Lone piper plays poignant lament as the Queen’s coffin leaves Westminster Abbey

20 September 2022, 10:48 | Updated: 20 September 2022, 12:35

The Queen’s pipe major gave us one of the most emotional tributes during Monday’s funeral at Westminster Abbey.

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth had a lifelong love of bagpipes, which led to one of the most moving moments of Monday’s funeral.

Pipe Major Paul Burns, the Sovereign’s Piper of the Royal Regiment of Scotland at the time of her death, performed the traditional Lament ‘Sleep, dearie, sleep’ as the congregation stood at the end of the service in London’s Westminster Abbey.

Read more: Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral: All the music played during the service

When she was a young girl, Princess Elizabeth would watch pipers play as a young girl on visits to Scotland. After becoming Queen, she employed a bagpiper so she could hear their sound daily within the Royal Household. Queen Elizabeth II famously enjoyed hearing the piper playing under her window, where he would play for 15 minutes every morning.

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Pipes and Scottish melodies played an important role during her funeral, processions and committal service, details of which had been planned by the late monarch.

A lone Piper also featured in the service of Prayer and Reflection for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at London’s St Paul’s Cathedral on Friday 9 September.

The role of the Sovereign Piper was created in 1843 by Queen Victoria and is considered one of the most prestigious in the Armed Forces.

The Sovereign’s Piper played for Queen Elizabeth II for the final time as her coffin was lowered during the committal service at St George’s Chapel, Windsor. It was music that was with her until the last.