The royal family celebrated a “life of service, love and faith” as they bid farewell to Queen Elizabeth II in an intimate ceremony in the grounds of her beloved Windsor Castle on Monday.

After the majesty and pageantry of her state funeral in London’s Westminster Abbey earlier in the day, a smaller congregation gathered at the Gothic St George’s Chapel for a more personal farewell.

The royal hearse carrying the Sovereign’s body arrived at the Castle at 3:40pm after a 40km journey west of London and entered its gates to applause and tears from the huge crowd that had gathered since early morning.

The Queen, who died on September 8 at the age of 96, moved to the palace with her late husband Prince Philip in early 2020 when the coronavirus pandemic began and has spent most of her time there.

Inside, her coffin was carried by the castle’s manicured walkways, freshly mowed lawns, and thousands of bouquets of flowers left behind by well-wishers, along with wreaths sent by well-wishers from around the world.

Her eldest son and successor, King Charles III, his heir William and his second son Harry followed behind the coffin as it slowly made its way towards St George’s Chapel.

Grenadier Guards in red jackets carried the heavy, lead-lined oaken coffin through the chapel’s great doorway and its crowded nave, where many mourners bowed their heads in reverence.

A chorus sang the coffin to its catafalque, draped in purple velvet.

Windsor Dean David Conner, who presided over the ceremony, praised Elizabeth’s “profound Christian faith” which “bearing so much fruit”.

“Fruit, in a life of tireless service to the nation, the commonwealth and the world,” he added.

Elizabeth often prayed at St. George’s Chapel, which is more than 500 years old, and wished that a closing ceremony would be held there.

Although more intimate than Westminster Abbey, where hundreds of heads of state, foreign royals and public figures were among the 2,000 guests, the service was still attended by around 800 mourners.

The chapel, construction of which began in 1475, is dear to the heart of the royal family, who have celebrated numerous baptisms and weddings there.

This is where Prince Harry married Meghan Markle in 2018 and Prince Philip’s funeral was also held under coronavirus restrictions last year.

Her father King George VI, her mother Queen Elizabeth and younger sister Princess Margaret are all buried in Windsor.

“In the midst of our rapidly changing and often troubled world, (the Queen’s) calm and dignified presence has given us the confidence to face the future as she did, with courage and hope,” Conner said, giving thanks for a “long life” and called it “a blessing to us”.

The sound of song and prayer then filled the chapel’s ornate wooden choir beneath the hanging banners of the Knights of the Garter, the ancient order of chivalry founded in the 14th century.

The Queen was personally involved in planning many of the details of the ceremony, including the music.

It was composed primarily by William Harris, who was the chapel’s organist between 1933 and 1961 and, according to the Palace, taught young Elizabeth to play the piano.

Before the final anthem, the royal scepter and orb and imperial crown – symbols of the spiritual and secular power of the British monarchy – were removed from the coffin and placed on three red cushions on the altar.

Charles then covered the casket with the official flag of the Grenadier Guards.

The Lord Chamberlain – the most senior official in the royal household – broke his ‘staff’, a highly symbolic gesture that marked the end of Elizabeth’s reign.

The ceremony, which lasted about an hour, ended with another performance of “God Save the King,” the reworded national anthem.

For the first time in his life, Charles doesn’t have to sing it. He just stood there, staring straight ahead like he had been doing all day.

But as the coffin of his “favorite mama” was lowered into the royal vault, he blinked and bit his lip.