Queen Elizabeth II once set aside royal protocol to honour Sir Winston Churchill at his state funeral in 1965, a new documentary reveals. The monarch, who rarely deviates from tradition, made a touching gesture by arriving before the coffin and the Churchill family, and leaving after both.
Typically, the Queen arrives last and departs first at official events. However, at Churchill's funeral at St. Paul's Cathedral, she broke this rule to show respect. The narrator of Channel 5's 'Elizabeth: Our Queen' explained that she bestowed the honour of arriving last to Churchill's family and his coffin.
Sir Nicolas Soames, Churchill's grandson, described the gesture as 'absolutely exceptional' and 'a beautiful and very touching gesture.' The documentary airs tonight at 9pm on Channel 5.
The Queen and Churchill are believed to have shared a close friendship, dating back to her accession to the throne in 1952 when he was Prime Minister. The funeral marked one of the rare occasions the Queen put protocol aside.
