smiles, doing the work of the nation, as she always had. amazing to think now that these are the last photos of the queen before she passed. i want to bring in nbc's molly hunter, who was here with me in london. andrew roberts is an msnbc royal contributor and a british historian who has written a number of books. and simon perry, chief foreign correspondent for "people" magazine. andrew, the crowds here at pups have been large all day long. i watched them grow all day long. even the rain didn't send people away. then you have those amazing pictures of -- let's go to king charles. >> my beloved mother was an inspiration, an example to me and to all my family. and we owe her the most heart felt debt any family could owe to their mother for her love,

affection, guidance, understanding, and example. queen elizabeth's was a life well-lived, a promise with destiny kept. and she is mourned most deeply in her passing. that promise of lifelong service i renew to all today. alongside the personal grief that all my family are feeling, we also share with so many of you in the united kingdom, in all the countries where the queen was head of state, in the commonwealth, and across the world, a deep sense of gratitude for the more than 70 years in which my mother, as queen, served the people of so many nations. in 1947, on her 21st birthday, she pledged in a broadcast

through capetown to the commonwealth to devote her life, whether it be short or long, to the service of her peoples. that was more than a promise. it was a profound personal commitment, which defined her whole life. she made sacrifices for duty. her dedication and devotion, sovereign, never wavered through times of change and progress, through times of joy and celebration, and through times of sadness and loss. in her life of service, we saw that abiding love of tradition together with that fearless embrace of progress, which makes us great as nations.

the affection, admiration, and respect she inspired became the hallmark of her reign. and, as every member of my family can testify, she combined these qualities with warmth, humor, and an unerring ability always to see the best in people. i pay tribute to my mother's memory, and i honor her life of service. i know that her death brings great sadness to so many of you, and i share that sense of loss beyond measure with you all. when the queen came to the throne, britain and the world was still coping with the privations and aftermath of the second world war and still

living by the conventions of earlier times. in the course of the last 70 years, we have seen our society become one of many cultures and many faiths. the institutions of the state have changed, in turn. but through all changes and challenges, our nation and the wider family of realms of whose talents, traditions, and achievements i am so inexpressively proud, have prospered and flourished. our values have remained and must remain constant. the role and the duties of monarchy also remain, as does the sovereign's particular relationship and responsibility towards the church of england,

the church in which my own faith is so deeply rooted. in that faith and the values it inspires, i have been brought up to cherish a sense of duty to others and to hold in the greatest respect the precious traditions, freedoms, and responsibilities of our unique history and our system of parliamentary government. as the queen herself did with such unswerving devotion, i, too, now solemnly pledge myself throughout the remaining time god grants me to uphold the constitutional principles at the heart of our nation. and wherever you may live in the united kingdom or in the realms and territories across the world, and whatever may be your background or beliefs, i shall endeavor to serve you with

loyalty, respect, and love, as i have throughout my life. my life will, of course, change, as i take up my new responsibilities. it will no longer be possible for me to give so much of my time and energies to the charities and issues for which i care so deeply. but i know this important work will go on in the trusted hands of others. this is also a time of change for my family. i can't, on the loving help of my darling wife, camila, in recognition of her own public service since our marriage 17 years ago, she becomes my queen consult. i know she will bring to the demands of her new role the

steadfast devotion to duty on which i have come to rely so much. as my heir, william, now assumes the scottish titles which have meant so much to me, he secedes me as duke of cornwall and takes on the responsibility for the dutch of cornwall, which i have undertaken for more than five decades. today i am proud to create him prince of wales, the country whose title i've been so greatly privileged to bear during so much of my life and duty. with catherine beside him, our new prince and princess of wales will, i know, continue to inspire and lead our national conversations, helping to bring the marginal to the center

ground, where vital help can be given. i want also to express my love for harry and meghan, as they continue to build their lives overseas. in a little over a week's time, we will come together as a nation, as a commonwealth, and indeed a global community, to lay my beloved mother to rest. in our sorrow, let us remember and draw strength from the light of her example. on behalf of all my family, i can only offer the most sincere and heartfelt thanks for your condolences and support. they mean more to me than i can ever possibly express. and to my darling mama, as you

begin your last great journey to join my dear late papa, i want simply to say this. thank you. thank you for your love and devotion to our family and to the family of nations you have served so diligently all these years. may flights of angels send thee to thy rest. >> king charles, with his first public speech since the death of queen elizabeth ii. reflective, warm, paying great tribute to his mother. she made a sacrifice for duty, he said, and honored her for her abiding love of tradition, her

fearless embrace of progress, her warmth, her humor. and he also used the line that is so quoted from her speech so many decades ago that in the remaining time god grants him, he said, he will serve his country. he said he was brought up with a sense of duty and made it clear that that duty is now changed. he paid tribute to his wife, camila, to his son, william, who will become the prince of wales. and in perhaps a surprise, mentioned his love for meghan and harry, who now live in the united states. i want to bring back my guests, andrew roberts, msnbc royal contributor and british historian, who has written a number of books including "the royal house of windsor." as you watched that speech and listened to what he had to say, is your sense that the house of windsor is in good hands? >> oh, very much so. i think this is a very

significant speech. i think that the way in which he -- the tone he adopted, not only the tone for the next ten days, but also the rest of his reign. the way in which he mentioned his love for harry and meghan is obviously an olive branch that's laid out to them. the way he talked about parliamentary and constitutional government implies he's not going to interfere the way some people worried he was going to in politics but step back and do the important duties of king. i think this really set the tone for the rest of his reign. >> do you think that it's what the british people wanted to hear at this moment? >> very much, especially the obviously heartfelt early statements about his mother and his connection to her and his

appreciation, his obvious, very clear appreciation, of the importance of this legacy of duty that he has, this mantle that's descended on his shoulder. he's obviously got a very strong fence about it. >> and molly, you've spent so much time talking to people, talking to his subjects today. do you think that they heard from him what they've been telling you they needed to hear? did they see what they've been telling you they needed to see from their new king? >> reporter: i think so many people would have heard that, chris, and felt reassured. it started echoing the same sentiments that so many people here have told me. he talked about the love and the respect and her duty not just to her family but also to her family of nations, to all of the countries that she has been the head of state over. so, i think there was a profound unity message. he also -- chris, i really liked -- the sense of constant. he talked about the stability that she brought. and he clearly wants to try to

capitalize on that, harness that, and to continue that. he talked about that the royal family traditions and duties will continue even after her passing. he also made a nod at his own public service for the last 50 years, all of the charities, the causes so close to his heart, he said will absolutely continue even though his life has changed. i thought the comments about his son, prince william particularly, were very well received. everyone i spoke with here hoped he would bring prince william up in a real way to kind of be even more involved. and it sounded like he was laying the foundation for that. and i think people will like that there doesn't seem to be bad blood. he mentioned harry and meghan, as they continue to build their lives overseas. it was lovely. it was fatherly. he spoke not only as a son who had lost his mother, but he made the same pledge to the country. i think it will be reassuring, chris. >> and simon, "people" magazine

did two beautiful commemorative covers, one showing the queen in 1951, the other showing her in 2006. she was beloved worldwide. and i think as you listen to this speech and i think the first full half of it was really a tribute to his mother. but in a sense, i think -- and i wonder what your thoughts are. the second half was too because so much of, i think, what people admired about queen elizabeth was the way she worked when we didn't see her behind the scenes to keep this family the extent that she could together, trying to mend some fences, keeping the relationship open with not just all of her grand children but particularly in the recent years with harry. >> yes, indeed. as you say, there's those two covers almost span the two different ends of her life, public life anyway. you have the young queen, which charles -- king charles --

referred to there, didn't he. when he referred to the vow he was echoing, he wants to continue that service however long he has left on this earth. she made that vow at a similar age, that first that you just matched up. and clearly in the second picture, she was, as you say, keen to keep her family together. and there have been some strains and difficulties behind the scenes. but like her son, king charles, has just said as well, there may be difficulties among them, but they're each treasured in their own way. and charles has clearly reached out to his younger son, harry, and meghan and wishing them well as they continue a different kind of journey, which i thought was touching too. but also i agree with -- >> i hope you all stay with us. we are going to go to st. paul's cathedral. we are listening to the dean

designate who had just said, we shall not all die, but we shall be changed. let's listen in. >> following the good example of those who have faithfully served you here and are now at rest, may the last enter with them into the fullness of eternal joy. in jesus christ our savior, amen. ♪♪

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>> the spirit of the lord god is upon me because the lord has anointed me, he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to

the captives, and release to the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our god, to comfort all who mourn, to provide for those who mourn in zion, to give them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit. they will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the lord to display his glory. >> the old testament reading from dr. neil evans. ♪♪

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and if we die, we die to the lord. so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the lords. for to this end, christ died and lived again so that he might be lord of both the dead and the living. why do you pass judgment on your brother or sister? or you, why do you despise your brother or sister? for we will all stand before the judgment seat of god. for it is written, as i live, says the lord, every knee shall bow to me and every tongue shall give praise to god. so, then each of us will be accountable to god. >> prime minister reading from the book of romans.

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♪♪ >> i speak in the name of god, his father, son, and holy spirit, amen. a life lived in the service of others is a rare jewel. it is a jewel that her late majesty, the queen, wore as a crown. today, we gather in this cathedral church with those across our nation, the commonwealth, and the world, with a profound sadness, as we mourn her death. in doing so, we mark and celebrate the life of an

extraordinary which was dedicated to others. during her coronation at westminster abbey almost 70 years ago, the young queen was anointed before god. with sesame and olive oil containing orange flowers, roses, jasmine, cinnamon, and musk, her life was set apart for the service of others. this act of anointing was so sacred -- view and covered by a golden canopy, a rare moment of privacy in a life lived in full view of millions. her majesty's sense of vocation and calling was not something she could pick up and put down again. it was deeply embedded in her

understanding of herself. in the spirit of our reading from st. paul's letters to the romans, she did not live to herself, nor has she died to herself. most of us have not known life without the queen. when she ascended to the throne, the world and the country were both very different places. for seven decades, her majesty remained a remarkable constant in the lives of millions, a symbol of unity, strength, forbearance, and resilience. she has been this nation's unerring heart beat through times of progress, joy, and celebration, as well as in much darker and more difficult seasons. in a message released on

ascension day, she wrote, in this special year, as i dedicate anew to your service, i hope we will be reminded of the power of togetherness and the convening strength of family, friendship, and good neighborliness. as we mourn her loss, give thanks for her life, and reorientate ourselves as individuals and a nation to life without her majesty, may her words remind us of the power and strength to be found in coming together. all of us are grieving the loss of our head of state, head of commonwealth, and supreme governor of the church of

england. but the royal family are grieving the loss of a mother, a grandmother, a great grandmother. how we learn to live with the death of a loved one differs for each one of us, but we must all find a way to grieve. as the theologian, tom wright, said, not to grieve, not to lament, is to slam the door on the same place in the innermost heart from which love itself comes. we may not know the power of that love until the moment of loss. for us, the writer -- wisely observes, love knows not its own

death, depth until the hour of separation. when we are bereaved, we need to make opportunities individually and together, to face and absorb the depth of our loss. yet we are also invited into the healing love of god, which never falters and which is the deepest and widest perspective of our lives. it is a perspective beautifully expressed by the writer of deuteronomy, who tells us that underneath are the everlasting arms. even in the midst of our grief, we are infolded in the all-encompassing love. as a christian, i believe that death is not the end. that gives me hope even in the

worst of times. to speak of hope is not to deny the fear, the loss, and the anguish which death brings. jesus himself stood with martha and mary at the tom of his beloved friend lazareth and wept, wholly undone by grief. we have god's presence in the world's pain. in the model of human suffering, god is there for us. and we are called to be there for others. the word of the prophet isaiah assures us that the spirit of the lord is at work and will bind up the broken hearted, comfort those who mourn, and give them a garland instead of ashes and the oil of gladness

instead of mourning. a remarkable christian faith, about which she had increasingly spoken in recent years, referring to jesus christ as her anchor and role model. here in this cathedral church on the 3rd of june, we joined to celebrate her platinum jubilee. the archbishop of york spoke of her faith in jesus christ as a fountain and well upon which she drew deeply and by which she was replenished through the challenges and joys of life. if christ was her anchor, her husband, the late prince philip, in her own words was her majesty's strength and stay. yet even in the depth of her own

mourning, we saw once again her courage and her instinct for putting the needs of others first. at her coronation all those years ago, she walked up the aisle of westminster abbey straight past the throne and knelt at the high altar in silent prayer. she gave her allegiance to god before anyone gave allegiance to her. the depth, the breadth, and the generosity of her majesty's self-giving in service was an extraordinary gift. and i am certain it has gladdened god's heart. no words can encompass how much we owe her late majesty, the queen. she will be profoundly and greatly missed.

my prayers are with the royal family at this time, that they may know, in the midst of their loss, that underneath are the everlasting arms. in the words of simeon, when after a long life lived in faithfulness he met with god, lord, now let us thou thy service depart in peace according to thy work. amen. ♪♪

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>> let us pray. god, of our journey, you have called us to follow in the way of christ even to death. by the victory of the cross, give your faithful servant elizabeth, through death to resurrection, where christ has gone before. lord, in your majesty.

>> saving god, you have promised your salvation to all who trust in you. bring her with all your saints to your eternal presence. lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. >> ever living god, you have promised new life to all who are found in christ. clothe her with the life of christ, not even death could hold. lord, in your mercy. >> eternal god, all our days depend on you, for you are the give of all good gifts. grant us with her the life of your eternal joy and peace. lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

>> trusting in the compassion of god, let us pray with confidence, as our savior has taught us. give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. for thy is the kingdom, the power and the glory forever and ever, amen. >> eternal god, we pray for ourselves as we pray for elizabeth, our departed sovereign. we stand where earth and heaven meet, where life is brought to

death, and death is made the gate of glory. deliver us from fear and doubt, from despair and unbelief, and bring us all to the light of your presence. grant us that peace which the world cannot give so that we, with her, may trust in you and find our life in you. we make our prayer through jesus christ, our savior in life and death, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the holy spirit, god, forever and ever. amen. >> the 23rd psalm. ♪♪

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torment will ever touch them. in the eyes of the foolish, they seem to have died. but they are at peace. their hope is full of immortality.

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. lord jesus our redeemer, you willingly gave yourself up to death so that all might be saved and passed from death to life. by dying you unlocked the gates of life for all those who believe in you. so we commend your faithful servant elizabeth into your arms of mercy, believing that with sins forgiven, she will share a place of happiness, light and peace in the kingdom of your

glory forever. amen. rest eternal grant unto her oh lord and let light perpetual shine on her. may she rest in peace. two of the chapels, the

chapel of st. michael and st. george, where they can be signed by those who are here and indeed in the coming days by those who want to come to st. paul's and write their names there.

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