Queen’s funeral: Zara Tindall pays tribute to her grandmother

Zara Tindall cut a dignified figure today as she was joined by her husband Mike Tindall to say a final goodbye to to her grandmother.

The Queen‘s first-born granddaughter, 41, opted for all black as she arrived at Westminster Abbey.

The Olympian looked sombre as she sported a black fascinator and dress coat, while husband Mike opted for a traditional mourning jacket and his medals.

Zara and Mike appeared to be without their children Mia, eight, Lena, four, and Lucas, one. 

Mia and Lena were at Westminster Hall on Friday for her lying-in-state. They were in the gallery with their parents Zara and Mike as their grandmother took her place alongside her three brothers for a silent vigil beside the Queen’s coffin. 

On Saturday, Princess Anne’s daughter joined her brother Peter Phillips and cousins Prince Harry, Prince William, Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, Lady Louise Windsor and James, Viscount Severn, to stand guard over their grandmother’s coffin. 

The 15-minute ceremony went off without a hitch, with the cousins seamlessly taking their positions around the coffin and leaving in formation.

But on their way up the steps to leave Westminster Hall, Zara was seen briefly stopping and looking down at the ground.

Her brother Peter Phillips was by her side and paused briefly so that she could gather herself and continue.

Zara’s brother Peter joined the funeral procession, lead by his uncle King Charles III, alongside Earl Snowdon, the late Queen’s nephew. Their mother Princess Anne was joined by her husband Sir Timothy Laurence in the procession.

Zara has not spoken publicly since her grandmother’s death, but her husband Mike has shared many tributes to her on his public Instagram page.

The former England rugby pro,  shared his mother-in-law Princess Anne’s touching statement about the Queen’s death alongside a heart emoji.

The Princess Royal, the late monarch’s only daughter, told how she was ‘fortunate to share the last 24 hours of my dearest mother’s life’ in a statement posted on the Royal Family’s Instagram.

She said the love and respect shown to the Queen on her journey from Balmoral to Edinburgh and onto London had been ‘both humbling and uplifting’.

It followed another tribute Mike posted, which showed an illustration of a corgi weeping into a crown. He also shared a picture of Sydney Opera House lit up with the Queen’s image. Touchingly, he met Zara in Sydney in 2003. 

Mike has previously said he thought the monarch was ‘unbelievable’ and people believed she was ‘invincible.’

His post came after his wife Zara was seen joining her mother Anne to look at floral tributes in Balmoral following the Queen’s death at the estate on Thursday. It is not known if Mike joined the family at the estate.

Speaking in May, he said: ‘I think the Queen is an unbelievable lady…I think people think she’s invincible sometimes, but you have to remember she’s a 96-year-old at the end of the day.

‘She’s incredible at what she’s done over her lifetime and I can’t wait to celebrate that.’

The same month, he paid tribute to the monarch as she celebrated her 70th anniversary on the throne.

He posted a picture illustrating the Queen in each decade of her reign, from 1952 to 2022, with the caption: ‘What a lady’.

The Royal Family has now arrived at the ceremony.

There were cheers and clapping as Prince William, the Princess of Wales and their children George and Charlotte were swept into Parliament Square. King Charles III and Queen Consort, Camilla arrived minutes later.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex travelled down The Mall with a police escort. Harry was seen looking sombre as he was driven in a Range Rover from Wellington Arch, down Constitution Hill and on The Mall towards St James’ Palace. Four vehicles with flags were seen driving ahead of Harry’s car.

World leaders including Joe Biden and Emmanuel Macron have arrived at Westminster Abbey as Britain and the globe prepares to say goodbye to Queen Elizabeth II at her state funeral today.

The UK’s most important church began filling up from 8am as the congregation arrived up to three hours early – including Kate Middleton’s parents – as huge crowds of mourners packed the procession route outside and tens of thousands more went to Windsor, where Her Majesty will be buried later.

Michael and Carole Middleton were among hundreds of VIPs who arrived at the UK’s most important church – where Her Majesty married Prince Philip and had her coronation.

2,000 royals, world leaders and hundreds of members of the public have began filing into the Abbey as billions around the world will watch Her Majesty’s state funeral. 

Most of the VIPs arrived by coach, meeting at the Royal Hospital Chelsea before being put on a bus into Central London. Britain’s ministers – past and present – were among the first arrivals including Nadham Zahawi, Ben Wallace and Jacob Rees-Mogg. But US President Jo Biden went to the Abbey in The Beast – his bomb-proof limousine. 

Michael and Carole Middleton, the parents of Kate, the Princess of Wales, arrived two hours early for the service, followed by Tom Parker Bowles, the son of Queen Consort, Camilla. They were also on a bus together – despite their close links to the Royal Family. Celebrities at the funeral include TV personality Bear Grylls.

Funeral flowers in the abbey featured myrtle – which was used in the Queen’s wedding bouquet as is royal tradition. The huge white and green displays of blooms included asiatic lilies, gladioli, alstroemeria, eustoma and foliage of English oak, weeping birch and the sprigs of myrtle.

Around the coffin will stand the four tall yellow candles which usually rest around the grave of the unknown warrior at the entrance to the historic church.

And outside hardy royal fans defied no-camping rules, as people of all ages set up tents, deck chairs and even a makeshift minibar to grab premium seats for the spectacle that will see 2million flood into the capital. By 8.30am member of the public were told that the procession route was full and began diverting people to Hyde Park to watch on the big screens.

Hundreds of thousands of Brits have queued to see the Queen lying in state this week, as the official period of mourning ends today.

Well-wishers waited for up to thirty hours to pay tribute as people from around the world sent their condolences to the longest running head of state .

Dignitaries from the commonwealth including Australia, New Zealand and Canada will join the Firm in mourning today, as well as monarchs from across Europe and the world.

The Queen’s state funeral today will end with a two-minute national silence in a ‘fitting tribute to an extraordinary reign’ before she is laid to rest beside her late husband.

Police have also been granted a no-fly zone order over London on today, which will follow 10 days of mourning.

As well as thousands of uniformed Metropolitan Police bobbies drafted into action, plain-clothes officers will also mingle among crowds to monitor any threats.

It is expected that other forces will be asked to provide officers under ‘mutual aid’.

The Queen’s Coffin was today carried from Westminster Hall to the State Gun Carriage, and then positioned outside the building’s North Door.

The procession then went from New Palace Yard through Parliament Square, Broad Sanctuary and the Sanctuary before arriving at Westminster Abbey just before 11am.

After the State Funeral Service finishes at around midday, the coffin will be placed on the State Gun Carriage outside the Abbey.

At 12.15pm, the procession will set off for Wellington Arch at Hyde Park Corner.

The route will go from the Abbey via Broad Sanctuary, Parliament Square (south and east sides), Parliament Street, Whitehall, Horse Guards including Horse Guards Arch, Horse Guards Road, The Mall, Queen’s Gardens (south and west sides), Constitution Hill and Apsley Way

At Wellington Arch, the Queen’s coffin will be transferred from the State Gun Carriage to the State Hearse just after 1pm, ahead of the journey to Windsor.

It then will travel from central London to Windsor, on a route that has not been disclosed by the Palace. When the hearse arrives in Windsor, the procession will begin just after 3pm at Shaw Farm Gate on Albert Road.

The state hearse will join the procession, which will have been formed up and in position, at Shaw Farm Gate before travelling to St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.

The procession will follow the route of Albert Road, Long Walk, Cambridge Gate, Cambridge Drive, George IV Gate, Quadrangle (south and west sides), Engine Court, Norman Arch, Chapel Hill, Parade Ground and Horseshoe Cloister Arch.

Just before 4pm, the procession will halt at the bottom of the West Steps of St George’s Chapel in Horseshoe Cloister. Here, the bearer party will carry the coffin in procession up the steps into the chapel.

The Queen will be interred during a private burial at King George VI Memorial Chapel in St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle at 7.30pm.