The Landmarks Lining Queen Elizabeth II's Funeral Procession Route
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Following a state funeral at Westminster Abbey on Monday, the late Queen Elizabeth II was carried just more than one-and-a-quarter miles through the streets of central London. The funeral procession departed Westminster Abbey and headed to Hyde Park's Wellington Arch, where the coffin was transferred to a hearse and driven to Windsor Castle for the final burial.
Hundreds of military personnel marched alongside and pulled the coffin as it rested upon a gun carriage, following a path that honored royal tradition and celebrated the Queen's legacy as ruler. Reminders of Her Highness dotted the route, showing all that her memory is inextricable from the places she led.
Along Parliament Square
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After the funeral service finished at Westminster Abbey, the Queen's coffin, laden with flowers and centuries-old artifacts, headed toward Whitehall, a road that crosses through London's political district. But before the procession reached Whitehall, it passed by Parliament Square, a landmark occasioned by Queen Elizabeth II during momentous occasions and life-changing events.
In 1947, then-Princess Elizabeth's coach drove through Parliament Square in her wedding procession. She and her new husband, Prince Philip, rode by in a royal carriage, waving to excited crowds.
By the Cenotaph
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As the procession moved along Whitehall, it passed by the Cenotaph War Memorial, which marks the site of Britain's annual Remembrance Day ceremony. Since before she became Queen, Elizabeth would attend the mid-autumn event personally, however most recently in 2021, then-Prince Charles laid a wreath on his mother's behalf.
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Past Downing Street
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During her reign, the Queen often visited house number 10 on this short road with a long history. Just off the Whitehall path taken by the procession, 10 Downing Street is a political epicenter of London and the United Kingdom at large. It's been both home and office to Prime Ministers past, including Winston Churchill, who hosted the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh for dinner in 1955. (Though Churchill only worked at 10 Downing Street and lived nearby on Whitehall instead.) In her time as Queen, Elizabeth worked with a staggering 14 prime ministers.
Through Horse Guards Parade
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The procession route turned at the Horse Guards Parade, which is the setting for London's Trooping the Colour ceremony conducted by the British Army. The annual event marks the "official" birthday of the monarch, when the entire nation celebrates its ruler.
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During the event, the monarch is to travel — by horse or carriage (Queen Elizabeth II did both) — in a royal procession along the Mall, just as the Queen's coffin did after her funeral. However, the Trooping the Colour route begins at Buckingham Palace and ends at the Horse Guards Parade.
As the funeral procession moved through the Horse Guards Parade, the King's Life Guard, as members of the infantry, turned to salute the landmark spot.
On the Mall
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The procession then journeyed along the Mall, heading west toward Buckingham Palace. Up the road from the Mall are royal lodgings like Clarence House, St James's Palace and the Queen's childhood home at 145 Piccadilly, though the procession did not cross near her former residences.
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The procession did, however, pass by the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth memorial statues. Their daughter, Queen Elizabeth II, witnessed the unveiling of both bronze figures — her father's in 1955 (pictured), and the Queen Mother's, which was added in 2016.
By Buckingham Palace
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The Queen's coffin neared Buckingham Palace for the last time during her funeral procession. It was not just her home of so many years, but also the site of many celebrations surrounding the late monarch and her life's events. As she passed the gardens, onlookers were reminded of the many parties held there, including a celebration thrown when she and Prince Philip announced their engagement in July 1947.
Arrived at Wellington Arch
Once the procession reached its final London destination at Wellington Arch, the bearer party moved the Queen's coffin off of the gun carriage and into the hearse that would drive her to Windsor.
Just a five-minute walk from Wellington Arch once stood another of the Queen's childhood homes, however the building was bombed in World War II and rebuilt as a hotel.
Down the Long Walk to Windsor Castle
Royal Collection Trust/Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
The procession ended in Windsor, when the hearse arrived at the castle where Queen Elizabeth II spent her final two years of life. The Queen enjoyed childhood memories at Windsor, too, with her sister Princess Margaret and their beloved corgis.
