THE FINAL FAREWELL
ST ANDREW’S CHURCH TO HOLD MEMORIAL SERVICE TOMORROW
THE funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away on September 8 aged 96, will be shown on a big screen at the Colony Hotel in Girne on Monday.
The screening has been organised by the Royal British Legion (RBL) Kyrenia
Branch and the British Residents Society, and will take place in the Colony function room on the fourth floor of the hotel.
Entry to the event will be free of charge, with refreshments available to be purchased throughout the duration of the event. Those attending are asked to dress
“respectfully and fitting of the occasion”.
The function room’s doors will open at 10.30am, with televised coverage of the funeral beginning shortly before 11am.
At midday, there will be a presentation of the RBL Kyrenia Branch standards, followed by a rendition
of the British national anthem. There will then be a short address from Air Chief Marshal Sir Michael Graydon, the RBL Kyrenia Branch president.
Back in London, at 12.30pm, the Queen’s coffin will be moved into a state gun carriage and be
transported from outside the north door of Westminster Hall, where she currently is lying in state, to Westminster Abbey.
The state funeral will then take place from 1pm to 2pm, before the Last Post and Reveille will be played.
The coffin will then be carried to Wellington Arch via The Mall. It will then be placed back on the state gun carriage, before the royal funeral procession passes through Parliament Square, Whitehall, Constitutional Hill and The Mall, past Buckingham Palace, to arrive at Wellington Arch at 3pm.
It will then be transported to Windsor, to Queen Elizabeth’s final resting place at St George’s Chapel, via the Long Walk. Televised coverage of the funeral at the Colony hotel will then conclude at 6pm.
Elsewhere, St Andrew’s Church in Girne will host a memorial service for Queen Elizabeth II. It will be led by Archbishop Michael Lewis, and will begin at 11:45am after the church’s Sunday Eucharist service.
Following the service, refreshments will be served in the church hall for anyone wishing to attend.
PrESIDEnT SIGnS BOOK OF COnDOLEnCE
In addition, the British High Commission opened a Book of Condolence, which was open to signatures from Monday to Friday.
President Ersin Tatar was among its signatories, being welcomed at the High Commission’s Shakespeare House site in Lefkoşa by the newly appointed British High Commissioner Irfan Siddiq.
“We share the deep sadness and heartfelt sorrow of the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II,” Mr Tatar wrote.
“I respectfully extend to His Majesty King Charles III and to all members of the Royal family, the British people, and to the Commonwealth countries our deepest sympathies on behalf of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and the Turkish Cypriot people.”
Mr Tatar said that the Queen devoted her “entire life to courageously serve your country and people, supporting and serving charities and different communities and you will be remembered with love and affection worldwide”.
He drew his message to a close by writing that the Queen’s reign was “indeed a source of inspiration and strength” and that she will “always be remembered for representing the very best of the United Kingdom”.
He finished by writing “may the Queen rest in eternal peace and may God bless King Charles III”.
Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades also signed the Book of Condolence, with a picture of him signing the book posted on the Facebook page of the British High Commission.
Mr Anastasiades wrote that “during her Majesty’s 70 years of reign, we witnessed the further enhancement of the historical ties between Cyprus and the United Kingdom, both bilaterally as well as within our Commonwealth Family of Nations”.