President of Iceland Guðni Th. Jóhannesson and his wife Eliza Reid were present yesterday for the royal funeral in Westminster Abbey.
The royal funeral gathered together hundreds of world leaders, with much of London shut down to traffic for the funeral procession. The late Elizabeth II was laid to rest at 11:00am, Icelandic time.
In an interview with RÚV, the President stated that it was a vey solemn occasion, with psalms, organ, choir, and many other musical accompaniments. “The whole ceremony was significant in every way,” he stated, “and historic as well.”
The President continued: “She performed military service, took part in protecting her homeland in the Second World War, and departs us now in the year 2022. In this ceremony, times long gone met with the contemporary. Then we look forward and wonder to ourselves how the future will be. What we know is that Queen Elizabeth did her dues and performed her duties conscientiously and with respect for her country and subjects.”
The British Embassy in Reykjavík was closed for the occasion, and many Icelanders also followed along from home.
Some facilities even offered live screenings of the state funeral, such as the Hrafnista elder care home in Hafnafjörður, which held a ceremony for the residents.
