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Bear Grylls led the celebrities attending Queen Elizabeth II’s state funeral at Westminster Abbey on Monday.
The 48-year-old TV personality waved to onlookers who had gathered outside the abbey at 11 a.m. for the monarch’s funeral service.
He joined Royals and world leaders in the Church to bid a final farewell to Her Majesty following her death at the age of 96 on September 8.
Grylls, who met the Queen many times through his work as Chief Scout and when he was appointed an Officer of the British Empire in 2019, previously paid tribute to the Royal.
He said: ‘I was lucky enough to meet the Queen on a number of different occasions – from the great evenings she hosted for Explorers at Buckingham Palace to sitting next to her at dinner and she did my OBE.
Bear Grylls led the celebrities attending Queen Elizabeth II’s state funeral at Westminster Abbey on Monday.
“The times I met her, the times she lit up the most, was when we were doing something with Scouting. I think it was one of the organizations she was most proud of.
“I especially remember driving her up and down in 2012 as she inspected all the Queen’s Scouts,” he said.
“This was the time when her face was just a huge beaming smile from start to finish. She just loved seeing young people get opportunities and skills in old-fashioned values like kindness, loyalty, friendship and respect that never go out of style.’
The star was appointed as the youngest-ever Chief Scout in 2009 at the age of 35 – a position he has held for a second term since 2015.
Grylls joined the first members of the congregation for the Queen’s state funeral – as tens of thousands packed the processional route, which filled up just before 8:30 a.m.
Peep show actress Sophie Winkleman, 42, attended the funeral along with husband Lord Frederick Windsor and his mother, Princess Michael of Kent.
The grand oak doors of the UK’s main church – where Her Majesty married Prince Philip and had her coronation – opened at 8am, three hours before the service begins.
2,000 royals, world leaders and hundreds of members of the public have begun applying to the abbey as billions of people around the world will attend Her Majesty’s state funeral.
Most of the VIPs arrived by bus and met at the Royal Hospital Chelsea before being put on a bus to central London. British 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 bombproof limousine.
The TV personality took place at Westminster Abbey for the ceremony alongside Royals and world leaders
Grylls, who met the Queen many times on account of his work as Chief Scout (pictured left in 2012) and when he was appointed Officer of the British Empire in 2019 (pictured right), previously paid tribute to the Royal
Peep show actress Sophie Winkleman attended the funeral along with husband Lord Frederick Windsor and his mother, Princess Michael of Kent
Michael and Carole Middleton, the parents of Kate, the Princess of Wales, arrived two hours early for the service, followed by Tom Parker Bowles, Queen Consort’s son, Camilla. They were also on a bus together – despite their close ties to the royal family.
Funeral flowers in the abbey featured myrtle, which, according to royal tradition, was used in the queen’s bridal bouquet. The huge white and green blooms included Asiatic lilies, gladiolus, alstroemeria, eustoma and foliage of English oak, weeping birch and the sprigs of myrtle.
Surrounding the coffin will be the four tall yellow candles that usually rest around the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior at the entrance to the historic church.
And beyond the hardened royal fans defied the no-camping rules, as people of all ages set up tents, lounge chairs and even a makeshift minibar to grab premium seats for the spectacle that will see 2 million people pour into the capital. At 8:30 am, the public was informed that the procession route was full and began diverting people to Hyde Park to watch the big screens.
The Queen’s death at the age of 96 was confirmed on Thursday, September 8.
The Queen’s casket was carried through the streets of London for the service
By 8:30 am the public was informed that the procession route was full and started diverting people to Hyde Park to watch the big screens
US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden arrive on the day of the state funeral
Prime Minister Liz Truss arrives at Westminster Abbey for service this morning
Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his wife Carrie Johnson arrive at Westminster Abbey this morning
Former Prime Ministers Gordon Brown (left) and Tony Blair (right) arrive at Westminster Abbey this morning
A Buckingham Palace spokesman said: ‘The Queen passed away peacefully this afternoon in Balmoral. The King and The Queen Consort remain in Balmoral tonight and return to London tomorrow.”
King Charles III said: ‘The death of my beloved mother, Her Majesty the Queen, is a moment of greatest sorrow for me and all members of my family.
“We deeply mourn the passing of a beloved sovereign and dearly beloved mother. I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the rich and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world.
“During this period of grief and change, my family and I will be comforted and sustained by our knowledge of the respect and deep affection in which the Queen was held so widely.”
Tributes poured in for Her Majesty, for many the greatest Briton in history and arguably the most famous woman on Earth. To billions of people around the world, she was the face of the British.
The Queen’s stateroom officially ended at 6:30 a.m. Monday — with an estimated 400,000 mourners passing through Westminster Hall in the past five days