'Emotional Moment' During Queen Elizabeth's Funeral Highlighted by Fans

Social-media users have highlighted a touching moment from the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, in resurfaced footage from the events on September 19, 2022.

Elizabeth died at the age of 96 that month, having reigned for over seven decades to earn the title of Britain's longest-serving sovereign. She died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on September 8, 2022. Her state funeral took place at Westminster Abbey in London, followed by a family funeral committal service at Windsor Castle, Berkshire, both on September 19.

This service, held in St George's Chapel in the castle precinct, was laden with historic symbolism, including the breaking of the wand of office by the Lord Chamberlain (senior courtier). The service was attended by all senior members of the royal family, including King Charles III, and its close saw the late queen's coffin descend into the royal vault.

Uploaded to TikTok by user @thecrownofqueenelizabeth on September 22, the new viral video highlights a ceremonial moment before the coffin's final descent. The crown jewels that had been displayed on the coffin since its lying-in-state were removed by the crown jeweler and placed on the high altar.

The removal of the orb, sceptre and Imperial State Crown carried enormous symbolism. They are the regalia of a monarch's reign that were presented to Elizabeth at her coronation in June 1953. Their removal at her funeral close to 70 years later symbolized that they were no longer hers. Now, the regalia belonged to the king, her son, who inherited his position the moment she died.

Captioned "Historic moment queen's crown is removed for final time," the TikTok clip has been viewed over 723,000 times so far and received in excess of 53,000 likes and 280 comments, many of which have voiced tributes to the late monarch.

"This was such an emotional moment," wrote one user.

"This was the moment that I cried. It made it so real that she wasn't here anymore," posted another, with a further comment reading: "She wore that crown with such dignity."

The Imperial State Crown is not the one with which Elizabeth was invested at her coronation. British monarchs are crowned using a historic gold and jewel-encrusted piece of regalia, dating back to the 1660s and known as St. Edward's Crown.

This crown is worn only once, at the point of coronation at Westminster Abbey. Afterwards, before the ceremony has ended, the king or queen changes into the Imperial State Crown, a lighter piece that has been replicated and updated over the centuries. The one today dates back to the 1930s, based on the design made for Queen Victoria in 1837.

After its removal from Elizabeth's coffin on September 19 at Windsor Castle, the Imperial State Crown was returned to the Tower of London. It is kept at the jewel house on display for the public to see with the rest of the crown jewels.

The crown was last seen during the coronation of King Charles in May. It is expected to be seen again in November where the crown is included in the ceremonial aspects of the State Opening of Parliament.

Traditionally, the king or queen of the day has worn the crown for the State Opening. However, in her later years, Elizabeth scaled back the ceremonial aspects of the event and had the crown placed on a cushion while the sovereign's speech was read.

It is not yet known if King Charles will wear the crown or have it placed close by as a symbol of the monarchy during the ceremony.

James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek's royal reporter, based in London. You can find him on Twitter at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.

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