Did the Queen Mother have a state funeral?
16 September 2022, 14:50 | Updated: 16 September 2022, 15:03
When was the last state funeral? And where was the Queen Mother lying in state?
Following her sad death at the age of 96, The Queen is to have a state funeral on Monday 19 September, a day which will be a national bank holiday.
Her Majesty was the longest-reigning monarch in British history, while King Charles was officially announced as Britain's monarch on Saturday 10th September.
While Queen Elizabeth’s husband Prince Philip had a ceremonial funeral when he sadly passed away in April 2021, the former head of state will receive a state procession and a 21-gun salute.
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But did the Queen Mother have a state funeral as well?
Did the Queen Mother have a state funeral?
Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, died on 30 March 2002 at the age of 101, outliving her late husband King George VI by 50 years.
She lay in state for three days in Westminster Hall where people could visit before her funeral in Westminster Abbey on 9 April 2002.
While she didn’t have a state funeral, the Queen Mother had a ceremonial funeral similar to Prince Philip and Princess Diana.
An estimated 200,000 people turned up to pay their respects to her.
What is a state funeral?
A state funeral is usually reserved for monarchs or people of great national significance. They observe strict protocol and are steeped in military tradition.
Their body is usually carried on a gun carriage and is drawn by sailors from the Royal Navy as part of a military procession, followed by another procession to Westminster Abbey or St Paul’s Cathedral.
The head of state is always given a state funeral, but other people can also be granted one with the monarch’s approval and a vote in parliament.
Sir Winston Churchill was the last person to receive one back in 1965, while former prime ministers William Gladstone and Lord Palmerston were also given state funerals.
