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CNN Live Today
Royal Funeral For Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother
Aired April 09, 2002 - 11:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: And in London today, a royal funeral for her majesty, Queen Elizabeth the queen mother.
CNN's Diana Muriel joins us with the latest on this ceremony, which was incredibly grand, Diana.
Hello.
DIANA MURIEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Daryn, it was.
Just a few hours ago, thousands of people waiting outside Westminster Abbey, many of which were waiting over the weekend to get a good spot to see the procession, which left Westminster Hall carried by eight Irish guardsmen. It was borne out of Westminster Hall, where the coffin of the queen mother had been lying in state for four days, and taken the short distance to Westminster Abbey.
Behind the coffin, leading the mourners, chief mourner, Prince Phillip, duke of Edinborough, surrounded by his sons, and his daughter and other members of the royal family and the Bowes-Lyon (ph), the family of Queen Elizabeth, the queen mother. They walked the short distance to Westminster Abbey. The coffin was borne into the abbey, and then began a 55-minute service led by the archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. George Carey. It was an ecumenical service. The archbishop of the Roman Catholic -- cardinal, rather, Murphy O'Connor also participating.
And the music, singing by the children of the Chapel's Royal and the Westminster Abbey Choir. There were 2,100 invited guests. Among them, 35 members the British royal family and 25 members of other royal families and dignitaries, including Laura Bush, wife of President George Bush, and the queen of Denmark, the king of Belgium, the queen of the Netherlands, and the sultan of Brunei, as well as representatives from the royal family of Norway, Romania and Sweden.
Also, amongst the invested guest, Camilla Parker-Bowles, friend of Prince Charles, and also a great friend of Queen Elizabeth, the queen mother.
After the ceremony, the coffin was then borne out of the abbey and into the hearse, and taken to the sound of 128 bagpipes and 40 drummers from 13 regiments, taken through the streets of London, where the crowds had gathered to line the routes, through London and out back to Windsor on her last journey. The coffin now rests at Windsor Castle where later tonight, at Saint George's Chapel, there will be a private family service for the final interment of the coffin in the family vault, where the queen mother will come to lie next to her husband, King George VI, and also the ashes of Princess Margaret, also be interred in the family vault later this evening. That as I say will be a private ceremony, not open to the press, not open to the cameras. I'm joined by now Andrew Roberts, who is a royal historian.
Andrew, what did you make of today's ceremony at Westminster Abbey.
ANDREW ROBERTS, ROYAL HISTORIAN: It was a day of enormous pomp and pageantry. It was in many ways, the most sublime day, one of the most sublime days in recent British history. It was a day where everything went superbly according plan and where people's throats were caught by the most fantastic music, the most moving energies and a wonderful sermon by the archbishop. It was all done according to what the queen mother had wanted, and she would would have been thrilled with it.
MURIEL: Indeed, there was an enormous outpouring of emotion and grief. Was this something that had surprised you?
ROBERTS: It didn't surprise me, but it did surprise a lot of anti-monarchist in this country, who were expecting the whole thing to be a bit after flop. As it is, over 200,000 people queued, some of them throughout the night, to see the catapult (ph) lying in state in Westminster Hall, and that in itself I think is a tremendous attribute both of the queen mother, and also of the popularity that the royal family still has in this country.
MURIEL: Andrew, thank you very much, indeed.
ROBERTS: Back to you, Daryn, in the studio.
KAGAN: As we were talking and listening to your conversation, we were watching some of the video of the casket going through the streets on the horsedrawn carriage. And right behind, we saw princess Ann in a military dress. I think a lot of people were surprised to see that. And how do you explain that?
MURIEL: That's right. In fact, it is a complete break with royal tradition. Princess Ann was involved as part of the ceremonial party. Normally, women of the royal family do not participate in these sort of ceremonies. But she received special permission from the queen, both last Friday, to follow the coffin on its journey from James's palace to Westminster hall,and once again today to follow the coffin on its short journey from Westminster Hall back to Westminster Abbey -- Joan.
KAGAN: Thanks for clarifying that.
Diana Muriel, thank you so much, joining us from London, England.
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