A Proclamation on the Death of Queen Elizabeth II

SEPTEMBER 08, 2022

PRESIDENTIAL ACTIONS

    Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was more than a monarch.  She defined an era.

    In a world of constant change, she was a steadying presence and a source of comfort and pride for generations of Britons, including many who have never known their country without her.  Queen Elizabeth II led always with grace, an unwavering commitment to duty, and the incomparable power of her example.  She was a stateswoman of unmatched dignity and constancy who deepened the bedrock Alliance between the United Kingdom and the United States.  She helped make our relationship special.  The seven decades of her history-making reign bore witness to an age of unprecedented human advancement and the forward march of human dignity.  Her legacy will loom large in the pages of British history, and in the story of our world.

   As a mark of respect for the memory of Queen Elizabeth II, by the authority vested in me as President of the United States by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby order that the flag of the United States shall be flown at half-staff at the White House and upon all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions until sunset, on the day of interment.  I also direct that the flag shall be flown at half-staff for the same length of time at all United States embassies, legations, consular offices, and other facilities abroad, including all military facilities and naval vessels and stations.

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this eighth day of September, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-two, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-seventh.

                               JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

-------------------------------

Statement of President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden on the Death of Queen Elizabeth II

SEPTEMBER 08, 2022

STATEMENTS AND RELEASES
 

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was more than a monarch. She defined an era.

In a world of constant change, she was a steadying presence and a source of comfort and pride for generations of Britons, including many who have never known their country without her. An enduring admiration for Queen Elizabeth II united people across the Commonwealth. The seven decades of her history-making reign bore witness to an age of unprecedented human advancement and the forward march of human dignity.

She was the first British monarch to whom people all around the world could feel a personal and immediate connection—whether they heard her on the radio as a young princess speaking to the children of the United Kingdom, or gathered around their televisions for her coronation, or watched her final Christmas speech or her Platinum Jubilee on their phones. And she, in turn, dedicated her whole life to their service.

Supported by her beloved Prince Philip for 73 years, Queen Elizabeth II led always with grace, an unwavering commitment to duty, and the incomparable power of her example. She endured the dangers and deprivations of a world war alongside the British people and rallied them during the devastation of a global pandemic to look to better days ahead. Through her dedication to her patronages and charities, she supported causes that uplifted people and expanded opportunity. By showing friendship and respect to newly independent nations around the world, she elevated the cause of liberty and fostered enduring bonds that helped strengthen the Commonwealth, which she loved so deeply, into a community to promote peace and shared values.

Queen Elizabeth II was a stateswoman of unmatched dignity and constancy who deepened the bedrock Alliance between the United Kingdom and the United States. She helped make our relationship special.

We first met the Queen in 1982, traveling to the UK as part of a Senate delegation. And we were honored that she extended her hospitality to us in June 2021 during our first overseas trip as President and First Lady, where she charmed us with her wit, moved us with her kindness, and generously shared with us her wisdom. All told, she met 14 American presidents. She helped Americans commemorate both the anniversary of the founding of Jamestown and the bicentennial of our independence. And she stood in solidarity with the United States during our darkest days after 9/11, when she poignantly reminded us that “Grief is the price we pay for love.”

In the years ahead, we look forward to continuing a close friendship with The King and The Queen Consort. Today, the thoughts and prayers of people all across the United States are with the people of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth in their grief. We send our deepest condolences to the Royal Family, who are not only mourning their Queen, but their dear mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. Her legacy will loom large in the pages of British history, and in the story of our world.

###

-----------------------------

Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during her life and served as monarch of 15 of them at the time of her death.  Her reign of 70 years and 214 days is the longest of any British monarch and the longest recorded of any female head of state in history. She was born in Mayfair, London, as the first child of the Duke and Duchess of York (later King George VI and Queen Elizabeth). Her father acceded to the throne in 1936 upon the abdication of his brother, King Edward VIII, making Elizabeth the heir presumptive. She was educated privately at home and began to undertake public duties during the Second World War, serving in the Auxiliary Territorial Service. In November 1947, she married Philip Mountbatten, a former prince of Greece and Denmark, and their marriage lasted 73 years until his death in April 2021. They had four children: Charles III; Anne, Princess Royal; Prince Andrew, Duke of York; and Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex.

When her father died in February 1952, Elizabeth—then 25 years old—became queen of seven independent Commonwealth countries: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan, and Ceylon (known today as Sri Lanka), as well as Head of the Commonwealth. Elizabeth reigned as a constitutional monarch through major political changes such as the Troubles in Northern Ireland, devolution in the United Kingdom, the decolonisation of Africa, and the United Kingdom's accession to the European Communities and withdrawal from the European Union. The number of her realms varied over time as territories gained independence and some realms became republics. Her many historic visits and meetings include state visits to China in 1986, Russia in 1994, and the Republic of Ireland in 2011, and visits with five popes.

Significant events include Queen Elizabeth II's coronation in 1953 and the celebrations of her Silver, Golden, Diamond, and Platinum jubilees in 1977, 2002, 2012, and 2022, respectively. Queen Elizabeth II was the longest-lived British monarch and the second-longest reigning sovereign in world history, United Kingdom remained consistently high, as did her personal popularity. Elizabeth died aged 96 at Balmoral Castle, Aberdeenshire, and was succeeded by her eldest son, Charles III.

---------------------------

Details of the timetable of official events are beginning to be revealed following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, Britain's longest ever reigning monarch.

It is expected to happen in the days ahead, including the journey of the Queen's coffin from Scotland, her lying in state next week and her state funeral on Monday 19 September.

Scottish journey

The Queen's coffin will depart Balmoral estate on Sunday at 10:00BST for the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh - the official residence of the British monarch in Scotland.

It will be transported slowly by hearse through Aberdeen, Dundee and by Perth before lying in the palace's Throne Room until Monday afternoon.

The King and members of the Royal Family will accompany the coffin in procession at 14:35BST to St Giles' Cathedral, where a service will be held. The Queen will lie at rest at the cathedral for 24 hours until Tuesday, allowing the public to view her coffin.

The Queen's lying in state

The Queen will lie in state in Westminster Hall for four full days before her funeral on Monday 19 September, allowing members of the public to file past and pay their respects.

The grand hall is the oldest part of the Palace of Westminster, at the heart of British government.

The last member of the Royal Family to lie in state in the hall was the Queen Mother in 2002, when more than 200,000 people queued to view her coffin.

The Queen's funeral

The Queen's state funeral will take place at Westminster Abbey at 11:00BST on Monday 19 September. The day has been declared a Bank Holiday across the UK.

The Abbey is the historic church where Britain's kings and queens are crowned, including the Queen's coronation in 1953, and where she had married Prince Philip in 1947.

There hasn't been a monarch's funeral service in the Abbey since the 18th Century, although the funeral of the Queen's mother was held there in 2002.

Heads of state from across the world will be flying in to join members of the Royal Family to remember the life and service of the Queen. Senior UK politicians and former prime ministers will also be there.

The day will begin as the Queen's coffin is carried from Westminster Hall to Westminster Abbey on the State Gun Carriage of the Royal Navy.

The gun carriage was last seen in 1979 for the funeral of Prince Philip's uncle, Lord Mountbatten, drawn by 142 sailors from the Royal Navy.

Senior members of the Royal Family, including the new King, are likely to follow in procession.

The service will likely be conducted by the Dean of Westminster David Hoyle, with the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby giving the sermon. Prime Minister Liz Truss may be called on to read a lesson.

Following the funeral service, the Queen's coffin will be drawn in a walking procession from the abbey to Wellington Arch, at London's Hyde Park Corner before heading to Windsor by hearse.

The Queen's coffin will make its final journey that afternoon to St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle.

The King and senior members of the Royal Family are expected to join the procession in the Quadrangle in Windsor Castle before the coffin enters St George's Chapel for a committal service.

St George's Chapel is the church regularly chosen by the Royal Family for weddings, christenings and funerals. It is where the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan, got married and where the Queen's late husband Prince Philip's funeral was held.

The Queen's coffin will be lowered into the Royal Vault before being interred in the King George VI memorial chapel, located inside St George's Chapel.

Key points in the procession

coffin left Balmoral Castle at 10:00 and heads east through Royal Deeside and then through the suburbs of Aberdeen.

from Aberdeen the cortege will take the coast road south, past Portlethen and Stonehaven, and then inland through the Angus countryside and past Brechin.

when the procession reaches Dundee it will go around the city on the Kingsway, and from there to Perth and across the Friarton Bridge and down the M90 and over the Queensferry Crossing towards Edinburgh.

In the capital the procession will enter from the west of the city, skirt by Edinburgh Castle and down the full length of the Royal Mile to the The Palace of Holyroodhouse by about 16:00.

Pay respects

On Monday, there will be a procession from the palace to St Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh where the coffin will rest for 24 hours to allow people to pay their respects.

The following day The Queen's coffin will be transported by road from the cathedral to Edinburgh Airport and then flown to RAF Northolt before going on to Buckingham Palace.

It is expected that King Charles III will travel to Edinburgh on Monday.

The procession of The Queen's coffin from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St Giles Cathedral is expected to include members of the royal family.

There will be a service in the cathedral and then members of the public will be able to file past the coffin for a 24 hour period.