The Seating Chart For Queen Elizabeth II's Funeral At Westminster Abbey
The state funeral for Queen Elizabeth II took place on September 19, 2022, at Westminster Abbey in London (via CNN). Preparations for the outpouring of grief and support for the queen and royal family, as well as the 2,000 dignitaries, heads-of-state, and high-ranking officials who attended the service, were the largest of their kind in recent London history, according to The Guardian. Part of that process was preparing the seating chart for funeral guests, ranging from members of the royal family to U.S. President Joe Biden and leaders from around the world.
The funeral service for Queen Elizabeth concluded a 10-day national mourning period, which included four days of the queen lying in state at Westminster Hall. Hundreds of thousands of mourners lined up to see the queen during that time, with some waiting as long as 24 hours for their chance to say goodbye. As reported by NPR, many continued to camp outside of Parliament and near Westminster Hall prior to the queen's service.
Some guests arrived hours before the funeral began
As The Mirror reports, some attendees began to arrive at Queen Elizabeth II's funeral hours before the funeral service was to begin. This allowed observers to begin to see how the seating chart for the funeral might be, especially as more people arrived and seats were filled.
In the place of honor in the front row for the proceedings were King Charles III, Elizabeth's eldest son; Queen Consort Camilla; and Elizabeth's daughter Princess Anne. The seating chart then included Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, Anne's husband; Prince Andrew, the Duke of York; and Prince Edward, Elizabeth's youngest child, and his wife Sophie Rhys-Jones, the Earl and Countess of Wessex, per The Telegraph.
The next generation of British royalty was also given a place of honor at the service, with King Charles' youngest son, Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex; his wife, Megan Markle; and Princess Beatrice, Prince Andrew's eldest daughter, seated directly behind King Charles and the queen consort.
Prince William, meanwhile, the king's eldest son and the new Prince of Wales, was seated across the aisle, with his wife, the Princess of Wales Kate Middleton, and their children Prince George and Princess Charlotte. The family sat alongside Princess Anne's children, Peter Phillips and Zara Tindall, who sat beside her husband, Mike Tindall. The queen's remaining grandchildren were seated nearby.
From that point, rounding out the seating chart for the queen's funeral were leaders from the British Commonwealth nations. President Joe Biden sat 14 rows back, while first lady Jill Biden sat next to the Swiss delegation.