Queen Elizabeth II left Buckingham Palace for the last time Wednesday, with her coffin being driven in a procession followed by her son and heir, King Charles III, and her warring grandsons, Prince William and Prince Harry.

Tens of thousands of mourners looked on as the gilded gates of the monarch’s London residence opened to let through her coffin on its way to Westminster Hall, where it will lie in state for public viewing until her funeral next Monday.

Throngs of soldiers in scarlet ceremonial uniforms marched ahead of and alongside the gun carriage pulled by seven black horses carrying the monarch’s flag-draped coffin, with her crown resting on top, to the sounds of a mournful dirge and a steady drumbeat filling the air over Britain’s capital.

King Charles, his sister, Princess Royal Anne, and their brothers, Princes Edward and Andrew, walked behind their mother’s coffin, followed by William, Prince of Wales, and his brother, Prince Harry.

The image of the two feuding siblings called to mind the funeral procession for their mother, Prince Diana, in 1997, in which they walked as children, flanked by their father, the future king, and their grandfather.

During Prince Phillip’s funeral procession in 2021, which came at one of the low points of their relationship, William and Harry had to be separated by Peter Phillip, Princess’ Anne son.

Unlike the rest of the senior members of the royal family, Prince Harry was denied the right to don a uniform on Wednesday after he and wife Meghan Markle stepped back from being active members of the royal family and moved to California.

Prince Andrew also was not permitted to wear his military uniform after being stripped of his “HRH” status and his honorary ranks over his friendship with pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

As the solemn cortege made its way along the Mall lined with Britain’s flags towards the Horse Guards Parade, onlookers greeted the members of the queen’s family with spontaneous bursts of applause.

Just after 3 p.m. local time, the somber procession terminated at the doors of Westminster Hall, where the Queen’s coffin was lifted off the carriage and carried inside on the shoulders of eight young soldiers, as the late monarch’s uniform-clad family members saluted her.

Senior members of the royal family, including Queen Consort Camilla, Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, all dressed in black, looked on as the Queen’s coffin was carefully placed onto a purple catafalque at the center of a raised podium as a church choir sang a hymn in her honor.

During a service that followed, Kate and Meghan stood next to each other, looking straight ahead and avoiding any eye contact.

The king could be seen welling up as he watched the Queen’s grenadiers lowering their heavily embroidered standard and placing it at the feet of the catafalque as a mark of respect.

Bodyguard officers and household cavalry officers in tall boots and helmets decorated with red and white plumes then arrived to take their positions on the podium around the coffin to begin their first 6-hour watch.

There will be 20 such vigils through Monday morning, when the Queen’s coffin will be transported to Westminster Abbey for the funeral.

The main portion of the service concluded when the royal family, led by the King, filed out of Westminster Hall, with Harry and Meghan walking hand in hand, as has been their custom.

On Wednesday evening, members of the public who waited in line to view the late monarch’s coffin began filling in to pay their respects.

Officials have warned that mourners can expect to wait over 30 hours in line — and should expect to stand the whole time. 

The government is expecting at least 750,000 mourners, more than three times the amount who came to see the Queen Mother after she died two decades ago.

Signs were put up along the line’s route telling mourners they must have a wristband to join the line, and port-a-potties were placed along the route. 

There will be an airport-style security clearance upon entering Westminster, according to the UK government’s website.

Though the public won’t actually see the Queen’s body, they will get a chance to walk by the royal’s closed coffin, which will be covered by the flag called the Royal Standard.

Due to the high volume of people expected to attend, there will be guards placed in each corner of the platform.

Mourners will be asked to pass the coffin without stopping to ensure the line is moving swiftly throughout the day and night.

Chris Imafidon was the sixth person in line to see the late monarch’s coffin.

“I have 1,001 emotions when I see her,” he said. “I want to say, God, she was an angel, because she touched many good people and did so many good things.”