September 20, 2024

William and Kate return to Westminster Abbey, Where They Were Married, for Queen’s Funeral

Westminster Abbey #WestminsterAbbey

Over a decade after their wedding, William and Catherine, the Prince and Princess of Wales, returned to Westminster Abbey on Sept. 19 to honor the life of Queen Elizabeth II.

William and Kate attended the queen’s funeral at the church, marking a return to the venue where they held their wedding ceremony in 2011.

Read more and follow live updates from Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral here.

Royal Wedding Comparison – Westminster Abbey (Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)

The queen wore a bright yellow dress with a matching yellow hat for the couple’s wedding, and Kate wore a white lace Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen dress.

After the ceremony, William and Kate traveled to Buckingham Palace and kissed on the iconic balcony.

Royal Wedding – The Wedding Ceremony Takes Place Inside Westminster Abbey (Dominic Lipinski / WPA Pool via Getty Images)

For the queen’s funeral, William wore his military uniform, and Kate wore a black mourning dress with a black veiled hat. Kate accessorized with a three-string pearl necklace that was a gift from the queen. She wore the same necklace to Prince Philip’s funeral last year.

Two of William and Kate’s three children, Prince George, 9, and Princess Charlotte, 7, attended the funeral with their parents and joined the procession behind the queen’s coffin. Prince Louis, 4, was not in attendance.

Thousands of other guests, including members of the royal family, government figures and heads of state from around the world, also attended the ceremony honoring the life of Britain’s longest-reigning monarch.

Royal Wedding – The Wedding Ceremony Takes Place Inside Westminster Abbey (Clara Molden / WPA pool via Getty Images)

A hymn titled “Love divine, all loves excelling” that was sung in an arrangement first heard at William and Kate’s wedding was also sung at the queen’s funeral, according to Westminster Abbey.

King Charles III wrote “In loving and devoted memory” on a card placed on top of the queen’s coffin. Elizabeth had written the cards placed on her husband’s coffin and her mother’s coffin.

Queen funeral (Phil Noble / AFP Pool via Getty Images)

Elizabeth died on Sept. 8 while at Balmoral Castle in the Scottish highlands, sending the United Kingdom into a period of mourning. She lay in state for several days in Scotland before her coffin traveled to London so the British public could pay their respects.

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Following the funeral, the queen’s coffin traveled to Wellington Arch in Hyde Park before it headed by state hearse to Windsor Castle, the queen’s final resting place.

Elizabeth also got married at Westminster Abbey in 1947, when she married Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh. Five years later, she held her coronation ceremony at the same venue.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com

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