Queen Letizia of Spain looked somber in traditional black mourning attire as she joined her husband King Felipe VI to bid farewell to the monarch they affectionately knew as ‘Aunt Lilibet’
The Spanish royal, 50, and her husband, 54, walked arm-in-arm into Westminster Abbey this morning to join 2,000 British and European royals, world leaders, VIPs and hundreds of members of the public at the Abbey for the state funeral .
Letizia and Filipe have been keen to express their grief, visiting her repose at Westminster Hall yesterday and then attending the ‘reception of the century’ at Buckingham Palace on Sunday evening.
Thanks to family ties going back generations, many European royals have a close relationship with the Queen, with King Felipe affectionately referring to her late majesty as ‘Aunt Lilibet’.
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Queen Letizia of Spain, 50, joined her husband King Felipe VI, 54, at the Queen’s funeral at Westminster Abbey on Monday
Queen Letizia looked somber in a black mourning dress as she joined the event this morning in London with her husband King Felipe VI, who wore full military uniform
The couple pictured inside Westminster Abbey today; they visited the Queen lying in state on Sunday afternoon
Today, Queen Letizia, who worked as a journalist before marrying King Felipe, appeared deeply solemn as the couple arrived for the historic event.
The mother-of-two, who attended the funeral without her two daughters, Leonor and Sofia, wore a black belted dress with a black fascinator and net detailing for the occasion.
King Felipe VI dressed in full military uniform as the couple joined dozens of other leading royals from European and global monarchies.
The Spanish king is related to the Queen on both sides of his family and has often referred to how he would affectionately refer to Britain’s late monarch as ‘Aunt Lilibet’.
His mother, Queen Sofia, was a third cousin of the Queen and a first cousin once removed of the Duke of Edinburgh.
Felipe’s father, Juan Carlos, is a descendant of Queen Victoria. His grandmother, Princess Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg, was the daughter of Queen Victoria’s youngest daughter, Princess Beatrice.
Juan Carlos, 83, who abdicated in 2014 in favor of his son Felipe VI, 53, has been living in Abu Dhabi since the summer of 2020 after becoming the target of several investigations in Spain over his financial dealings.
Thanks to family ties that go back generations, many European royals have a close relationship with the Queen. King Felipe has previously told how he would refer to the Queen as ‘Aunt Lilibet’
The Spanish royals entered Westminster Abbey behind Queen Rania and King Abdullah II of Jordan
King Felipe VI, who was related to the Queen, looked solemn as he prepared to say a final farewell
The Spanish royals, who attended without their daughters Leonor and Sofia, walk through the convent
With two orders of service and one hand touching his red military belt, King Felipe VI walks with his wife Letizia
In a letter to King Charles posted on the Casa Real Twitter account after her death, King Felipe said he would miss his aunt ‘dearly’.
He wrote: ‘Your Majesty, dear Charles. Deeply saddened by the sad news of the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, your beloved mother.
‘I would like to offer Your Majesty and the British people, on my behalf and on behalf of the Spanish Government and people, our deepest condolences.’
He continued: ‘Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth has undoubtedly witnessed, written and shaped many of the most relevant chapters in our world’s history over the past seven decades.
“Her sense of duty, commitment and a lifetime dedicated to serving the people of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is an example to us all and will remain as a solid and valuable legacy for future generations.
The couple joined royals from around the world, pictured here with Queen Mathilde and King Philippe of Belgium
European royalty unite: Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, front left, walks with King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands, King Carl Gustaf XVI and Queen Silvia of Sweden and King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain at Westminster Abbey
‘Queen Letizia and I send Your Majesty and the whole family our love and prayers.
‘You are all in our hearts and thoughts. We will miss her very much.’
On Sunday evening, King Felipe and Queen Letizia were seen waving to well-wishers as they left the Spanish Embassy for Westminster Hall.
The king looked dapper in a black suit and tie as he and his stylish wife left the embassy for the Palace of Westminster.
The pair crossed themselves and bowed their heads as they flew past Her Majesty’s coffins. Visiting dignitaries have access to a VIP entrance and platform, meaning they can avoid the queue snaking through central London.
Today, Britain’s main church, packed with 2,000 VIPs including prime ministers, presidents and the Queen’s family, was quiet except for the sound of hymns and prayers in a funeral service Her Majesty curated for herself before she died.
In a highly emotional occasion for Britain and the world, the Queen was carried in her oak coffin to the gun carriage used by her parents and was followed through Parliament Square by her son, the King, and her relatives, including the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Sussex. Andrew, Duke of York, appeared to be crying.
Yesterday, Queen Letizia and her husband visited the recumbent Queen at Westminster Hall before attending the ‘Reception of the Century’ at Buckingham Palace, hosted by King Charles and the Queen Consort
The hearse carrying the Queen’s coffin began its funeral procession from the Palace of Westminster to Westminster Abbey at around 10:00 p.m. 10.45 and arrived just before 11 a.m.
A single toll from Big Ben signaled the start of the service at Westminster Abbey, where kings and queens have been crowned and buried since 1066. Her Majesty will be laid to rest in Windsor alongside her beloved husband Prince Philip and her parents, George WE. and the Queen Mother.
Despite the huge crowds, there was absolute silence as around 200 pipers and drummers from the Scottish and Irish Regiments, the Brigade of Gurkhas and the RAF played as the procession passed through Parliament Square. The Queen’s own piper played a dirge that echoed through the heart of London.
Behind the carriage walked the King and his siblings, followed by the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Sussex and Peter Phillips. The State Gun Carriage has also previously been used for the funerals of King Edward VII, King George V, King George VI, Winston Churchill and Lord Mountbatten.
Revealed: How the monarchies of Belgium, Spain, the Netherlands, Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Luxembourg are related to the Queen. All the great royal houses of Europe will be represented at the Queen’s funeral in Westminster Abbey today
There was complete silence from the crowd close to Parliament Square as the State Armory carrying the Queen’s coffin slowly moved past. The crowd, momentarily silent and with phones held aloft to capture the moment, was around 10 people thick in some places as tens of thousands thronged the streets to bid farewell to the monarch and witness a moment of history.
After the funeral, the Queen’s coffin traveled from the Abbey via Broad Sanctuary, Parliament Square (south and east sides), Parliament Street, Whitehall, Horse Guards including Horse Guards Arch, Horse Guards Road, The Mall, Queen’s Gardens (south and west sides). ), Constitution Hill and Apsley Way.
At Wellington Arch, the Queen’s coffin was transferred from the State Gun Carriage to the State Hearse just after 1 p.m. 13.00 prior to the journey to Windsor.
Just before 4pm, the procession stops at the bottom of the West Steps of St George’s Chapel in the Horseshoe Cloister. Here the pallbearers will carry the coffin in procession up the stairs into the chapel.
The Queen will be buried in a private funeral at the King George VI Memorial Chapel in St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle at 7.30pm.