Ireland. The service was attended by the King and Queen Consort, the Prime Minister, the President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, and the Taoiseach, Micheál Martin. A delegation from the republican Sinn Féin also attended, but the party did not take part in any events marking the accession.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: On 16 September, the King and Queen Consort visited Cardiff Castle, where a royal gun salute was fired and crowds gathered inside. A silent protest against the monarchy was held outside by groups including trade unions, and Labour for an Independent Wales. An audience was held for the First Minister of Wales and the Llywydd, or Presiding Officer, of the Senedd. A service of prayer and reflection for the life of the Queen was held at Llandaff Cathedral on 16 September and attended by the King and Queen Consort. The Bishop of Llandaff and leaders of other faiths said the prayers, and the Archbishop of Wales delivered an address in both English and Welsh. The service included the singing of Welsh hymns and anthems. The choir accompanied by harpists Alis Huws and Catrin Finch performed the anthem "A Welsh Prayer" composed by Paul Mealor with words by Grahame Davies.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: At the Senedd the King received a motion of condolence before addressing the parliament in Welsh and English. At Cardiff Castle, the King had audiences with the First Minister of Wales, Mark Drakeford, and the Llywydd, Elin Jones. At the castle, they also held audiences with individuals associated with their royal patronages, before meeting with members of the public in the castle grounds. Returning to London, the King met leaders of different faith communities at Buckingham Palace.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: On 17 September, the King met with the Defence Chiefs of Staff at Buckingham Palace and received the Prime Ministers of Australia, the Bahamas, Canada, Jamaica, and New Zealand. The governors-general of the Commonwealth realms attended a reception and lunch at Buckingham Palace, hosted by the King and other members of the royal family. The King met emergency services workers at the Metropolitan Police's Special Operations Room in Lambeth, who were organising aspects of the Queen's state funeral. He also visited The Queue with Prince William to speak to its participants.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: On 18 September, the King met the prime ministers of Tuvalu, Antigua and Barbuda, and Papua New Guinea at Buckingham Palace. A reception for world leaders was held at Buckingham Palace.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: On 10 September, a service at Crathie Kirk was attended by Anne and her husband Sir Timothy Laurence, Andrew, Edward and his wife Sophie, and the Queen's grandchildren Peter Phillips, Zara Tindall, Beatrice, Eugenie, and Louise Windsor, who then viewed floral tributes outside Balmoral. The King's sons, William and Harry, along with their wives, Catherine and Meghan, viewed floral tributes outside Windsor Castle.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: On 15 September, members of the royal family viewed tributes and met crowds around the UK. The Prince and Princess of Wales visited Sandringham House, the Earl and Countess of Wessex visited Manchester, and Princess Anne and Sir Timothy Laurence travelled to Glasgow.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: On 16 September, the Prince and Princess of Wales visited the Army Training Centre Pirbright to meet with troops deployed from Canada, Australia, and New Zealand that would take part in the state funeral. The Earl and Countess of Wessex met with members of the public and viewed tributes at Windsor Castle.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: On 17 September, the Earl and Countess of Wessex met with crowds outside Buckingham Palace. On 18 September, the Princess of Wales held an audience with Olena Zelenska, the First Lady of Ukraine.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: On 22 September, the Prince and Princess of Wales visited the Windsor Guildhall and the Princess Royal visited HMNB Portsmouth, respectively, to thank volunteers and staff and the Royal Navy for their role in organising the state funeral.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: Charles III paid tribute to his "darling Mama" in an address to the UK and Commonwealth on 9 September. On 9 September, all flags at royal residences were ordered to be lowered to half-mast except the Royal Standard, which continued to fly at full mast wherever the current monarch was in residence. All royal residences were closed to the public until after the state funeral had occurred. An online book of condolence was set up by the royal website. In a written statement on 18 September, the King thanked the public for their support, and a previously unseen photograph of the Queen from May 2022 was published by the Palace.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: On 9 September, the UK government published guidance on details surrounding the national mourning period, stating that businesses, public service, sports fixtures and public venues were not obliged to close. A 96-gun salute was fired in Hyde Park by the King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery, at the Tower of London by the Honourable Artillery Company, at Edinburgh Castle by the Royal Artillery, at Cardiff Castle and Stonehenge by the 104th Regiment Royal Artillery, at Caernarfon Castle, at York Museum Gardens, and on board Royal Navy ships. Bells tolled at Westminster Abbey, St Paul's Cathedral, and other churches across the UK, Australia, The Bahamas, and Canada. At Windsor Castle the Sebastopol Bell, which is only rung to mark the deaths of senior royals, tolled 96 times to mark the years of the Queen's life.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: Politicians throughout the Commonwealth paid tribute to the Queen, praising her long public service. Motions of condolences were also passed in the legislatures of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Sri Lanka. Political figures in the rest of the world also offered their condolences and tributes, as did members of royal families, religious leaders and other public figures. A service of prayer and mourning was held at St Paul's Cathedral at 18:00 on 9 September, attended by senior politicians and 2,000 members of the public. The ceremony marked the first official rendition of "God Save the King" under Charles's reign.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: Many organisations paid their respects, and some suspended operations or cancelled events. BBC, ITV, and Channel 4 interrupted television programming to cover the news, while print media dedicated entire front covers in tribute. Sporting events that went ahead held minute silences.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: The Queen's death led to debates about the legacy of the British Empire and the abolition of the monarchy in the Commonwealth realms.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: Instructions to fly national flags at half-mast were issued in several countries. In Commonwealth realms like Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, the Bahamas, Belize, Canada, Grenada, Jamaica, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Solomon Islands, national flags were flown at half-mast until the date of the funeral; with the exception of Proclamation Day when flags were returned to full mast. Several other countries also issued instructions to fly their national flags at half-mast, including Sri Lanka, the United States, and many European Union buildings. White flags were also put up in Galle Face Green and other prominent places throughout Sri Lanka.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: Several Commonwealth countries also declared the Queen's funeral or a specific day as a national holiday, including Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, The Bahamas, Belize, Canada, the Cook Islands, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Papua New Guinea, and Sri Lanka. In addition to the service in the United Kingdom, state memorial services were held in several Commonwealth realms, including Grenada and Tuvalu. Thanksgiving and memorial services were also held in Anglican churches across the world, including St Andrew's Church in Bandar Seri Begawan, Cathedral of Christ the Living Saviour in Colombo, and St. John's Cathedral in Hong Kong.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: Many landmarks were illuminated in either purple or royal blue colours to honour the Queen, or illuminated with the name or image of Elizabeth II, her royal cypher, or the Union Flag; including landmarks in Australia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Canada, the Czech Republic, Germany, Israel, Kuwait, New Zealand, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Several landmarks in Canada, France, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom were also dimmed or had their lighting shut off as a sign of respect.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: Moments of silence were held across several Commonwealth realms. Several institutions also held moments of silence, including the Dáil Éireann, the Parliament of Sri Lanka, and by the Airborne Commemorations Foundation in the Netherlands.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: Antigua and Barbuda hosted a service of thanksgiving in honour of the late Queen of Antigua and Barbuda on 19 September, which was declared a public holiday throughout the country. The Governor-General's Deputy, Sir Clare Roberts, and the Acting Prime Minister Steadroy Benjamin presided in the absence of Sir Rodney Williams and Gaston Browne, who were both present at the Queen's state funeral in London. The service took place at the Cathedral of St John The Divine and was officiated by Dwane Cassius, Dean of the Cathedral of the Anglican Diocese of the North East Caribbean and Aruba.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: The service was followed by a parade of members of the Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force and the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda. The parade commenced from the Long Street entrance of the cathedral and concluded at the APUA Telephone Exchange, where the parade was dismissed.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: A 96-gun salute was fired by Australia's Federation Guard on the forecourt of Parliament House in Canberra on 9 September to mark the passing of the Queen of Australia.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: Monuments and landmarks across the country were lit up to honour the Queen. The Sydney Opera House was illuminated with an image of Queen Elizabeth II on the nights of 9 and 10 September, as a symbolic gesture on behalf of the Government of New South Wales. The Australian Parliament House was lit up with images of the Queen throughout her seven-decade reign, reflecting her long and deep relationship with Australia. The Government of Western Australia also announced that landmarks across Perth, the capital city of Western Australia, would be illuminated "royal purple" as a mark of respect for the Queen.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: A national memorial service for the Queen took place on 22 September at Parliament House in Canberra. The National Day of Mourning was observed as a "one-off public holiday". One minute's silence was observed at 11:00 across Australia. Plans were announced for a new public square in central Sydney bearing the late Queen's name.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: A state memorial service for Elizabeth II, Queen of the Bahamas, was held at Christ Church Cathedral in Nassau on 2 October. A procession of parliamentarians and law enforcement officers preceded the service, which started at Rawson Square, Bay Street. Governor General Sir Cornelius A. Smith, and Prime Minister Philip Davis were among those who addressed the congregation.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: A memorial service in honour of the late Queen of Belize was held on 22 October 2022 at St. John's Cathedral in Belize City. Governor-General Dame Froyla Tzalam was in attendance and Bishop Philip Wright officiated at the service.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: Upon royal command, special prayers were performed in all major dzongs, temples and monasteries across Bhutan. King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Queen Jetsun Pema offered 1,000 butterlamps at Samtse on 9 September for Elizabeth II. Special prayers to offer light (called marme moenlam) were held at the ceremony, which was attended by the prime minister, government officials, and thousands of people in Samtse. Thongdrels of Guru Rinpoche and Zhabdrung were unfurled for the ceremony, to sanctify the important occasion.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: In Thimphu, former King Jigme Singye and members of the royal family were joined by government officials and foreign dignitaries to offer 1,000 butter lamps and prayers at the Grand Kuenrey of the Tashichhodzong.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: Various locations were illuminated in honour of the late Queen of Canada as a part of the Department of Canadian Heritage's national illumination initiative. The Canadian government also announced a donation of C$20 million to the Queen Elizabeth Scholars program, a program that funds Canadian university exchange programs.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that the date of the Queen's funeral would be a holiday for federal government employees. Among the Canadian provinces and territories, Prince Edward Island was the only one to declare the date of Elizabeth II's funeral a statutory holiday. Alberta, the Northwest Territories, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec declared a day of mourning or commemoration instead of a holiday. In the remaining provinces and territories government offices closed, some also closed schools, and observance was optional for private-sector businesses. The Retail Council of Canada and Canadian Federation of Independent Business were against making the funeral a statutory paid holiday.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: A national commemorative ceremony for Elizabeth II took place at the Christ Church Cathedral in Ottawa on 19 September, which was broadcast live on television as well as on social media. The ceremony was preceded by a parade of the Canadian Armed Forces and Royal Canadian Mounted Police through downtown Ottawa, from Cartier Square Drill Hall and past Parliament Hill to the Cathedral, with a 96-gun salute. A flypast by the Royal Canadian Air Force was cancelled due to inclement weather. The congregation was addressed by former Governor-General Adrienne Clarkson as well as former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: Provincial commemorative services took place in several Canadian provinces on 19 September: in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Saskatchewan. In Ontario, a memorial service was held in Toronto on 20 September. Two memorial services in Quebec were organized by the Anglican Church rather than the provincial government, which were attended by Lieutenant Governor Michel Doyon.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: Moments of silence were held across several provinces on 19 September, with several transit operators having paused their operations for 96 seconds to coincide with the provincial moment of silence. Two British-made bronze cannons from 1810, were fired in Westmount, Quebec, in honour of Elizabeth II.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: The Holy Trinity Anglican Cathedral in Suva hosted a special Service of Remembrance and Thanksgiving on 16 September in memory of the Queen. The service was attended by hundreds, including President Ratu Wiliame Katonivere and First Lady Filomena, Parliament Speaker Ratu Epeli Nailatikau, Minister for Health Ifereimi Waqainabete, former Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka, Police Commissioner Brigadier-General Sitiveni Qiliho, Head of the Catholic Church in Fiji Archbishop Peter Loy Chong, members of the diplomatic corps and the public. During the service, the Republic of Fiji Military Services accorded The Last Post, signalling the end of the Queen's 70-year reign.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: On 20 September, President Ratu Wiliame Katonivere hosted a Commemoration and Thanksgiving Service for the Queen at State House in Suva, which was attended by senior officials, government ministers, members of parliament and foreign representatives. The President reflected on the Queen's six visits to Fiji, which he said symbolized strong solidarity between Fiji and the royal family.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: French postal service La Poste issued a book of four collector stamps featuring the Queen. 50,000 stamps were put on sale on the day of the Queen's funeral.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: Starting from 14 October, Le Touquet's local airport was renamed Le Touquet-Paris-Plage Elizabeth II to honour the Queen. In Paris, the George V Métro station, on Line 1 under the Champs-Élysées, was renamed Elizabeth II for the day of the Queen's state funeral.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: Thousands in Hong Kong paid tribute to the Queen, who was the colonial head of the city for 45 years before handover in 1997. Long queues were seen outside the British consulate for days after the announcement of the death and until the funeral, with mourners waiting up to four hours. More than 13,000 signed the condolence books in the consulate in 11 days, eulogising the "boss lady", an affectionate nickname for the Queen by the Hongkongers. The tribute, which was one of the largest public gathering after imposition of the national security law and the crackdown on democracy movement, was also regarded as a protest to Hong Kong and Chinese authorities and mourning the past.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: Eric Chan, Chief Secretary for Administration and second-highest ranking official in the city, visited the consulate and signed the condolence book on behalf of the government. Nevertheless, the pro-Beijing newspaper "Ta Kung Pao" accused a "minority" of Hong Kong mourners for "indulging in this fantasy that they are subjects of the British Empire", and called for the eradication of colonialism.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: On the day of the Queen's funeral, hundreds gathered outside the consulate watching a live broadcast of the event. A harmonica player was arrested under colonial-era sedition law after playing "Glory to Hong Kong", an iconic protest song, and "God Save the King".


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: Following the announcement of the passing of the Queen of Jamaica on 8 September 2022, bells were tolled nationally in churches throughout all parish capitals for one hour beginning at 6:00 pm. Books of condolence were established at King's House, and in the Offices of the Custodes in all parishes during the mourning period. A 96-gun salute was fired by the Jamaica Defence Force at Up Park Camp in St Andrew on 19 September.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: A national memorial service for the late Queen of Jamaica was held on 2 October at the St. Andrew Parish Church in Kingston and was attended by government officials and foreign representatives. The service was headed by Governor-General Sir Patrick Allen, Prime Minister Andrew Holness, and Mark Golding, the leader of the official opposition, headed the service. The service included scripture readings by the governor-general, the prime minister and the leader of the opposition, as well as tributes in songs by the church choir and the Kingston College Choir.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: Apart from the national memorial service in Kingston, services were held on 2 October in Clarendon, Saint Catherine, Saint Ann, Portland, Saint Mary, Saint Thomas, Saint Elizabeth, Saint James, Westmoreland, Hanover, Manchester, and Trelawny. The custodes and mayors headed the memorial services in parishes across Jamaica.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: In Kenya, former staff returned to the Treetops Hotel, the building where Elizabeth learned about the death of her father and her accession to the throne, to light candles and lay out a condolence book.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: A 96-gun salute was fired from the Te Papa Promenade in Wellington on 9 September, by personnel from the 16th Field Regiment, Royal New Zealand Artillery based at Linton Military Camp, to mark the passing of the Queen of New Zealand.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: At the Auckland War Memorial Museum, a haka was led by members of the Limited Service Volunteer programme to honour the Queen.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: A state memorial service with a one-off public holiday took place on 26 September to celebrate the life and reign of Queen Elizabeth II of New Zealand. The service took place at the Wellington Cathedral of St Paul at 14:00 and was televised and live-streamed. A national minute of silence took place at the beginning of the service, with people across New Zealand being invited to participate in the moment of silence. During the service, the Queen's Personal New Zealand Flag was paraded for the last time.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: Memorial services were also held elsewhere in New Zealand including in Auckland, Christchurch, New Plymouth and Hastings. South Canterbury Anniversary Day, which was due to be observed on 26 September in the Timaru, Waimate and Mackenzie districts, was moved to Friday 11 November.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: The King's Representative, Sir Tom Marsters, proclaimed 30 September a public holiday in the Cook Islands in respect of the Queen's passing. On the morning of the holiday, the government held a memorial service for the Queen at the National Auditorium in Avarua. The service was attended by Marsters, traditional leaders, members of the Religious Advisory Council, Queen's Award recipients, the high commissioners of New Zealand and Australia, Members of Parliament, members of the various uniform organisations, and members of the public.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: Two days of commemoration took place in Niue to mark the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, Niue's head of state. A series of events took place on 18 and 19 September, with the latter being a public holiday. On 19 September, a national memorial service was held at the Taoga Niue starting at 08:00. A national moment of reflection took place at 08:15, with people across Niue taking part. People were also asked to plant a tree on 19 September in memory of the Queen.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: On 12 September, a 96-gun salute was fired in honour of the Queen, and a moment of silence took place outside Parliament House in Port Moresby.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: On 18 September, members of various Anglican Church parishes in Port Moresby gathered at St Martin's Anglican parish for a memorial service for the late Queen of Papua New Guinea, which was presided over by the Bishop of Popondota, Lindsley Ihove.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: On 9 September, a 96-gun salute was fired by the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force on the premises of Government House in Castries.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: On 19 September, the day of the state funeral, the public was invited to pause for a 70-second national tribute to reflect on the life and legacy of Elizabeth II, Queen of Saint Lucia. Church bells and sirens from fire stations throughout the nation sounded for one minute and 10 seconds starting at 09:59 to herald the commencement of the 70-second reflection period at 10:00.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: A place of remembrance for Elizabeth II was created by Servare et Manere in the Carl Gustav Swensson Park in Žilina. The memorial is located near the first tree planted for The Queen's Green Canopy in Central Europe. In the biblical garden at Vysoká nad Kysucou, Elizabeth II was publicly honoured with the planting of the Queen Elizabeth rose. The rose planting was a part of the official opening for the gardens and was organized by the Vysoká nad Kysucou parish in cooperation with Servare et Manere.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: In the Solomon Islands the prime minister declared 12–14 September as days of mourning, and the first a public holiday. The three-day national mourning period began on 12 September with a wreath-laying and signing of the condolence book at Government House by national leaders including Governor-General Sir David Vunagi, Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare, Speaker of the National Parliament Patterson Oti and Chief Justice Sir Albert Palmer; as well as other government officials, former governors-general and prime ministers, members of diplomatic missions and uniformed groups.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: A memorial church service was held at the Saint Barnabas Anglican Cathedral on 14 September to celebrate the life and reign of Elizabeth II, Queen of Solomon Islands. The service was attended by acting Governor-General Patteson John Oti, Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare, Deputy Speaker Commins Mewa, Chief Justice Sir Albert Palmer, former governors-general, acting British High Commissioner Steve Auld and senior government officials.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: Sweden honoured the Queen, who was one of the longest-serving members of the Royal Order of the Seraphim, the foremost order of Sweden, on the day of her funeral on 19 September. The Queen was awarded the order by King Gustaf VI Adolf on 26 May 1953, and the chain of the Order was given to her by King Carl XVI Gustaf on 23 May 1975. The Queen was the 722nd member of the Order since its inception in 1748.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: The Queen's royal coat of arms as a member of the Royal Order of the Seraphim was then taken in procession from the palace to Riddarholmen Church in Stockholm, where the bourdon rang a traditional Seraphim Toll for one hour. The arms were then hung in the church. By command of the King of Sweden, flags above royal residences were flown at half-mast on the day.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: The billboards at Piccadilly Circus and on the BT Tower showed tributes to the Queen, as well as advertising screens on the side of bus stops on billboards across the entire country.


title: Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

text: On 21 September, a memorial service was held at the Washington National Cathedral, arranged in conjunction with the British Embassy in Washington, D.C.. Attendees included Vice President Kamala Harris, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, as well as British ambassador Karen Pierce. All living former US Presidents were invited, but none attended. A sermon was delivered by Michael Curry, the presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church.


title: Hit-Girl

text: Hit-Girl (Mindy McCready) is a fictional antihero appearing in the comic series "" series, published by Marvel Comics under the company's imprint Icon Comics and later Image Comics. The character was created by artist John Romita Jr. and writer Mark Millar. She is a young but effective vigilante, trained by her father Damon McCready (a.k.a. Big Daddy) from an early age to be a costumed superhero and assassin. In "Kick-Ass", she is introduced as a supporting character. She featured in her own self-titled comic book series, "Hit-Girl", which was first published on February 21, 2018 by Image Comics. She is portrayed by Chloë Grace Moretz in the feature film adaptations "Kick-Ass" and "Kick Ass 2".


title: Hit-Girl

text: Following her father's death in the first volume of the comic "The Dave Lizewski Years", Hit-Girl takes on Kick-Ass (Dave Lizewski) as her crime-fighting partner in the second and third volumes, training him and using him to hunt criminals together with her. She also gets him to teach her how to be a normal kid, and get along with other girls somewhat older than herself. After she is arrested at the conclusion of the third volume, she breaks herself out of prison, and, joining back together with Kick-Ass, takes out the entirety of the Genovese crime family and their accomplices, before taking on a new Kick-Ass as her sidekick.


title: Hit-Girl

text: Hit-Girl returns in the new series following the events of "The Dave Lizewski Years" in which she goes on worldwide hunting down criminals.


title: Hit-Girl

text: Although Hit-Girl is yet to actually appear in "Kick-Ass: The New Girl", a variant cover for the first and fifth issues of the series features her (Hit-Girl) in combat with the Patience Lee incarnation of Kick-Ass. A cross-over between the two series is initiated when Hit-Girl is made aware of Patience's activities, prompting her to return to the US.


title: Hit-Girl

text: The five-issue series depicting the confrontation between Hit-Girl and Patience Lee went into publication on November 11, 2020.


title: Hit-Girl

text: An adult Hit-Girl first appears in the sixth issue of "Crossover" after being dragged into another reality by "The Event", partaking in an endless battle between residents of the Marvel, DC, and Image Universes (amongst characters from many other properties by Image Comics, Dark Horse Comics, Skybound Entertainment and Boom! Studios, including "The Wicked + The Divine" and "I Hate Fairyland"), saving Otto and Ellie before jumping into another battle.


title: Hit-Girl

text: The character, named in the end credits as Mindy Macready, appears in the 2010 film adaptation "Kick-Ass", and the 2013 sequel "Kick-Ass 2". Jane Goldman, one of the two co-writers of the first film's script, said, "We just really wanted Hit-Girl to be a character who, in a sense, simply happens to be an eleven-year-old girl, in the same way that Ripley in "Alien" could have been a guy but the part happened to be played by Sigourney Weaver." Goldman said that Mindy "is genuinely dangerous, she's genuinely mad. It's not her fault: she's been raised in this environment where she doesn't know anything different. She's unwittingly part of a folie à deux." When asked if Hit-Girl could be considered a feminist heroine, Goldman said "Yeah... she's a feminist hero by token of the fact that she pays no attention to gender stereotypes. I think she also doesn't want special treatment because she's a girl."


title: Hit-Girl

text: In 2008, shortly before the release of the film "Wanted", 11-year-old actress Chloë Grace Moretz saw posters of Angelina Jolie for the film while riding with her mother in Los Angeles, prompting her to ask for a role that she described as "an Angelina Jolie-type character" and "like an action hero, woman empowerment, awesome, take-charge leading role". One month later, she was offered the role of Mindy Macready/Hit-Girl.


title: Hit-Girl

text: Matthew Vaughn, commenting on the maturity of Moretz, said that because she has four older brothers, she was no stranger to much of the language in the script. Moretz said that it was entertaining to illustrate the differences between Mindy and her superheroine identity "for me, 'cause it's almost like an alternate personality". Lewis Wallace of "Wired" said that Mindy "gets all the good lines, capping every Tarantino-scale bloodletting with a foul-mouthed joke". Christopher Mintz-Plasse, the actor who portrays Red Mist, said that "we (Kick-Ass and Red Mist) don't have any of the action in the movie. It's all Hit-Girl". Vaughn said that Hit-Girl is a part of "the ultimate father-daughter relationship, where Barbie dolls are replaced with knives, and unicorns become hand grenades".


title: Hit-Girl

text: To prepare for her role, Moretz took months of training in learning how to handle guns and to use butterfly knives and swords. Moretz stated that the shooting of the action scenes was arduous. Goldman said that the aspect of the film adaptation that excited her the most was adapting Hit-Girl's storyline to the film. Millar said he expected the character to receive mostly negative reception, "But the movie was so well made, I think, that people were quietly charmed by her for the most part. The only really negative thing we saw came from Roger Ebert and others from his generation who were upset, but there were those especially here in the United Kingdom [who] went crazy for her". Millar added he and Vaughn "were quite surprised about that. We were expecting the worst, that people were going to say she was amoral and we [in turn] were going to get killed for her. But it was much more of a case where people were positive about Hit-Girl even saying she was empowering female character".


title: Hit-Girl

text: In January 2010, an uncensored preview clip from the first film was criticized by family advocacy groups for its display of violence and use of the line "Okay, you cunts, let's see what you can do now", delivered by Chloë Grace Moretz, who was barely twelve years old at the time of filming. Australian Family Association spokesman John Morrissey claimed that "the language [was] offensive and the values inappropriate; without the saving grace of the bloodless victory of traditional superheroes". Several critics accused the film of glorifying violence, particularly violence by young children.


title: Hit-Girl

text: In response to the controversy, Moretz stated in an interview, "If I "ever" uttered one word that I said in "Kick-Ass", I would be grounded for years! I'd be stuck in my room until I was 20! I would never in a million years say that. I'm an average, everyday girl." Moretz has said that while filming, she could not bring herself to say the film's title out loud in interviews, instead calling it "the film" in public and "Kick-Butt" at home. Christopher Mintz-Plasse expressed surprise that people were angry about the language but did not seem to be offended that Hit-Girl violently kills many people on-screen.


title: Hit-Girl

text: In January 2015, Millar revealed to IGN that there was a planned Hit-Girl film with Gareth Evans directing but that it was cancelled.


title: Hit-Girl

text: However, in June 2015, Matthew Vaughn discussed a possibility of rebooting the "Kick-Ass" franchise with a Hit-Girl & Big Daddy prequel film to revive interest in the franchise. He stated that, "If we make that, hopefully that will be the sorbet for the people that didn't like "Kick-Ass 2" and then we can go off and make "Kick-Ass 3". I think we've got to do this prequel to regain the love that we had with "Kick-Ass"."


title: Hit-Girl

text: In 2010, Mezco released Hit-Girl figures based on the movie and followed-up with new figures released in 2013 by Neca.


title: Hit-Girl

text: Mindy is an expert martial artist and proficient with a wide variety of melee weapons. She has proven herself capable of defeating large groups of armed thugs wielding only a pair of swords or a double-bladed pole-arm. She is also an excellent markswoman and proficient with practically all firearms from pistols to automatic rifles. Mindy has proven herself adept at stealth and evasion being able to infiltrate a maximum security prison with ease. She is also an expert driver with her vehicle of choice being a custom high-powered motorcycle. The nature of Big Daddy's training has made Hit-Girl a particularly brutal and remorseless character who does not flinch at torture or dispatching her opponents in the most gruesome and painful ways possible. In fact she can be so intimidating that when she was briefly imprisoned she was soon the undisputed ruler of the adult penitentiary where she was held despite being a twelve-year-old girl. Mindy's one weakness, as pointed out by Mother Russia, is that her strength is limited by her youth which can cause an over-reliance on her weapon's skills to compensate. Indeed, Mother Russia seemed to be more than a match for Hit-Girl at hand-to-hand combat with the young vigilante winning their fight mostly through the intervention of chance.


title: Hit-Girl

text: As a vigilante who regularly kills her opponent in violent fashion, Mindy displays not only the skill to carry out dangerous acts with high-level precision, but the emotional detachment and desensitized temperament necessary to do so. For example, when, in the comic book version, Kick-Ass tells her that her father was just murdered, she responds by saying, "Finish the job, mourn later." She also exhibits other habits and demeanors more typically seen in adults who are hardened killers. She curses regularly and makes crude jokes, often adopting a sarcastic demeanor towards her crime-fighting partner/apprentice Kick-Ass, who describes her as resembling a mix between John Rambo and Polly Pocket. Despite the violent nature of her crime-fighting, and her ability to carry out such activities without apparent difficulty or remorse, Mindy also has an interest in things typical of young people, such as Hello Kitty, comic books, Clint Eastwood and John Woo movies. However, when the villain Johnny G is finally dead at the end of The Dave Lizewski Years Book One, she turns to Kick-Ass and asks him for a hug, covered in tears and blood, as she mourns her father.