The Death of Queen Elizabeth II
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Editorial Spotlight
Chris Jackson
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The death of Queen Elizabeth II marked the end of an era. As the longest‑ruling monarch in British history, the Queen was a symbol of constancy and stability in an often turbulent and changing world. During the ten‑day period of mourning ahead of the majestic state funeral, when normal British life came to a standstill, Getty Images deployed twenty five photographers and videographers across its News, Sport and Entertainment divisions to document all aspects of this momentous transition in the British monarchy. The team covered lines of people waiting to pay their respects, military personnel preparing for the funeral procession, the faces of the old and the young, the curious and the grieving, all caught up in collective remembrance of an enduring presence.
Tributes to Elizabeth II came in all forms. Public areas around the palace became virtual seas of flowers, while portraits of the Queen sprung up across the country and the greater Commonwealth. Thousands made a pilgrimage to Buckingham Palace to pay their respects in person and to mark the historic end of the second Elizabethan age.
When the queen's coffin arrived in London, crowds gathered to pay homage. The sense of occasion was palpable, and in the coming days, tens of thousands stood in a line that stretched for ten miles at its peak and waited for up to twenty four hours to pay their respects as the Queen lay in state in Westminister Hall.
The state funeral for the Queen was an ornate show of pageantry and formality. Nearly six thousand military personnel took part in the various processions, as the royal family paid solemn tribute to the late sovereign. Two thousand world dignitaries attended the funeral service, and thousands lined the two and a half miles of the "Long Walk" to Windsor Castle to bid their final farewells.
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