Queen's coffin begins last journey to Windsor Castle

The Queen's coffin will begin its last journey as it makes its way to Windsor Castle.

David Hoyle, the Dean of Westminster, led the Queen's funeral on Monday, which 2,000 people attended. Baroness Scotland and Prime Minister Liz Truss read out lessons from the scripture, after which the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby gave the sermon and commendation.

"Her late Majesty famously declared, on her 21st birthday broadcast, that her whole life will be dedicated to serving the nation and Commonwealth. Rarely has such a promise been so well kept," Welby said. 

King Charles III left a handwritten message on top of the coffin, reading "In loving and devoted memory. Charles R.". The note was placed in a wreath of flowers.

Malta had its own front seat to the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, with Judge Joseph Galea Debono joining the procession forward of the gun carriage that will carry the Queen’s coffin after her funeral. 

As president of the George Cross Island Association, Galea Debono walked towards the very front of the procession with representatives of the Royal Ulster Constabulary and the UK National Health Service. 

The association announced last week that the organisers of Queen Elizabeth’s funeral had invited Galea Debono to take part in the second funeral procession. 

He was be joined by Emanuel Mallia, the Malta High Commissioner to Britain; Anton Borg, who was King Charles III’s physician as the Duke of Cornwall while he was in residence there; and Nerissa Sultana, a senior staff member at the High Commission. 

George Cross recipients are being given special prominence during the procession. The George Cross is the second highest award of the United Kingdom honours system, and is usually given to individuals for gallantry.

But in 1942, King George VI chose to award the George Crosss collectively to the Island of Malta. This was the first time the George Cross had been given as a collective award. 

The only other times the George Cross was awarded collectively was in 1999 to the Royal Ulster Constabulary, and in 2021 to the staff of the UK’s National Health Service. 

Apart from the funeral procession, Malta had its own representation at the funeral service in Westminster Abbey, with President George Vella attending in London.  

The Queen had been lying in state at Westminster Hall, with people queuing for hours to view her coffin. Her lying-in-state came to a close at 8am UK time in preparation for the funeral procession and service.  

Flags on local government buildings will be flying half-mast on Monday as Malta observes a day of mourning for the Queen’s funeral. 

The Principal Permanent Secretary had sent a circular last week to all heads of government departments and entities asking them to make sure that flags are raised half mast on public buildings.