Following an invitation from Buckingham Palace, Mawlana Hazar Imam requested Prince Rahim to represent him at the funeral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, which took place today. Prince Rahim attended the Committal Ceremony held at Windsor Castle this afternoon.

The Committal Ceremony was attended by members of the royal family, individuals from other royal families, close friends, past and present members of the Queen’s household, Governors General, and Realm Prime Ministers.

Mawlana Hazar Imam and Her Majesty enjoyed a close and warm relationship, in continuation of that between the British monarchy and the Ismaili Imamat across earlier generations. She bestowed the title of His Highness upon Hazar Imam in 1957.

They shared a deep interest in horses. Her Majesty's first racehorse was a wedding present from Mawlana Sultan Mahomed Shah in 1947, and her most recent Group One winner was gifted by Hazar Imam on her 80th birthday.

Her Majesty hosted a dinner in honour of Hazar Imam at Buckingham Palace on the occasion of the Golden Jubilee in 2008, and welcomed him to Windsor Castle to commemorate his Diamond Jubilee in 2018.

His Majesty King Charles III and Mawlana Hazar Imam also enjoy a close friendship. His Majesty is aware of Mawlana Hazar Imam’s work and the Jamat’s presence in the UK and the Commonwealth. The King and the Queen Consort accompanied Mawlana Hazar Imam during a tour of development projects in the Northern Areas of Pakistan in 2006. In 2010, Hazar Imam welcomed His Majesty to a reception at the Ismaili Centre, London, to celebrate its 25th anniversary. In 2018, His Majesty graciously opened the Aga Khan Centre in London in the presence of Mawlana Hazar Imam, and paid tribute to the Ismaili community, saying:

“I have always had the greatest admiration for the Ismaili community's emphasis on intellectual and cultural exploration as a means of integration, and your determination to discharge your obligations as citizens of this country while maintaining your own special and distinctive traditions.”

After the church service at Westminster Abbey, the Queen’s coffin travelled in procession to Windsor Castle. Members of the Ismaili Volunteer Corps lined up near the Ismaili Centre in South Kensington, and along the Great West Road near West London Jamatkhana, to pay their final respects as the hearse passed.

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Members of the Ismaili Volunteer Corps paid their final respects as the hearse travelled along the Great West Road from London to Windsor.
Members of the Ismaili Volunteer Corps paid their final respects as the hearse travelled along the Great West Road from London to Windsor.