A guest at the funeral of Queen Elizabeth ll gave details on what happened during the service.
Dr. Denise Chaffer, the president of the Royal College of Nursing, spoke to People about the historic event on Monday morning, which she referred to as “incredibly moving and incredibly sad.”
“It was such an honor for me to be representing the Royal College of Nursing there,” she added.
Chaffer also spoke about the “incredible atmosphere” at Westminster Abbey where the funeral took place.
“People were so respectful and completely calm — you could feel the sadness in the air. I’m almost lost for words,” she said.
Queen Elizabeth ll became a patron of the Royal College of Nursing in 1953, People reports.
Chaffer said that Queen Elizabeth ll was “a very important patron and met thousands of nursing staff over the years.”
“She was always so interested and took the time to listen to the nurses she met. They felt she understood what they did and how important their role was,” she continued.
Chaffer said that the funeral was “a beautiful service” and “the scale of the contributions from the amount of people involved in the ceremony was incredible.”
Queen Elizabeth ll grandsons, Prince William, The Prince of Wales, and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, walked behind her casket as it made its way to Westminster Abbey for her state funeral.
Queen Elizabeth ll children, King Charles lll, along with Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, and Prince Edward also walked behind her casket for the funeral procession.
Chaffer also spoke about how she felt seeing how Queen Elizabeth ll family was treated by “grieving fans.”
“It was so emotional and moving to see how people were respectful towards them and also understood that they’re grieving fans mourning. It was so moving seeing the children there,” she said.
She added, “It was a coming together, for everybody there, of incredible grief and sadness.”
Queen Elizabeth ll died on September 8, 2022. She was 96 years old.
