King Charles Bids Emotional Goodbye to Queen Elizabeth at Funeral

On a day of remembrance and mourning, Britain's royal family members paid their respects to Queen Elizabeth II, who died on Sept. 8 at the age of 96.

King Charles III, her eldest son, was seen bidding an emotional farewell to the queen's coffin on Sept. 19 as it was lowered into the royal vault at St. George's Chapel. Later in the evening, the coffin will be moved to the George VI Memorial Chapel for a private burial service.

The royal family and other mourners stood on and sang "God Save the King" as her coffin was seen by all for the last time.

NBC News correspondent Keir Simmons reported on the events. "King Charles, who has been so stoic in these past 10 days... it looked like the tears came today inside of the abbey," he told TODAY's Craig Melvin and Dylan Dreyer.

"What a difficult day, because he's saying goodbye, of course, to his mother and the country's head of state... while at the same time, the crushing reality of becoming the monarch must have really hit home as he watched that crown lifted from the coffin," Simmons continued.

The congregation singing "God Save the King" as the queen's coffin was lowered into the vault, Simmons said, is a "reminder of the responsibility that (Charles) now holds."

The wreath atop the late queen's coffin was curated with flowers and foliage from the garden of Buckingham Palace, Clarence House and Highgrove House. A sprig of myrtle from her wedding day was preserved for the wreath.

During the funeral, mourners noticed that Charles left a note on his mother's wreath. It read, "In loving and devoted memory. Charles R" — the “R” stands for rex, which means king in Latin.

The gesture appears to be a standing tradition, as other royals have left notes on the coffins of their deceased relatives — for example, young Prince Harry and William left a note that read "Mummy" on the late Princess Diana's coffin.

In the historic funeral procession, viewers saw royals, world leaders and other dignitaries gather together to celebrate the longevity of the beloved monarch, who led Britain for over 70 years.

“The affection, admiration and respect she spanned became the hallmark of her reign," Charles said of his late mother in his first public address as monarch on Sept. 9. "And as every member of my family would testify, she combined these qualities with warmth, humor and an unerring ability always to see the best in people.”

This article was originally published on TODAY.com