As the queen’s funeral approaches, a look back at other high-profile, televised ceremonies
Members of the public gather to see the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II leaves from St Giles' Cathedral on September 13, 2022 in Edinburgh, Scotland. (Photo by Louisa Gouliamaki - WPA Pool/Getty Images)
Funerals for high-profile public figures draw crowds in the thousands — and TV audiences in the millions.
The latest to be publicly grieved is Queen Elizabeth II after she died last week at the age of 96. Thousands have already lined the streets in Edinburgh alone to get a glimpse of the processional spectacle, which will last more than a week before her state funeral in London on Monday, Sept. 19.
As the final goodbye to the queen approaches, here is a look at other high-profile, televised funeral events that drew historic crowds:
John F. Kennedy - 1963
The assassination of then-president John F. Kennedy was the first globally significant event to be heavily televised, including his subsequent funeral.
"Television brought those events immediately and continually into America's homes," The White House Historical Association writes.
NPR reported JFK’s funeral procession was watched in 93% of all homes that were equipped with TV sets — the largest viewing audience ever recorded to that point.
More than 250,000 people filed past the flag-draped coffin.
Martin Luther King Jr. - 1968
Just a few years later, the funeral for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.‘s was also historically viewed by millions at home. In person that day in Atlanta, as many as 100,000 people gathered along the four-mile-long procession.
Politicians from around the country, as well as fellow civil rights leaders, notable entertainers, authors and poets attended the service.
Princess Diana - 1997
Some 2.5 billion people across the world tuned in to watch Princess Diana’s funeral following her untimely death in a car crash in Paris. At least a million lined the streets to watch the procession.
Her funeral lasted nearly six and a half hours, and the service at Westminster Abbey included a reading from then-Prime Minster Tony Blair and a performance of Sir Elton John’s "Candle in the Wind."
Her funeral to this day is still reported to be the most-watched.
Mother Teresa - 1997
Just one week after Princess Diana’s funeral, the world celebrated the life of a different mother across the world - Mother Teresa.
About 10,000 mourners lined up to pay their respects in Calcutta, India. The funeral reportedly drew millions of viewers from around the world, though portraying a multilingual ceremony proved difficult and there were video and audio problems during the broadcast.
"Some believe guilt over excessive Diana coverage was one of the factors in networks carrying Mother Teresa’s funeral live," The Associated Press reported at the time.
Ronald Reagan - 2004
The actor-turned-politician was the first former U.S. president to die in the 21st century, ushering in the non-stop age of news coverage. Millions tuned in to watch his seven-day state funeral unfold, with many of the events available on replay.
Over 200,000 mourners made the journey to say their final goodbye to the former president, with about 4,000 able to attend the funeral in person.
Michael Jackson - 2009
The sudden death of the King of Pop at age 50 consumed fans around the globe that summer.
After a private service, a public memorial on July 7 at the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles was broadcast live around the world. More than 17,000 people were reportedly in attendance — and more than one billion watched from around the world.
His funeral is reported to be the second-most-watched funeral ever.
Muhammad Ali - 2016
An estimated one billion people worldwide were also estimated to tune into the interfaith service for the legendary boxing champion. The pallbearers included former boxers Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis and actor Will Smith, who played Ali in the movies.
An estimated 100,000 people held signs and chanted along his procession. The more than three-hour memorial capped nearly a full day of mourning in Louisville.
Aretha Franklin - 2018
Though the funeral for the Queen of Soul wasn’t a global spectacle, her homegoing was still quite the to-do in her hometown of Detroit.
The service at Greater Grace Temple lasted more than eight hours and included performances from Ariana Grande, Stevie Wonder, Jennifer Hudson, Faith Hill, the Clark Sisters, Chaka Khan, Ron Isley, and Fantasia. One thousand people in the general public were invited to attend.
Thousands showed up to pay their respects as her body lied in repose — in red high-heeled shoes — at the Charles H. Wright Historical Museum.
Kobe Bryant - 2020
Roughly 20,000 people gathered for a public memorial at Staples Center in Los Angeles honoring him, his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, and the seven other victims of the shocking helicopter crash.
The mourners included Lakers legends Jerry West, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson and Pau Gasol. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver joined Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal, Phil Jackson, Dwyane Wade and dozens of current NBA players.
Celebrities such as Kanye West, Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez also attended.
This story was reported from Detroit. The Associated Press contributed.