Queen Elizabeth’s personal staff said one final goodbye to their sovereign during her funeral procession.
As Her Majesty’s funeral procession made its way from Westminster Abbey to Hyde Park, over 100 Buckingham Palace staff members lined up outside the palace gates to pay their respects. They were in their usual staff uniform, complete with black armbands.
Queen Elizabeth lived at Buckingham Palace for most of her 70-year reign; she moved to Windsor Castle in 2020 due to the ongoing global health crisis. Many reports share that Buckingham Palace staff members were devastated at the death of their long-time employer.
Many of Elizabeth’s staff members at Windsor Castle also stood at attention while their monarch was brought to St George’s Chapel one final time.
As the hearse slowly made its way up the Long Walk at Windsor, the Queen’s Head Groom, Terry Pendry, stood at attention with her favourite pony, Emma. Pendry stood with Emma amongst floral tributes that had been laid out and had tied one of the Queen’s headscarves to Emma’s saddle.
Two staff members also stood outside the castle with Her Majesty’s two surviving corgis, Muick and Sandr. The dogs were a gift from Prince Andrew after Prince Philip’s passing in 2021.
Over 2,000 guests gathered in Westminster Abbey to pay their final respects to the Queen, who served the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth for all of her adult life. Roughly 800 people, including the extended Royal Family, attended the committal service at St George’s Chapel in Windsor, where the Queen was separated from her crown, sceptre, and orb and lowered into the Royal Vault.
However, it was her staff’s quiet gesture that stood out on a historic day. She was admired and respected by those who worked for her, and it was a fitting tribute to the late monarch.
