Look: Queen Elizabeth's coffin reaches Windsor, her final resting place

Queen Elizabeth's coffin arrived at Windsor Castle, her final resting place, on Monday after a day of pageantry that drew world leaders, along wih hundreds of thousands of well-wishers, to her funeral – all wanting to say farewell to the revered monarch.

People lined the route her hearse took from London, throwing flowers, cheering and clapping as it passed from the city to England's countryside that she so loved through her life.

Thousands more had crammed into the capital to witness the procession and funeral, in a fitting tribute to Britain's longest-serving monarch who won global respect during her 70 years on the throne.

Inside the majestic Westminster Abbey where the funeral was held, approximately 500 presidents, prime ministers, foreign royal families and dignitaries – including President Joe Biden of the United States – were among the 2,000 congregation.

Music that played at the queen's wedding in 1947, and her coronation six years later, rang out once again. The coffin entered to lines of scripture set to a score used at every state funeral since the early 18th century.

Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, told those present that the grief felt by so many across Britain and the wider world reflected the late monarch's "abundant life and loving service".

"Her late majesty famously declared on her 21st birthday broadcast that her whole life would be dedicated to serving the nation and Commonwealth," he said.

"Rarely has such a promise been so well kept. Few leaders receive the outpouring of love that we have seen."

After the funeral, her flag-draped casket was pulled by sailors through London's streets on a gun carriage, in one of the largest military processions seen in Britain involving thousands of members of the armed forces dressed in ceremonial finery.

They walked in step to funeral music from marching bands, while in the background the city's famous Big Ben tolled each minute. King Charles and other senior royals followed on foot.

The casket was taken from Westminster Abbey to Wellington Arch and transferred to a hearse to travel to Windsor, where more big crowds waited patiently. There, the queen was to be laid to rest alongside her husband of 73 years, Prince Philip.

Millions more watched on television at home on a public holiday declared for the occasion – the first time the funeral of a British monarch has been televised.

'Invincible'

Elizabeth died on September 8 at Balmoral Castle, her summer home in the Scottish highlands.

Her health had been in decline, and for months the monarch – who had carried out hundreds of official engagements well into her 90s – had withdrawn from public life.

However, in line with her sense of duty, she was photographed just two days before she died, looking frail but smiling and holding a walking stick as she appointed Liz Truss as her 15th and final prime minister.

Her own family found her passing a shock; "we all thought she was invincible," Prince William had told well-wishers.

The 40th sovereign in a line that traces its lineage back to 1066, Elizabeth came to the throne in 1952, becoming Britain's first post-imperial monarch.

Despite being reputedly 5ft 3ins (1.6m) tall, she dominated rooms with her presence and became a towering global figure, praised in death from Paris and Washington to Moscow and Beijing. National mourning was observed in Brazil, Jordan and Cuba, countries with which she had little direct link.

• Queen Elizabeth II to be reunited with Prince Philip and her parents in Windsor Castle