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Details: Written by Grant Broadcasters; Category: Received; Published: 19 September 2022; Hits: 75

Tens of thousands of people have lined the route taking the late Queen Elizabeth to her final resting place at Windsor Castle, throwing flowers towards the hearse and cheering as it departed the British capital following her state funeral.

Many thousands more crammed into central London to witness a ceremony of matchless pageantry attended by leaders and royalty from across the world, a fitting end for the United Kingdom's longest-serving monarch who won global respect during 70 years on the throne.

After the service, her flag-draped casket was pulled through silent streets on a gun carriage in one of the largest military processions seen in the UK involving thousands of members of the armed forces dressed in ceremonial finery.

They walked in step to funeral music from marching bands while in the background the city's famous Big Ben tolled each minute.

King Charles and other senior royals followed on foot.

The casket was taken from Westminster Abbey to Wellington Arch, where it was transferred to a hearse to begin its journey to Windsor.

There the Queen was to be laid to rest alongside her husband of 73 years, Prince Philip.

Inside the majestic Westminster Abbey where the funeral was held, music played at the Queen's wedding in 1947 and her coronation six years later again rang out.

The coffin entered to lines of scripture set to a score used at every state funeral since the early 18th century.

The 2000-strong congregation included 500 presidents, prime ministers, foreign royal families and dignitaries including Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, told the congregation that the grief felt by so many across the UK and the wider world reflected the late monarch's "abundant life and loving service".

"Her late majesty famously declared on a 21st birthday broadcast that her whole life would be dedicated to serving the nation and Commonwealth," he said.

"Rarely has such a promise been so well kept. Few leaders receive the outpouring of love that we have seen."

Among the crowds who came from around the UK and beyond, people climbed lampposts and stood on barriers and ladders to catch a glimpse of the royal procession.

Elizabeth died on September 8 at Balmoral Castle, her summer home in the Scottish highlands.

Her health had been in decline, and for months the monarch who had carried out hundreds of official engagements well into her 90s had withdrawn from public life.

However, in line with her sense of duty she was photographed just two days before she died, looking frail but smiling and holding a walking stick as she appointed Liz Truss as her 15th and final prime minister.

Such was her longevity and her inextricable link with the UK that even her own family found her passing a shock.

"We all thought she was invincible," Prince William told well-wishers.

"People of loving service are rare in any walk of life," Welby said during the funeral.

"Leaders of loving service are still rarer. But in all cases, those who serve will be loved and remembered when those who cling to power and privileges are long forgotten."

Among the hymns chosen for the service were The Lord's my Shepherd, sung at the wedding of the Queen and her husband Prince Philip in the Abbey in 1947.

Among the royal family following the casket into the Abbey was the Queen's great-grandson and future king, Prince George, aged nine.

Towards the end of the service, the church and much of the nation fell silent for two minutes.

Trumpets rang out before the congregation sang God Save the King.

Outside, crowds joined in and broke into applause when the anthem was over.

The Queen's piper brought the service to an end with a lament that faded to silence.

Afterwards, the coffin made its way through central London, past the Queen's Buckingham Palace home to the Wellington Arch at Hyde Park Corner, with the monarch and the royal family following on foot during the 2.4km procession.

From there, it was placed on a hearse to Windsor Castle, west of London, for a service at St George's Chapel.

This will conclude with the crown, orb and sceptre - symbols of the monarch's power and governance - being removed from the coffin and placed on the altar.

The Lord Chamberlain, the most senior official in the royal household, will break his "Wand of Office," signifying the end of his service to the sovereign, and place it on the casket.

Details: Written by Grant Broadcasters; Category: Received; Published: 19 September 2022; Hits: 81

Mourners have arrived at St Andrew's Cathedral in Sydney to mark the life of Queen Elizabeth II.

The Anglican church, along with Government House in Canberra and Federation Square in Melbourne, are hosting live viewings.

The cathedral is holding solemn choral hymns for 90 minutes before the Queen's funeral, which will be projected onto a large screen inside.

"My mother is English, so I guess we're part of a royalist family, with that allegiance," Matt Palmer told AAP as he arrived at the service.

After watching numerous royal weddings at home, Mr Palmer said he wanted to farewell the Queen at St Andrew's as a way of paying tribute to her faith.

Mourner Michelle Raft said the Sydney cathedral was a fitting place to farewell the Queen, who visited the church in 1954.

"I like the idea that she's been here and that we'll honour her together," Ms Raft said.

Australians will be among hundreds of millions of people across the world to watch Queen Elizabeth II's funeral.

Melbourne's landmarks will remain lit until the national memorial service on Thursday, with bagpipes sounding in Perth in the late monarch's honour.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is among more than 2000 people attending the funeral in London, along with the governor-general and a small delegation of Australians.

Mr Albanese wore a suit by M.J. Bale, while his partner Jodie Haydon wore a dress by Karen Gee and a hat by Jane Lambert.

He was among the estimated crowd of 750,000 people who viewed Queen Elizabeth's coffin in Westminster Hall ahead of her state funeral.

"It was a very solemn occasion and it was very emotional, and you could feel the emotion from people as they were filing through," he told the ABC.

The funeral will take place at Westminster Abbey at 8pm AEST before a committal service is held at St George's Chapel in Windsor.

The service will be led by the Dean of Westminster, Dr David Hoyle, with British Prime Minister Liz Truss reading the second lesson and Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby delivering the sermon.

The Last Post will be sounded as the service comes to a close, followed by a two-minute silence and the Reveille.

The Sovereign's Piper of the Royal Regiment of Scotland will play Sleep Dearie Sleep as the coffin and processions leave the church.

Ahead of the event, Mr Albanese met with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Sunday before holding a lunch with Australia's community champions at Australia House in London.

He also met King Charles III at Buckingham Palace along with his counterparts from the 14 Commonwealth realms as well as Ms Truss in Kent on Saturday.

The prime minister described his meeting with the King as warm and friendly, saying it provided him a moment to personally offer his condolences.

"It's a very personal bereavement that he's feeling," Mr Albanese told the BBC.

Former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce said the Queen was a "beacon and a compass for people in political life, and politicians especially, of how to act with dignity".

Australians will be able to pay their respects on Thursday during the memorial service to be broadcast across the nation from Parliament House.

All state and territory leaders, as well as justices of the High Court, will attend the service, with Australians given a public holiday to mark the occasion.

Mr Albanese said he and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton would give short tributes to the late monarch.

He dismissed questions about changes to the constitution following the Queen's death, saying now was not the time.

Mr Albanese said there was a standing invitation for King Charles to visit Australia.

Details: Written by Grant Broadcasters; Category: Received; Published: 19 September 2022; Hits: 79

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will travel to the Queen's funeral by coach alongside other world leaders as much of the world's attention focuses on London.

Queen Elizabeth II's funeral will take place at Westminster Abbey on Monday night Australian time before a committal service is held at St George's Chapel.

The late Queen was married at Westminster in 1947 and crowned there in 1953.

More than 10,000 police are expected to be posted throughout the city for the funeral.

Ahead of the event, Mr Albanese met with Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau on Sunday, before holding a lunch with Australia's community champions at Australia House in London.

He also met King Charles III at Buckingham Palace along with his counterparts from the 14 Commonwealth realms.

The prime minister described the meeting as warm and friendly, saying it provided him a moment to personally offer his condolences to the King.

"It's a very personal bereavement that he's feeling," Mr Albanese told the BBC.

"In his case, of course, the loss of his mother coming so soon after the loss of his father.

"I was able to offer the condolences of the people of Australia for whom the Queen was held in great affection."

In Australia, senior Labor frontbencher Tanya Plibersek lauded the Queen's graciousness during her visits, with the environment minister having met the monarch briefly on two occasions.

"I have to say my mum came with me on both of those occasions," she said.

"She was super-excited; like a lot of women of her generation, she was a huge fan of the Queen and (she is) experiencing a lot of sadness at the moment."

Thursday will be marked by a day of mourning with Australians to get a one-off public holiday.

Australian Idol star Anthony Callea will perform at the event, to be held at Parliament House in Canberra, with TV presenter Melissa Doyle to host.

"It will be an important day to pay tribute to the life and service of Queen Elizabeth II," Mr Albanese told Sky News.

All state and territory leaders, as well as justices of the High Court, will attend the service.

Mr Albanese said he and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton would give short tributes to the late monarch.

The prime minister also met with British prime minister Liz Truss in Kent on Saturday, where they spoke about national security in the Indo-Pacific.

Earlier in the day, Mr Albanese was forced to dismiss questions about changes to the constitution following the Queen's death, saying now was not the time.

"I don't think now's the time to discuss those issues, and I have made that clear," he said.

"This is a time in which we should acknowledge the life of service of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth."

He said the late monarch had a close affinity to Australia, always standing with its people at times of difficulty.

Mr Albanese said there was a standing invitation for King Charles to visit Australia, adding that he would be comfortable with the monarch continuing to express views on issues such as climate change.

"If he chose to do so, then of course that would be a matter for him. But I think that should be respected if he does choose to do so," he said.

The Queen's funeral will take place on Monday at 8pm AEST.

Details: Written by Grant Broadcasters; Category: Received; Published: 19 September 2022; Hits: 81

Solemn and emotional is how Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has described his viewing of the Queen's lying-in-state.

Mr Albanese was among the expected crowd of 750,000 people who viewed Queen Elizabeth's coffin in Westminster Hall ahead of her state funeral.

"It was a very solemn occasion and it was very emotional, and you could feel the emotion from people as they were filing through," he told the ABC.

"What struck me most strongly in that room, in that moment, (was) the sense of history."

Mr Albanese will travel to the Queen's funeral by coach alongside other leaders as much of the world's attention focuses on London.

The funeral, attended by just over 2000 people, will take place at Westminster Abbey at 8pm AEST before a committal service is held at St George's Chapel.

The late Queen was married at Westminster in 1947 and crowned there in 1953.

More than 10,000 police are expected to be posted throughout the city for the funeral.

Ahead of the event, Mr Albanese met with Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau on Sunday before holding a lunch with Australia's community champions at Australia House in London.

He also met King Charles III at Buckingham Palace along with his counterparts from the 14 Commonwealth realms.

The prime minister described the meeting as warm and friendly, saying it provided him a moment to personally offer his condolences to the King.

"It's a very personal bereavement that he's feeling," Mr Albanese told the BBC.

"In his case, of course, the loss of his mother coming so soon after the loss of his father.

"I was able to offer the condolences of the people of Australia for whom the Queen was held in great affection."

In Australia, senior Labor frontbencher Tanya Plibersek lauded the Queen's graciousness during her visits, with the environment minister having met the monarch briefly on two occasions.

"I have to say my mum came with me on both of those occasions," she said.

"She was super-excited. Like a lot of women of her generation, she was a huge fan of the Queen and (she is) experiencing a lot of sadness at the moment."