Moment of mourning observed after tribute from Camilla, Queen Consort, but Big Ben did not strike as planned
A national moment of mourning has been observed across the UK for Queen Elizabeth II.
The moment of silence, which took place on Sunday at 8pm, was held in memory of the monarch and saw mourners across the UK come together to pay tribute.
In a prerecorded tribute by Camilla, the Queen Consort, which was broadcast on the BBC shortly before the silence, Camilla spoke of the Queen’s strength as a “solitary woman” in “a male-dominated world”.
A service of reflection took place at 7.30pm at the Kelpies sculptures near Falkirk, at which 96 lanterns, one to represent each year of the Queen’s life, were lowered into a pool at the foot of the Queen Elizabeth II Canal, where wreaths were also placed into the water as an act of remembrance.
The prime minister, Liz Truss, participated in the national moment of reflection from Downing Street, while remembrance events were hosted in community spaces around the UK.
Big Ben did not strike before and after the silence as originally planned.
A UK parliament spokesperson said: “We are investigating this as a matter of urgency but are confident that it will not affect the tolling tomorrow during the state funeral procession.”
In Chester, the silence was marked with a vigil in Town Hall Square, where more than 100 members of the public gathered and followed the silence with a round of applause and a short ceremony which included a poem written by Simon Armitage for the Queen and a blessing by the Bishop of Chester, the Right Rev Mark Tanner.
In Northern Ireland, hundreds of people stood with their heads bowed in front of floral tributes left before the gates of Northern Ireland’s royal residence, Hillsborough Castle, while in Belfast people gathered for a short service at West Belfast Orange Hall on the Shankill Road. Travellers in Belfast international airport also took part in the silence.
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In the queue for the Queen’s lying in state, a small crowd of people stopped near London Bridge and bowed their heads to observe the national minute’s silence before applauding to mark the end of the silence. Dozens of Metropolitan police officers also assembled in silence beside mourners and later sang the national anthem.
