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September 20, 2022updated 07 Oct 2022 7:16am

How UK national newspapers covered the Queen’s state funeral

By Charlotte Tobitt

A Getty image of pallbearers carrying the Queen’s coffin to her final resting place in Windsor made several of the front and back pages on Tuesday.

The funeral and procession scenes in London and Windsor on Monday produced a great deal of emotive imagery, ripe for special wraparounds and front and back pages.

The funeral coverage was witnessed by millions of people, with BBC pool footage captured by 213 cameras and remote cameras positioned in unusual positions such as in the rafters of Westminster Abbey.

The BBC said 14 outside broadcast trucks were used to transmit from ten locations across London and Windsor, with its own coverage anchored by a studio in each location.

Tuesday’s coverage contains hundreds of pages but does not quite add up to the 426 pages dedicated to the death of the Queen the day after she passed away almost two weeks ago.

How UK newspapers covered the Queen’s funeral

The Daily Mail captured the Queen’s coffin being lowered into the Royal Vault at St George’s Chapel in Windsor. It produced a bumper 120-page souvenir edition containing 80 pages dedicated to the funeral.

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The Daily Telegraph produced a 20-page tribute supplement and highlighted the emotions showed by King Charles III.

The Daily Mirror on Tuesday contained 40 pages on the funeral plus a 24-page tribute pull out. Its front page used a popular Getty image by Max Mumby of the pallbearers carrying the Queen’s coffin, while the back page featured one of the Queen’s corgis awaiting the procession in Windsor.

Sister title the Daily Express featured the same front-page image, as did the Daily Record (also owned by Reach), The Guardian and City AM.

The Express contained 42 pages of dedicated coverage while The Guardian had 25 pages.

The Daily Star, playing the story unusually straight, produced a 16-page pull out with 11 pages in the main edition.

Free daily Metro produced a wraparound cover, as did News UK titles The Sun and The Times.

The Financial Times dedicated a large portion of its front page to a scene from inside Westminster Abbey and a quote from the Archbishop of Canterbury’s sermon.

The highlighted the vast numbers of people gathered on the Long Walk in Windsor to say a final goodbye to Her Majesty.

Scotland’s The Courier published a special commemorative edition with a wraparound and 25 pages of coverage.

Also in Scotland, The Scotsman‘s front and back page said “farewell” with 23 pages of coverage and a special 48-page supplement.

And The National said a “last farewell” and featured the lone bagpiper whose music was highlighted in a poignant moment at St George’s Chapel in Windsor.

Picture: Rasid Necati Aslim/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

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