Yahoo News Queen Elizabeth II’s Funeral Date Set, Prince William Releases Statement, TIFF Event Canceled — Royal Updates
UPDATED: The funeral of Queen Elizabeth II will be held at 11AM on Monday Sept. 19 at Westminster Abbey in London, Buckingham Palace has said. The U.K. has declared a public holiday on that date.
Westminster Abbey is where the Queen married Prince Philip in 1947. Heads of state from around the world and senior British leaders are expected to attend.
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The Queen will lie in state at Westminster Hall for four days prior to the funeral, with her coffin being placed on a raised platform.
PRINCE WILLIAM
Meanwhile, William, Prince of Wales, has released a statement about his late grandmother.
“On Thursday, the world lost an extraordinary leader, whose commitment to the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth was absolute. So much will be said in the days ahead about the meaning of her historic reign,” William posted on Instagram.
“I, however, have lost a grandmother. And while I will grieve her loss, I also feel incredibly grateful. I have had the benefit of the Queen’s wisdom and reassurance into my fifth decade. My wife has had 20 years of her guidance and support. My three children have got to spend holidays with her and create memories that will last their whole lives.
She was by my side at my happiest moments. And she was by my side during the saddest days of my life. I knew this day would come, but it will be some time before the reality of life without Grannie will truly feel real.
I thank her for the kindness she showed my family and me. And I thank her on behalf of my generation for providing an example of service and dignity in public life that was from a different age, but always relevant to us all.
My grandmother famously said that grief was the price we pay for love. All of the sadness we will feel in the coming weeks will be testament to the love we felt for our extraordinary Queen. I will honor her memory by supporting my father, the King, in every way I can.”
WE ARE UK FILM – TIFF
The We Are U.K. Film Toronto reception scheduled to take place during TIFF on Monday (Sept. 12) has been canceled in honor of the Queen’s death.
The reception was set to be a combined effort from a variety of British film bodies including the British Film Commission, the British Film Institute, the British Academy for Film and Television Arts, Film4 and the British Consulate in Toronto.
An email informing invitees of the cancelation was sent out on Saturday morning.
“Unfortunately, due to the immensely sad circumstances of the death of our Queen, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, on Thursday September 8th, we and our fellow U.K. citizens are now in a period of National Mourning,” it read. “In order to respect this, and after consultation with our event partners, we have made the difficult decision to cancel the We Are U.K. Film Toronto reception on Monday night.”
The organizations’ reps will still attend the festival however and be available for individual meetings.
KING CHARLES
After the passing of his mother The Queen on Sept. 8, Prince Charles was given the new title of King Charles III and released a statement about the royal matriarch.
“The death of my beloved Mother, Her Majesty The Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family.
“We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished Sovereign and a much-loved Mother. I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world.
“During this period of mourning and change, my family and I will be comforted and sustained by our knowledge of the respect and deep affection in which The Queen was so widely held.”
This statement was made after the palace announced her passing writing, “The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon. The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow.”
Queen Elizabeth was 96 years old. Earlier in the day, the palace released a statement saying, “Following further evaluation this morning, the Queen’s doctors are concerned for Her Majesty’s health and have recommended that she remain under medical supervision.”
PRIME MINISTER
Prime Minister Liz Truss wrote that the Queen “provided us with the stability and strength that we needed.”
Mentioning King Charles, she said, “We offer him our loyalty and devotion, just as his mother devoted so much, to so many, for so long. And with the passing of the second Elizabethan age, we usher in a new era in the magnificent history of our great country, exactly as Her Majesty would have wished, by saying the words ‘God save the King’.”
TIFF
At the opening night premiere of “The Swimmers” at the Toronto International Film Festival on Thursday, organizers paid tribute to the monarch.
“As we gather to celebrate the power of film to move us and illuminate the world around us, I want to acknowledge the passing today of her majesty, Queen Elizabeth II,” Cameron Bailey, the festival’s director said. “Our thoughts go out to everyone here and around the world mourning her loss.”
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