The Queen passed away at the age of 96 on 8 September at Balmoral Castle in Scotland.

Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani attended the funeral of Britain’s longest-serving monarch Queen Elizabeth II, at Westminster Abbey in London, on Monday.

The official left Doha on Saturday morning and headed to the United Kingdom’s capital to pay his respects to the Queen on behalf of his Gulf nation and attend the funeral, which saw the invitation of over 500 royals, heads of state and heads of government from around the world.

“Her Majesty was someone of whom I had the deepest respect. I had the honour of meeting her on many occasions, most recently in Windsor earlier this year. She possessed the best qualities of leadership- honesty, integrity, reliance, and empathy to name a few” Amir Tamim said during an interview with French-magazine Le Point.

“She was a great listener and had a wonderful sense of humour. She will forever be remembered as a woman of great strength and dignity, selflessly dedicated to her duty.”

The funeral

The late monarch’s coffin left Westminster Hall at 10.30am BST and made its way to Westminster Abbey on the state funeral gun carriage, towed by 142 sailors from the Royal Navy. The gun carriage was previously used for the funerals of King Edward VII, King George V, King George VI and Winston Churchill.

King Charles, joined by the royal family as well as members of the household, followed the coffin as it made its journey through the City of Westminster.

The coffin was draped in the royal standard, carrying the imperial state crown and a wreath of flowers containing plants from the gardens of Buckingham Palace, Clarence House and Highgrove House.

Tens of thousands of people lined the streets as the Queen’s coffin was hauled by the sailors on the carriage away from Westminster Hall, where she had been lying in state.

The event serves as the UK’s first state funeral since Winston Churchill’s death in 1965.