The State Funeral itself took place at Westminster Abbey at 11am and was attended by around 2,000 guests, including world leaders representing nearly 200 countries and territories, 500 foreign dignitaries, and members of the public selected for charitable or community works.
The service concluded with a two-minute silence and a rendition of the National anthem performed by guests inside the Abbey.
Although the State Funeral was wrapped-up around midday, this was not the end of proceedings, as the Queen’s coffin then took the journey to Windsor Castle – and viewers noticed that, waiting to greet the coffin as it arrived, were the Queen’s beloved pets.
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The Queen’s corgis, Muick and Sandy, sit in the forecourt of Windsor Castle to greet Her Majesty. pic.twitter.com/H02sPv17mY
The procession made its way to Wellington Arch, before arriving in Windsor and travelling up the Long Walk to Windsor Castle – where thousands of people lined the streets to pay their respects and catch a glimpse at the coffin.
Two of the Queen’s iconic corgis, Muick and Sandy, were present as the procession passed, as was her pony named Emma.
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Queen Elizabeth II was famous for her love for dogs, which was inherited from her father, King George VI – who brought home the family’s first corgi, a puppy named Dookie, in 1933 – and she is known to have bred over 30 canines during her reign, as well as being credited with creating dachshund-corgi hybrid, a Dorgi, after one of her pet corgis mated with her sister Princess Margaret’s dachshund Pipkin.
HM was also passionate about horses and racing, and first learned to ride when she was just three years old and continued to ride up until the age of 94 – which is the last time she was publicly spotted on horseback.
Given just how much the Queen was known for her love of corgis and horses, this is probably why viewers watching the State Funeral found it so emotional to see the cameras pan to her treasured pets as they were brought out by Royal guards to watch the coffin procession at Windsor.
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Some viewers said they “were not emotionally prepared” for the scenes.
HM Queen Elizabeth II died aged 96 on 8 September 2022.
During her reign, she served as Queen of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth – undertaking an important symbolic and unifying role as a head of state, spanning numerous geographical regions, cultures, and religions.
She was not just the longest-reigning British monarch in history, but she was also the first-ever monarch to reign in the UK for 70 years.
Admired for her duty and dedication to the role, yesterday her remarkable life was remembered by all.
Sir Ian McKellen pays emotional tribute to long-time friend and fellow northern actor Sir Patrick Stewart
Emily Sergeant
Sir Ian McKellen has paid an emotional tribute to his long-time friend and fellow northern actor, Sir Patrick Stewart, following his death.
Sir Patrick Stewart – who was born and bred in Mirfield, West Yorkshire, and is best-known for his theatre work alongside an illustrious 60-year screen career, taking on prominent roles in franchises such as Star Trek and X-Men – sadly passed away at the age of 86, with his death being announced publicly yesterday evening (29 October).
And now, his long-time friend and fellow northern actor, Sir Ian McKellen, has paid tribute.
Sir Patrick and Sir Ian shared the stage together countless times over their decades-long careers, but also famously starred alongside each other in the X-Men franchise, and subsequent Marvel movies, as Charles Xavier/Professor X and Magneto.
The tribute, shared across Sir Ian’s social media platforms, reads: “Before everything else, Patrick was defined by being born and bred in Yorkshire, the proud county in the north of England which he loved to the end. You could hear it in his accented voice and in the stern honesty with which he told you what he thought and felt. Yorkshiremen have no truck with half-truths or avoidance of big issues. He wore his heart on his sleeve, which made him a man to rely on, to admire and in my case, love.
“We first met as ambitious young actors with the Royal Shakespeare Company half a century ago but we weren’t in the same productions.
“My first strong memory was a few years later, meeting him in the street in central London when he told me about an offer to take over a leading part in ‘Star Trek’. “But Patrick think of your stage career in the UK. Do you really want to risk getting lost in Hollywood for years and years?”
“Well, he took the risk and thank goodness for us all that he did, for not just his devoted Trekkies, but film and theatre audiences who marvelled at his using international celebrity to star in a string of cinema successes (‘X-Men’ of course) and in great classical plays by Shakespeare, Ibsen, Arthur Miller, Peter Shaffer, Pinter and Beckett at Stratford-upon-Avon, in London’s West End and on Broadway.
“America was his adopted home, where he met his adored Sunny who has cared for him through sickness and health, through thick and thin.
“But he never forsook his origins: and the proudest achievement of the most respected and beloved actor of his generation on either side of the Atlantic, was his appointment as Chancellor of Huddersfield University in Yorkshire.”
Sir Patrick Stewart’s farewell performance will be in Avengers: Doomsday, which is being released in UK cinemas on 18 December 2026
Featured Image – Gage Skidmore (via Flickr)
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Classic FM will be back playing calming music for anxious pets this Bonfire Night
Emily Sergeant
Classic FM will be back playing calming music for anxious pets during this year’s fireworks season.
Bonfire Night may be loved by us humans for the spectacular firework displays and all the festive-themed activities that come along with it… but sadly, the November holiday isn’t quite so fun for our four-legged friends.
Loud bangs, flashing lights, and unpleasant strong smell of spent explosives are just some of the reasons why fireworks are frightening to pets.
Not only that, but with multiple bangs occurring from numerous displays across this time of year, pets are rarely able to pinpoint when and where the booming explosions are coming from, therefore creating even more anxiety around this time of year.
Classic FM will play calming music for anxious pets during this year’s fireworks / Credit: DESIGNECOLOGIST (via Unsplash)
Which is why, for the ninth year running now, Classic FM is once again teaming up with the RSPCA for two Pet Classics programmes packed with ‘the most soothing and comforting classical music’.
The music has been handpicked to help calm and settle any anxious pets.
A survey by the RSPCA revealed that almost two-thirds (63%) of animal owners reported their pet was distressed during fireworks season, and that playing relaxing music was the most common way (36%) to help calm or prepare their animal.
Presenters Dan Walker, Aled Jones, and Dawn O’Porter will each host a night of the specially created programme to help keep the nation’s pets calm through the whizzes and bangs.
Dan will present the first programme on Bonfire Night itself (Thursday 5 November), and then as celebrations continue throughout the weekend, Aled will be on hand to bring some peace to Friday 6 November, and Dawn picks up the baton on Saturday 7 November.
Emily Sergeant -
20th September 2022 
