Eleven days after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, 2,000 people gathered in Westminster Abbey on Monday, September 19, for the sovereign's funeral.
To the sound of bagpipes and drum rolls, the coffin - draped with the royal standard and surmounted by the imperial crown, was accompanied in procession to the altar.
And the emotion very quickly won over the Windsor clan.
A sincere scene that we are not used to seeing in the usually very strict royal protocol.
Indeed, the “Royals” are bound by restraint and must not show their feelings in public.
Couples, for example, are not allowed to hold hands during official ceremonies.
The palpable emotion of the Windsor clan
Gathered in mourning, the royal family followed in step the guards of the battalion of Grenadiers who carried the coffin.
Charles III, who became king at 73 after a life to wait, alongside his brothers Andrew and Edward and his sister Anne.
The heir to the throne, Prince William, and his brother Harry, in civilian clothes, were also part of the funeral procession.
Before being joined, in the nave of the abbey, by Queen Consort Camilla, Meghan Markle, Kate Middleton and her two eldest children, George and Charlotte.
Read alsoKate Middleton more majestic than ever at the funeral of Elizabeth II
The protocol and the presence of cameras from all over the world, however, did not prevent the emotion from winning over the Windsor clan.
Prince Andrew struggled to hold back his tears when he arrived at Westminster Abbey, while Prince Harry was seen walking in step with a clenched jaw, a tense face and a worried expression.
The emotion of the Windsors at the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II
In images, in pictures
See the slideshow08 photos
See the slideshow08 photos
Charles III upset
Under the eyes of his sister Anne, Charles III seemed, meanwhile, very moved throughout the morning.
And even more when the British national anthem
God Save the King
was sung by the assembly at the end of the mass.
Clutching his ceremonial sword, his eyes misty, England's new king looked distraught.
What did not fail to note the British press, which also retained the solemnity of which Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle have shown.
In video, the emotion of Charles III during
God Save the King
For his part, Prince William remained very focused, seated in the front row next to his eldest son, Prince George, who consulted the mass booklet attentively during the sermon of the Archbishop of Canterbury.
