Leaders and monarchs from across the globe gathered in London this morning to bid farewell to Britain's Queen Elizabeth at a state funeral of inimitable pageantry, marking the passing of a beloved figure who unified the nation through her 70-year reign.
Shortly before 11 a.m. (1000 GMT) the oak coffin, covered in the Royal Standard flag with the Imperial State Crown on top, emerged under overcast skies to be taken by military procession to Westminster Abbey.
Her son and heir King Charles and other senior royals walked behind as a bell tolled in the background.
Tens of thousands of people lining the streets looked on as bagpipes skirled. Earlier, hundreds of armed personnel in full ceremonial dress marched past in a historic display of kilts, bearskin hats, scarlet tunics and bands in white gloves.
Awaiting the arrival of Britain's longest-serving monarch, her son and heir King Charles and members of the royal family was a 2,000-strong congregation including some 500 world leaders and foreign royal families.
Among them was U.S. President Joe Biden, who paid tribute to a 96-year-old who earned respect for her sense of duty and represented a constant as Britain's role in the world diminished and changed.