20 Sep 2022

Queen: Her Majesty's funeral takes place in London

From First Up, 5:48 am on 20 September 2022

Queen Elizabeth II has been farewelled by hundreds of thousands of mourners in London and billions of people around the world. The funeral of the United Kingdom's longest-reigning monarch was an incredible spectacle of centuries of tradition and inch-perfect pagaentry, while also being a sombre occasion for the nation and, of course, the Royal Family. It's been one of the biggest ever gatherings of world leaders and dignitaries -- so many in fact that they had to bus them into Westminster Abbey hours before the Queen's coffin arrived. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was there with Governor General Dame Cindy Kiro and other distinguished New Zealanders, as well as members of the New Zealand Defence Force who marched alongside other Commonwealth service members as they guided the Queen's coffin through the streets of London. Our producer Matthew Theunissen watched the service and filed this report.