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As the world tuned in to watch the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, one choirboy managed to steal the show.
The ceremony was held at Westminster Abbey in London as royalty and world leaders commemorated Britain's longest-serving monarch.
Elizabeth died aged 96 on September 8 at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, and her funeral at the abbey was a solemn occasion marked with centuries of tradition.
Music was performed by the Choir of Westminster Abbey, with 30 choirboys aged between 8 and 13 years old, and 12 adult singers, all led by musical director, James O'Donnell.
The singers performed three hymns, two anthems, and two new works created for the funeral by Scottish composer Sir James MacMillan.
One of the choirboys caught the attention of people watching at home who dubbed him the "MVP" of the funeral for his dedication to the music.
"Shout out to the little choir Ginger that was vibing. My boy knows this is being watched by a billion and he's all in," commented one person on Twitter.
A second added: "The little ginger kid in the choir looks like he's singing from the depths of his soul."
A third wrote: "The wee ginger lad front left row of the choir is stealing the show. Bravo, wee man," and a fourth tweeted, "The ginger choir boy is the MVP."
One Twitter user claimed to know the choirboy and referred to him as Barnaby.
"An aside but this choir boy (ginger hair) is called Barnaby & he was born when my daughter was & his mum & my wife used to walk the streets of Bow in E[ast] London together as both babies didn't sleep! He's now a choir boy in Westminster, my daughter watching Netflix!" wrote Twitter user @duncanshrubsole.
An aside but this choir boy (ginger hair) is called Barnaby & he was born when my daughter was & his mum & my wife used to walk the streets of Bow in E London together as both babies didn't sleep! He's now a choir boy in Westminster, my daughter watching Netflix! #queensfuneral pic.twitter.com/pHoafpPyCK
— Duncan Shrubsole (@duncanshrubsole) September 19, 2022
The choir was established in the late 14th century when Westminster Abbey was a Benedictine monastery.
It was created to perform at daily services but also at major royal and state occasions that occur at the abbey, such as the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the queen's diamond jubilee service.
The queen's coffin left Westminster Hall at 10.44am on Monday in a short procession to the abbey where her funeral was attended by royalty, world leaders and other notable guests.
Her children, King Charles III, Princess Anne and Princes Andrew and Edward marched behind the coffin, followed by Princes William and Harry.
After the funeral, the queen's coffin was taken on a procession through London to Wellington Arch in Hyde Park Corner.
Thousands of people lined the streets to pay their respects to Elizabeth as the parade passed London landmarks such as Buckingham Palace and Pall Mall.
From Wellington Arch, the queen's body will be put into the state hearse and transported to Windsor Castle in Berkshire.
There, a second service will take place at King George VI Memorial Chapel, and the queen will be laid to rest in a private ceremony where King Charles III will drop soil on the coffin before it is lowered into the Royal Vault.
Elizabeth will be buried alongside her father, King George VI, her mother, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, and her sister, Princess Margaret.
The body of her late husband, Prince Philip, who died in April 2021, will be removed from the Royal Vault to be laid next to her.
About the writer
Shannon Power is a Greek-Australian reporter, but now calls London home. They have worked as across three continents in print, ... Read more