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Features

THE ROYAL YEAR IN PICTURES: September

By
31st December 2022

It turned out to be the most historic of months. September 2022 began quietly with the usual expectation of back to business after the summer. Within days, it had become a moment of history. The death of Queen Elizabeth II and the accession of King Charles III stopped the world. The days of mourning and the State Funeral were participated in by millions.

The last sight of a great Monarch

i-Images /Pool

This was how Queen Elizabeth II took her final bow. The most photographed person in the world posed for a smiling, ad hoc snap at Balmoral as she waited to appoint another Prime Minister. If she knew it would be her final image, the world had no idea. The photo was shared in the hours after Queen Elizabeth II had performed that most important of constitutional duties, ensuring her country could be governed. Less than 48 hours later, Queen Elizabeth II was dead and the most historic reign in British history was over.

Tribute from one Jubilee queen to another

In the days after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, who had just celebrated her Platinum Jubilee, her fellow monarch and great friend, Margrethe II, hosted a glittering gala in Copenhagen for her own Golden Jubilee. But Queen Margrethe, who has spoken several times of her deep admiration for Elizabeth II, had one thing only on her mind. As crowds gathered to mark her milestone, she requested a silence in memory of Queen Elizabeth II. It was a poignant and powerful tribute.

The world mourns

BBC still/ fair use

World leaders and crowned heads gathered in London for the State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. Millions watched around the world. And as the coffin of Her Late Majesty reached Buckingham Palace for the final time, the enormity of the events of the past days became a poignant reality. The sight of Elizabeth II passing that famous balcony, forever synonymous with her, for the last time was a powerful reminder of all that had changed. Her Late Majesty had stood there with her grandparents for King George V’s Jubilee in 1935 and with her own great grandchildren for her Platinum Jubilee in 2022 while the intervening years had brought dozens of other memorable appearances. Now, she passed the heart of the Monarchy she had made her own for the last time and the world watched on. It was truly the end of an era.

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About author

Lydia Starbuck is Editor in Chief at Royal Central and the main producer and presenter of the Royal Central Podcast and Royal Central Extra.Lydia is also a pen name of June Woolerton who is a journalist and writer with over twenty years experience in TV, radio, print and online. Her latest book, A History of British Royal Jubilees, is out now. Her new book, The Mysterious Death of Katherine Parr, will be published in March 2024.June is an award winning reporter, producer and editor. She's appeared on outlets including BBC 5 Live, BBC Radio Ulster and BBC Local Radio and has also helped set up a commercial radio station.June is also an accomplished writer with a wide range of material published online and in print. She is the author of two novels, published as e-books. She is also a marriage registrar and ceremony celebrant.