Sophie Wessex looks deep in thought as she joins royal family for the Queen’s funeral procession 

Sophie Wessex looked sombre as she joined the Queen’s funeral procession this afternoon alongside Meghan Markle.

Prince Edward’s wife, 57, followed in a car and sat beside the Duchess of Sussex, 41, as the late monarch’s body was moved from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall, where she will lie in state until her funeral on Monday 19. 

Members of the royal family including King Charles III, The Prince of Wales, the Duke of Sussex, Duke of York and the Earl of Wessex followed the Queen’s coffin on foot during the move through London. 

Sophie, dressed in a black ensemble which featured her glittering G.Collins and Sons infinity earrings, the Queen Consort and the Princess of Wales followed the procession in cars as it passed thousands of mourners who had come to pay their respects, before attending a service at Westminster Hall.

This is the last time the Queen’s coffin will be moved before her funeral on Monday at Westminster Abbey. After the ceremony, it will be taken to her final resting place, her beloved Windsor Castle. 

Camilla, Queen Consort, Catherine, Princess of Wales, Sophie, Countess of Wessex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, pictured today

Sophie (pictured left) was very close to her mother-in-law and has been noted as the monarch’s ‘favourite’ family member after she married Prince Edward

Sophie looked emotional as she lined up with the rest of the royal family during today’s procession at Westminster Hall

King Charles III, Anne, Princess Royal, Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, Prince William, Prince of Wales, Prince Andrew, Duke of York, Camilla, Queen Consort, Sir Timothy Laurence, Mr Peter Phillips, Sophie, Countess of Wessex, Catherine, Princess of Wales, Princess Beatrice and Prince Edward, Duke of Kent are seen inside the Palace of Westminster for the Lying in State of Queen Elizabeth II 

The Queen is placed in Westminster Hall to lie in state for the nation to pay their respects 

Her coffin was carried through Palace Yard and into the ancient heart of the Palace of Westminster

The King and his Queen Consort led the Royal Family into Westminster Hall

Sophie, Countess of Wessex (pictured left) and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, are driven behind the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II

Dressed all in black, mother-of-two Sophie, who has been by Prince Edward’s side ever since it was announced his mother had died last Thursday in Balmoral, looked deep in thought this afternoon. 

Sophie was very close to her mother-in-law and has been noted as the monarch’s ‘favourite’ family member after she married Prince Edward. 

The Countess formed a close bond with the royal family after losing her own mother, Mary Rhys-Jones, to stomach cancer in 2005 aged 71, when her daughter Lady Louise Windsor was only two.

She was also extremely distraught following the death of the Duke Edinburgh, and became the Queen’s ‘rock’ following his funeral.

Speaking in June last year, royal expert Duncan Larcombe told The Sun: ‘Sophie has emerged as the Queen’s unlikely “rock” as the monarch adjusts to life without Prince Philip. Prince Edward’s wife has – according to sources – made it her personal mission to ensure Her Majesty is fully supported by the family.

‘Since the Duke’s death in April, Sophie has driven the 10 miles from her Bagshot Park home to Windsor Castle every few days and most weekends to spend socially-distanced time with Her Majesty.’

For the days she couldn’t make it to see the Queen in person, the Countess ‘made a point of calling her mother-in-law at least once a day’. 

Sophie joined other members of the royal family, including King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla, at the ceremony this afternoon (pictured) 

Other members of the royal family including Zara Tindall, with her husband Mike, Princess Eugenie, with her husband Jack Brooksbank, and Princess Beatrice, with her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi also attended

Peter Phillips, the Duke of Sussex, the Prince of Wales, the Earl of Wessex, the Earl of Snowdon, the Duchess of Sussex, the Princess Royal, King Charles III, the Duke of York, the Princess of Wales and the Countess of Wessex follow the bearer party carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II into Westminster Hall, London

The Queen’s granddaughter Lady Louise Windsor joined her brother James, Viscount Severn at the service in Westminster Hall today

Lady Louise (pictured right), 18, enjoyed a close relationship with her grandmother the Queen and grew up just a stone’s throw from the late monarch’s home of Windsor Castle

Queen Consort (L) and the Princess of Wales are driven behind the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, adorned with a Royal Standard and the Imperial State Crown and pulled by a Gun Carriage of The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery, during a procession from Buckingham Palace to the Palace of Westminster

Kate Middleton joined the new Queen Consort in the car for the funeral procession earlier today

There were huge crowds again to see the Queen on her final journey before her coffin is handed to the nation

Britain’s Queen Camilla and Catherine, Princess of Wales are pictured during the procession

2.22pm: The gun carriage bearing the coffin of the late Queen Elizabeth II departs Buckingham Palace, transferring the coffin to The Palace of Westminster

The King stares at his mother’s coffin as they begin their doleful final march together

The Royal Family follow Her Majesty the Queen from Buckingham Palace as she is handed to the nation

Harry and William stood side-by-side amid the ongoing feud between the siblings and hopes they may reconcile

The Prince of Wales, The Duke of Sussex, King Charles III, the Princess Royal, the Duke of York and the Earl of Wessex walk behind the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped in the Royal Standard

Members of the royal family accompanied the late monarch on foot on the journey to Westminster Hall this afternoon where hundreds of thousands of people are expected to pay their respects after queueing for hours.

Charles, the Prince of Wales and The Duke of Sussex, along with the Duke of York, the Princess Royal and the Earl of Wessex formed part of the procession. Anne’s son Peter Phillips and her husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence  also walked behind the procession, as well as the Duke of Gloucester and the Earl of Snowdon. 

More than one million people are expected to queue in central London for up to 35 hours to walk past her casket – but experts believe only 400,000 will make it inside meaning 600,000 people will be left disappointed.

Well-wishers will begin filing past the coffin to mark the start of four-and-half days of the Queen lying in state.

A round-the-clock vigil will be mounted around the catafalque by officers of the Household Division, the King’s Body Guards of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms, the King’s Body Guard for Scotland, the Royal Company of Archers and the King’s Body Guard the Yeomen of the Guard.

It will remain open 24 hours a day until at 6.30am on Monday. Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to line the streets to pay their respects to the Queen. The queue is expected to stretch for five miles, taking up to 30 hours to reach the front.

Once people have passed through Albert Embankment, they will be directed across Lambeth Bridge, into Victoria Tower Gardens Extra welfare facilities, including toilets and water fountains, have been placed sporadically along the route.

The coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, adorned with a Royal Standard and the Imperial State Crown and pulled by a Gun Carriage of The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery, arrives at the Palace of Westminster

King Charles III was seen arriving at Buckingham Palace, where he led the Royal Procession behind the Queen’s coffin 

The gun carriage was filmed as it quietly passed by the gate of Buckingham Palace ahead of the procession this afternoon in London 

The Queen’s granddaughter Princess Eugenie was seen waving at crowds from her car as she left Clarence House this afternoon 

Princess Eugenie was seen waving at fans as she left Clarence House with her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi today

Edo, Beatrice’s husband, looked serious in the car as he left Clarence House ahead of the Queen’s funeral procession this afternoon 

The Queen arrived at Buckingham Palace last night to tears and cheers from the huge crowds who stood in the pouring rain to welcome her home after her death at Balmoral last Thursday. The route from RAF Northolt to the palace was packed. There was a wave of lights as many raised their mobile phones in the air to film the hearse as it passed.

Mourners cheered and clapped in the rain as the new state hearse travelled down Constitution Hill and around the Queen Victoria Memorial as it slowed, then drove through the gates of the palace and through the central arch into the quadrangle.

Outriders stopped with their heads bowed at the end of the journey, while a police officer at the gate saluted.

People cheered ‘hip hip hooray’ after the coffin drove under the arch. Many lining the street put down their umbrellas as a sign of respect while some could be seen wiping tears from their eyes, while phone camera lights lit up the crowds.

King Charles III is driven to Buckingham Palace in London with a police escort this morning

King Charles III waves to the crowds as he arrives at Buckingham Palace in London this morning

King Charles III leaves Clarence House in London today ahead of the ceremonial procession of Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin

Royals fans have been gathering around Buckingham Palace to catch a glimpse of the funeral procession to pay their respects to the late monarch 

Upon arriving at the Grand Entrance of the palace, a guard of honour was formed by the King’s Guard.

Her Majesty was received by all her children and grandchildren, including the King and Queen, the Prince and Princess of Wales and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Shortly after witnessing the arrival of the coffin, Charles and Camilla left Buckingham Palace.

Prayers and a service reserved for close family members took place shortly after the coffin arrived last night, with the King, Camilla, William and Kate and Harry and Meghan all in attendance.

Princess Anne, who has travelled with her mother’s coffin from Balmoral to Edinburgh, and from the Scottish capital back to London, was also present with husband Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence.

Peter Phillips, his sister Zara, Mike Tindall, the Duke of York and daughters Beatrice and Eugenie, along with their husbands Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi and Jack Brooksbank – were also among those gathered.

But Sarah Ferguson, ex-wife of Prince Andrew and who still lives with the duke, did not receive an invite because of their divorce.

The Queen stayed in the Bow Room in the palace overnight before she was transported to the Palace of Westminster, where she will lie in state until Monday, September 19 – the day of her state funeral at Westminster Abbey and burial at St George’s Chapel in Windsor.

Sophie was overcome with emotion on Monday as she joined the senior royals for the vigil at St Giles’ Cathedral, with royal fans praising her ‘dignity’ despite the painful situation.

All four of Her Majesty’s children stood guard around her coffin on Monday in a poignant evening vigil in Edinburgh.

Sophie, 57, joined the Queen’s Consort at the vigil and was pictured sitting next to Camilla, looking sombre.

Social media users were quick to share their heartfelt words of support for Sophie, who enjoyed a particularly close relationship with her mother-in-law the Queen.

Earlier on in the day Sophie again joined the Queen’s Consort in a fleet of cars as the Queen’s children walked behind the hearse carrying the Queen to St Giles’ Cathedral this afternoon, ahead of a service of thanksgiving.

Wearing a black suit and a matching headpiece, Sophie looked sombre as she joined her fellow royals for the deeply solemn 1,200 yard procession, which took place in bright sunshine, with hundreds of well-wishers lining the city’s oldest streets.

Following the Queen’s Piper, King Charles, in full military regalia, lead his siblings on foot including the Duke of York, Earl of Wessex and the Princess Royal – while the Queen Consort and other members of the monarchy followed in cars.

The mother-of-two appeared deep in thought as the coffin of the late monarch left the Holyroodhouse Palace earlier this afternoon.

She has been showing unwavering support for her husband Prince Edward since the announcement of the Queen’s death.

Sophie was seen entering St Giles, standing very close to her husband, who was wearing his military uniform and titles for the sombre occasion.

Queen’s flowers from her personal gardens: Coffin is adorned with lavender and rosemary from the gardens of Windsor and pine from Balmoral during funeral procession 

The Queen’s coffin was today adorned with lavender and rosemary from the gardens of Windsor and pine from her Scottish home of Balmoral.

The Queen’s final and saddest journey to Westminster Hall is underway today with King Charles, his three siblings and his sons Prince William and Prince Harry following her coffin as the Royal Family hands her coffin to the nation.

At 2.22pm Her Majesty was carried down The Mall on a gun carriage – a tradition dating back to the death of her great-grandmother Queen Victoria in 1901 – as her children, grandchildren and other senior royals marched behind.

Atop the coffin, there was a wreath of flowers which contained a selection of flowers including pine from the gardens of Balmoral and lavender and rosemary from the gardens of Windsor.

The Queen ‘s coffin was today adorned with lavender and rosemary from the gardens of Windsor and pine from her Scottish home of Balmoral 

It is a mark of the significance of the two residences for the late monarch. 

The Queen had spent the majority of her time over the past few years at her home of Windsor Castle. 

Meanwhile it was her Scottish home of Balmoral where she passed away earlier this month.

It marks a change from yesterday’s wreath, which was made up of her favourite flowers and served as a touching tribute to her late husband, Prince Philip.

Atop the coffin, there was a wreath of flowers which contained a selection of flowers including pine from the gardens of Balmoral and lavendar and rosemary from the gardens of Windsor

The coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, adorned with a Royal Standard and the Imperial State Crown and pulled by a Gun Carriage of The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery

The wreath, which was prepared by Balmoral staff, included sweet peas, dahlias, phlox, white heather and pine fir – all gathered from the Aberdeenshire estate.

Sweet peas – which were among the Queen’s favourite flowers – were also in the wreath laid on the Duke of Edinburgh’s coffin after his death in April last year.

Sweet peas, which are associated with April birthdays, can symbolise departures and farewells while dahlias can represent a lasting commitment between two people.

The Queen personally selected the flowers for her late husband’s coffin with a wreath that included white lilies, roses and freesias.

The Queen’s children including the King and her grandchildren, including William, Harry and Peter Phillips make the mournful journey to Westminster Hall

Hundreds of thousands of people lined the route but there was a silent reverence as the coffin appeared. There were some muted cheers and clapping and cries of God Save the Queen as well as many tears shed as the late monarch left her London home for the final time. All viewing areas on The Mall, Whitehall and Parliament Square were full by 1pm – with people turned away.

The procession left the palace at 2.22pm and is expected to arrive at Westminster Hall at 3pm. A service lasting around 20 minutes will be led by the Archbishop of Canterbury accompanied by the Dean of Westminster.

Princess Anne, who has remained with her mother since she dies last Thursday, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward also followed the coffin on the 1.2mile journey to Westminster Hall – the ancient heart of the Houses of Parliament where up to 1million Britons hope to see the Queen lying in state there as her father and mother did in 1952 and 2002.

Queen Consort Camilla, the Princess of Wales, the Duchess of Sussex and the Countess of Wessex followed by car. Zara and Mike Tindall. Princess Beatrice, her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank ar e also taking part. But Andrew’s ex-wife Sarah Ferguson did not receive an invite because of their divorce.

King Charles III waves to the crowds as he is driven along The Mall to Buckingham Palace this morning

Queen Consort Camilla is seen arriving at Buckingham Palace this afternoon ahead of the procession for the Queen

The occasion is heavy with historical significance, with brothers Prince William and Prince Harry setting aside their ongoing feud to support their father by marching with him behind the coffin. For William and Harry it will bring back painful memories of when they, aged 15 and 12, walked behind the coffin of their mother Princess Diana in 1997.

Solemn members of the Royal Family gathered this lunchtime to prepare to accompany the Queen for her poignant final journey from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall, where she will lie in state for the next five nights.

The crowd burst into applause and cheers as King Charles III passed the Victoria Memorial in his state Rolls Royce as he was taken into the residence, followed later by Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice and Queen Consort Camilla.

Hundreds of thousands of well-wishers are expected to line the route as they do so. The Queen’s other children Prince Andrew, Prince Edward and Princess Anne will also form part of the procession through London.

The Victoria Memorial and The Mall ahead of the procession for the Lying-in State of Queen Elizabeth II this afternoon

Her Majesty spent her final night in the Bow Room of Buckingham Palace before she will be conveyed on a gun carriage to Westminster Hall – where she will lie in state until 6.30am next Monday, the day of her funeral.

More than one million people are expected to queue in Central London for up to 35 hours to walk past her coffin – but experts believe only 400,000 will make it inside meaning 600,000 people will be left disappointed.

Mourners have also been joining the queue to attend the lying in state, opening at 5pm tonight. Government guidance says the queue is expected to be very long, with people standing for ‘many hours, possibly overnight’.

The queuing infrastructure for the Queen’s lying in state is 10 miles in length, it is understood. This includes 6.9 miles from Victoria Tower Gardens to Southwark Park, with a further three miles inside Southwark Park.

The Queen arrived at the palace last night to tears and cheers from the crowds who stood in the rain to welcome her home after her death at Balmoral last Thursday. The route from RAF Northolt to the palace was packed.

There was a wave of lights as many raised their mobile phones in the air to film the hearse as it passed. As the hearse drove through the gates, Charles could be seen bowing his head with Harry and Meghan stood behind.

 

The Queen’s circle of trust: From her beloved sister to her ladies-in-waiting and dresser Angela Kelly, how the monarch relied on a select number of women throughout her life 

Throughout her extraordinary life as Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, the Queen surrounded herself with a tight circle of friends upon whom she could trust and rely. 

The group was eclectic, to say the least. From her beloved sister Princess Margaret, to her ladies-in-waiting and her dresser Angela Kelly, the monarch, who died last week at the age of 96, was supported by a select number of women.

The Queen’s ladies-in-waiting, personally chosen by the monarch, had a variety of duties including attending to private and personal matters for the Queen and handling her correspondence. 

They included her senior lady-in-waiting, Lady Susan Hussey, who was married to the late BBC chairman Marmaduke Hussey. 

The Queen’s ladies-in-waiting were also been part of HMS Bubble – the name given to the reduced selection of around 20 staff attending to the Queen at Windsor during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Some of the ladies-in-waiting had been with the Queen for more than 50 years and acted as both friends and loyal assistants, and their discretion and support proved invaluable to her. 

Meanwhile she was close with her daughter Princess Anne, with whom she shared a love of riding and horses, as well as being particularly close to  Prince Edward’s wife Sophie. 

Throughout her extraordinary life as Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, the Queen surrounded herself with a tight circle of friends and loved-ones upon whom she could trust and rely  (pictured, with Princess Margaret attending The Royal Ascot race meeting, on June 20, 1996) 

From her beloved daughter Princess Anne (left) to her daughter-in-law Sophie Wessex (right), the monarch, who died last week at the age of 96, was supported by a select number of women

Among those who were closest to the Queen was Angela Kelly, who went from royal dresser to becoming one of her dearest confidantes 

Meanwhile Lady Pamela Hicks (pictured right) had known ‘Lillibet’ since her teens when a young Elizabeth fell in love with Pamela’s cousin Philip 

Princess Margaret 

The Queen’s sister Princess Margaret dedicated her life to service and to upholding the values of Monarchy (pictured left, the sisters on the terrace steps at the back of the Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park, April 1940, and right, on April 17th 1940, on the fourteenth birthday of Princess Elizabeth) 

Princess Margaret spent her life dedicated to the monarchy, despite her public perception as a fast-living socialite who spent much time partying and lounging about in the Caribbean

The public perception of Princess Margaret remains that of a fast-living socialite who spent much time partying and lounging about in the Caribbean. 

But less well known was that she also dedicated her life to serving her sister and to upholding the values of Monarchy.

It was a quality the Queen appreciated in full measure, and from time to time she defended her younger sister from what she considered to be unfair attack by MPs and others.

Margaret’s attitude towards her sister, the Queen, was reportedly erratic and often discourteous. On the one hand, she was the most loyal of supporters. ‘My task in life is to help the Queen,’ she often said.

But on other occasions her actions betrayed a resentment and indifference towards her sister that left even long-serving courtiers who knew her well shaking their heads.

At a state banquet in 1957, when the Queen was complimented by a Government Minister on her evening dress, Margaret casually remarked in front of other guests: ‘Darling, that does show your bosom too much.’

And when the Queen and Prince Philip celebrated their tenth wedding anniversary in the same year, Margaret missed a celebration dinner, to go to a West End musical with friends.

She returned to Buckingham Palace at midnight when the party was nearly over, without a present, a card or even an apology.

As the Queen made clear to Margaret, she had to protect the Monarchy. She was acting as Sovereign first, sister second.

By Margaret’s funeral in 2002, the monarch’s attitude toward her sister seemed to have softened. She took Anne Glenconner to one side and thanked her for bringing Roddy Llewellyn into Margaret’s life. 

She told her: ‘I’d just like to say, it was rather difficult at moments but I thank you so much for introducing Princess Margaret to Roddy. He made her really happy.’

This was quite a remarkable turnaround by the Queen. It seemed as if she had learned, through her own travails with her children and their marriages, to be more accepting and understanding.

The final decade of Margaret’s life had brought the Royal sisters together in a way they had not experienced for many years, the Princess proving herself time and again a loyal and devoted supporter. Particularly during the Queen’s ‘annus horribilis’ in 1992, with the separations of the Duke and Duchess of York and of the Prince and Princess of Wales, Princess Anne’s divorce and the Windsor Castle fire.

After embarrassing photographs were published of the Duchess of York having her toes sucked by her ‘financial adviser’ John Bryan by the side of a villa pool in the South of France, Margaret, no stranger herself to compromising pictures, sent Sarah Ferguson a withering letter.

It said: ‘You have done more to bring shame on the family than could have been imagined. Not once have you hung your head in embarrassment even for a minute after those disgraceful photographs. Clearly, you have never considered the damage you are causing us all.’

Princess Anne 

Princess Anne was born in 1950 and was the the Queen’s second child, after big brother Charles, becoming one of the Queen’s closest confidantes 

The two women are understood to have grown closer in recent years, with the Queen coming to rely on Princess Anne greatly before her death (left, on day three, Ladies Day, of Royal Ascot at Ascot Racecourse on June 20, 2019 in Ascot, England; right, Royal Ascot 2017 at Ascot Racecourse)  

Princess Anne was born in 1950 and was the the Queen’s second child, after big brother Charles. 

The two women are understood to have grown closer in recent years, with the Queen coming to rely on Princess Anne greatly before her death.

The experts believe that the Queen has given her daughter more and more responsibility as she is someone she can trust. 

She is similar to her father in character, with one biographer writing: ‘She gets on with it – she never complains.’ 

Sources previously said Princess Anne’s role in the family had also grown following the Duke of York’s sex abuse scandal, with one saying she was ‘likely to become a much more important figure’ in the family following Andrew’s ‘early retirement’.

Royal author Phil Dampier told the Telegraph: ‘Anne is much closer to the Queen than she used to be. She’s always been close to her father, because she’s very similar to him.

The expert also went on to claim that the Queen is much more reliant on the Princess Royal after Prince Andrew’s involvement in the Epstein affair.

In an indication of their close bond, the Princess Royal accompanied the Queen on some of her final public appearances throughout the pandemic (pictured left, visiting the Edinburgh Climate Change Institute in July 2021 and October 2021) 

And in her final official public appearance before her death, the two travelled to Maidenhead to visit Thames Hospice (pictured) 

‘Unlike her younger brother, she’s extremely discreet and not likely to make any faux pas. She’s a safe pair of hands,’ Dampier said.

Despite Princess Anne’s own scandals in the past the experts said that she’s successfully managed to put them behind her, while its ‘too late for Andrew to do the same.’ 

Strong and opinionated, she has a waspish wit and is a staunch believer in ‘The Firm’, once saying: ‘I don’t think this younger generation understands what we were doing in the past.

‘Nowadays they’re much more looking for “Oh, let’s do it a new way” and I’m already at the stage of, “Please do not reinvent that particular wheel.” ’

Of her mother, Anne said simply: ‘She is remarkable.’

Statement: Princess Anne released this statement (pictured). She offered her ‘thanks to each and every one who share our sense of loss’

In the final years of the Queen’s life, Princess Anne accompanied her on a host of different engagements including, poignantly, the monarch’s first official visit north of the border following the death of her husband Prince Philip. 

The pair made several appearances in Glasgow as part of the Queen’s traditional trip to Scotland for Holyrood Week in 2021. 

Meanwhile the Princess Royal also joined the Queen as she used a walking stick for support for the first time in public while attending a service of thanksgiving to mark the centenary of the Royal British Legion at Westminster Abbey in October 2021. 

And in her final official public appearance before her death, the two travelled to Maidenhead to visit a hospice. 

The princess was in Scotland when the Queen was taken ill, and stayed at her bedside at Balmoral Castle, as senior royals rushed to say their final farewells.

The Princess Royal watches as the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II is taken to a hearse as it departs St Giles’ Cathedral

Princess Anne, Princess Royal and her husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence watch as pallbearers carry the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II from St Giles’ Cathedral

Anne has taken on the duty of accompanying her mother’s body back to London, with the Queen leaving Scotland for the last time bound for RAF Northolt on Tuesday.

The Queen’s oak coffin, accompanied by Anne and her husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, travelled to Buckingham Palace where King Charles III, the Queen Consort, the Prince and Princess of Wales and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will be waiting to receive it.

She made history when she became the first royal woman to take part in the ‘Vigil of Princes’ – standing vigil by her mother’s coffin alongside her brothers King Charles, Prince Andrew, and Prince Edward.

During the 20-minute vigil at St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh, Princess Anne, who wore her navy ceremonial uniform, kept her eyes fixed towards the floor.

And yesterday, the Princess Royal paid tribute to her mother and said it had been ‘an honour and a privilege’ to accompany the Queen on her final journeys as she travelled with the monarch’s coffin back to London.

Princess Anne, the late monarch’s only daughter, told how she was ‘fortunate to share the last 24 hours of my dearest mother’s life’.

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’.

Anne also thanked the nation for the ‘support and understanding offered to my dear brother Charles’ as he takes on his duties as King.

Anne’s full statement said: ‘I was fortunate to share the last 24 hours of my dearest mother’s life. It has been an honour and a privilege to accompany her on her final journeys.

‘Witnessing the love and respect shown by so many on these journeys has been both humbling and uplifting.

‘We will all share unique memories. I offer my thanks to each and every one who share our sense of loss.

‘We may have been reminded how much of her presence and contribution to our national identity we took for granted.

‘I am also so grateful for the support and understanding offered to my dear brother Charles as he accepts the added responsibilities of the monarch. To my mother, The Queen, thank you.’

Her tribute was shared to the Royal Family’s Instagram account along with a photo of Anne and the Queen, which was first released to mark the late monarch’s 90th birthday in 2016. The mother and daughter posed on a sofa in the White Drawing Room of Windsor Castle.   

Angela Kelly 

The Queen and three-times-divorced Miss Kelly – a Roman Catholic crane driver’s daughter from Liverpool – spent over 20 years forging an intriguingly close relationship.

Angela was born in 1952, barely eight weeks after the death of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth’s ascension to the throne, into a fiercely patriotic Roman Catholic family with strong seafaring roots and a tough work ethic.

Her father Thomas was, like his father before him, a merchant seaman, who risked his life to escort convoys across the North Atlantic during World War II and survived a torpedo attack by German U-boats. Her mother, Teresa, was a nurse who also drove wartime ambulances.

Post-war, money in the Bradley family was tight — along with space in their Liverpool council flat. Thomas worked as a crane driver in the docks and later as a factory hand and a train driver as he tried to make ends meet.

It was these days, a friend previously said, that taught Angela her resilience and fortitude.

‘Money was tight and so was discipline,’ a source said in 2014. ‘Honesty and loyalty were traits she inherited from her strict but loving parents.

‘She learnt to sew at her mother’s insistence, made clothes for her dolls, then progressed to pattern-cutting her own designs on material she could find in local flea markets.’

Glamorous on a budget and always immaculately turned out, Angela was known for her love of The Beatles and for being gregarious and fun. 

Married and divorced three times, she has three children whom she left to be brought up by their father, Frank Wylie, her first husband.

She married the shopfitter in 1971, a month after her son Frank, now 43, was born. A year later, she gave birth to Paul, now 41, and then daughter Michelle, 40.

But by the early 1980s, the marriage was over and the then Mrs Wylie went to Germany without her children — virtually unheard of at the time — to work in the catering department of the British Army.

A brief marriage to a German man later ended in divorce before she met husband number three, Irish Guardsman Jim Kelly, in 1989.

The Queen and three-times-divorced Angela Kelly – a Roman Catholic crane driver’s daughter from Liverpool – spent over 20 years forging an intriguingly close relationship

They married in 1992, after returning to England, but split three years later. 

The turning point in Angela’s life came in March 1991 when the Queen Mother came to Germany to present the Royal Shamrock to members of the Irish Guards during the traditional St Patrick’s Day regimental ceremony.

As a housekeeper at the Ambassador’s Residence, it was Angela who was responsible for preparing the Queen Mother’s room and catering for her every whim.

Despite their close friendship, the pair have rarely been spotted in public with one another – although they did attend a London Fashion Week together in February 2018 (pictured left and right) 

She also became close friends with the Queen Mother’s own devoted personal dresser, Betty Leek, and witnessed the close working relationship between the two women.

‘There’s always a job waiting for you back in England,’ a clearly impressed Queen Mother told her when Mrs Kelly dropped a farewell curtsey upon her departure back to the UK.  

Mr Kelly recalled: ‘Angela made sure her room was in tip-top condition and that whatever she needed was in the house. She had a great rapport with her. We were later invited to a drinks party at Clarence House to thank her.’

Not long after, in October 1992, Mrs Kelly met the Queen herself when she and the Duke of Edinburgh visited Berlin and the two began building a friendship.  

She was so close to the Monarch that she has written two books with the Queen’s approval and lived in a grace-and-favour home in the grounds of Windsor Castle. The Queen was often spotted ‘nipping in for tea’. 

The esteem in which Mrs Kelly was held is reflected in the fact that she was made a lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order.

She received this honour, which recognises personal service to the monarch, at an investiture at Buckingham Palace in 2012 with her daughter Michelle, son-in‑law Simon Anson and their two children.

While their relationship was a professional one — Angela addressed the Queen as ‘Your Majesty’ or ‘Ma’am’, while the Queen called her ‘Angela’ — the two women loved to discuss their families when they meet at Angela’s home at Windsor. 

The dresser’s influence even extends to the younger Royals – with Prince George christened in a lengthy robe made by Miss Kelly, who learnt sewing from her mother and aunt.

It was a replica of the original Honiton lace and white satin christening robe designed for Queen Victoria’s eldest daughter in 1841, which has since been worn by almost every member of the Royal Family but has now become too delicate to use. 

Ms Kelly broke in Her Majesty’s shoes by wearing them and she was nicknamed AK-47 – a play on her initials and the firepower of the Soviet-era assault rifle.

She said simply: ‘I love the Queen and everything about her. She has allowed me to become closer to her over the years.

‘We talk about clothes, make-up and jewellery. We are two typical women.’ 

Miss Kelly was famously accused of being part of a row with Prince Harry over which tiara Meghan would wear when the couple wed.

The row allegedly resulted in Prince Harry raising his voice at the Queen when he called her and said: ‘I don’t know what the hell is going on. This woman needs to make this work for my future wife.’

A source stringently denied that Harry yelled at his grandmother but made no mention of Miss Kelly in their rebuttal. 

The two women remained exceptionally close over the Queen’s final year –  she was called upon to cut the Queen’s hair when usual protocol could not be followed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. 

And earlier this year it was revealed the Queen moved Angela into Windsor Castle to aid her with ongoing mobility issues. A source reportedly told the paper that Kelly ‘lives there now. She has moved in’. 

The stylist was understood to be staying in a suite next to the monarch’s private quarters. 

Miss Kelly was famously accused of being part of a row with Prince Harry over which tiara Meghan would wear when the couple wed 

Sophie Wessex 

Her Majesty’s daughter-in-law Sophie, 56, was often been noted as the monarch’s ‘favourite’ family member and closest confidante, after she married Prince Edward. 

She ran her own PR company before marrying Prince Edward and earned the Queen’s trust by throwing herself into Royal life. 

Sophie formed a close bond with the royal family after losing her own mother, Mary Rhys-Jones, to stomach cancer in 2005 aged 71, when her daughter Lady Louise Windsor was only two. 

Speaking in 2021, one friend said: ‘Sophie set herself a series of tasks. She learned how to ride properly and now rides with the Queen at least once a week.

Her Majesty’s daughter-in-law Sophie, 56, was often been noted as the monarch’s ‘favourite’ family member and closest confidante, after she married Prince Edward (pictured together at the Royal Windsor Horse Show in May 2022)

‘She took up carriage-driving to be close to Philip. She had her own series of scandals before her marriage when she was accused of cashing in on her Royal connections, but she calmly put all that behind her and has been an exemplary daughter-in-law.’

One former aide described the Queen’s relationship with Sophie – who lost her own mother, Mary, in 2005 – as ‘like mother and daughter’, adding: ‘There is a great deal of love and mutual respect between them.’

Sophie previously explained to the Telegraph how these visits during lockdown involved the Queen standing on a 20ft high balcony and waving down. 

A tearful Countess of Wessex described the queen as ‘amazing’ as she and her husband Prince Edward comforted Her Majesty at Windsor Castle following the death of her husband Prince Philip.  

One former aide described the Queen’s relationship with Sophie – who lost her own mother, Mary, in 2005 – as ‘like mother and daughter’ (pictured together in February 2015 at a reception at Buckingham Palace) 

Royal sources over the years said that Sophie was among the Queen’s most ‘trusted’ confidantes, with one saying she was ‘relied on like few others’

Royal expert Duncan Larcombe said the Countess became the Queen’s unlikely ‘rock’ as the monarch adjusted to life without her husband Prince Philip (pictured, together in October 2019) 

The couple were the first to visit the grieving Monarch after his death, and as they left the castle Sophie was visibly upset.

At the time, she was described as one of a group of four who were providing support for the monarch.

‘Sophie is like another daughter to the Queen, they are that close,’ said a Royal source. ‘She is trusted and relied on like few others.’

The pair were said to speak at least once a day and enjoy regular Saturday ‘movie afternoons’ when they would watch old films together.  

And speaking in June last year, royal expert Duncan Larcombe told The Sun: ‘Sophie has emerged as the Queen’s unlikely “rock” as the monarch adjusts to life without Prince Philip.’

Sophie Wessex (pictured left), the wife of the Queen’s youngest son, showed her unwavering support to her husband this afternoon as she joined the royal family in procession to escort the Queen’s coffin down Edinburgh’s Royal Mile

Sophie, who was wearing all black, appeared deep in thought as she followed the procession in a car. Her husband Prince Edward was on foot 

Since her mother-in-law’s death Sophie has showed her unwavering support to her husband and the family as she joined the royal family in paying tribute to the Queen.

Earlier this week, she was among the procession to escort the Queen’s coffin down Edinburgh’s Royal Mile. 

Wearing a black suit and a matching headpiece, Sophie looked sombre as she joined her fellow royals for the deeply solemn 1,200 yard procession, which took place in bright sunshine, with hundreds of well-wishers lining the city’s oldest streets.   

Lady Sarah Chatto 

Daughter of the Queen’s late sister, Princess Margaret, Lady Sarah is one of the most low-key Royals yet held a very special place in Her Majesty’s affections. Pictured: The Queen with Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones

Another key figure was her niece, the lively Lady Sarah Chatto, 52, Princess Margaret’s daughter who married artist Daniel Chatto.

Daughter of the Queen’s late sister, Lady Sarah is one of the most low-key Royals yet held a very special place in Her Majesty’s affections. 

One royal insider previously said: ‘The Queen adores Sarah and seeks out her company as often as possible. She is her absolute favourite younger Royal.

‘They are hugely at ease in each other’s company. Much giggling can be heard when they are together. They share a sense of loyalty, fun, duty and the ridiculous.’

In a sign of her close relationship to the Queen, Lady Sarah was often photographed travelling with the monarch to church in Balmoral

Once her own children were grown up, Sarah frequently stayed with her aunt.

Friends said she so reminded the Queen of her younger sister Margaret, whom she desperately missed after her death in 2002.

Lady Sarah kept an eye on the Queen, and reportedly worried she worked too hard. 

In a sign of her close relationship to the Queen, Lady Sarah was often photographed travelling with the monarch to church in Balmoral. 

Lady Chatto has not been seen since the Queen’s death, and it is not currently known if she will join the royal family in London this week.

She is expected to be among the attendees who will be at the Queen’s funeral on Monday.  

Lady Farnham

Diana Maxwell, Lady Farnham, who had been the Queen’s Lady of Bedchamber since 1987 and rode with the Queen on the way to her Diamond Jubilee service in 2012, died four days after Christmas aged 90. 

She had joined the Queen on royal tours during her 44 years of service, including the highly successful tour of the Republic of Ireland in 2011 due to her Irish connections. 

Lady Farnham was married to Barry Maxwell, the 12th Baron Farnham – a top City banker and Irish peer who died in 2001.

A royal source told The Telegraph: ‘It is very sad for the Queen. Everyone loved Lady Farnham, she was always so good humoured. She was also a very glamorous and attractive woman.

‘She was always very generous to new people joining the household. 

‘They were dear friends who supported the Queen on official duties. Unfortunately a sad consequence of living a long life is that you have to say goodbye to a lot of people you care about.’

Lady Farnham was a close friend and supported the Queen for decades, most notably sitting alongside the monarch during Diamond Jubilee celebrations in 2012 when Prince Philip was unable to attend.

Born Diana Marion Gunnis, she married Lord Farnham in 1959.

The couple adopted two daughters, Harriet, 57, and Sophia, 54, and had four grandchildren – Araminta, 28, Henry, 26, Elsa, 15 and Celia, 13.

Lady Farnham joined the Royal Household in 1987, more than 30 years after Duchess of Grafton, but she was appointed Commander, Royal Victorian Order (CVO) in 1998 after the Queen recognised her personal service.

She was then appointed Dame Commander, Royal Victorian Order, an award made personally by the Queen for services to the sovereign, in 2010.  

The Queen’s longstanding Lady-in-Waiting Diana, Lady Farnham pictured accompanying the monarch during the State opening of Parliament in the House of Lords

Queen Elizabeth’s Lady-in-Waiting Lady Farnham (pictured right) has died aged 90

Queen Elizabeth sat at the State Opening of the Houses of Parliament with husband Prince Philip and her ladies-in-waiting to the right