The world watched as Queen Elizabeth II was laid to rest yesterday.

This was the first funeral for a monarch held at Westminster Abbey since King George II died in 1760.

Queen Elizabeth died on September 8, 2022 after 70 years on the British throne.

Britain and the world said a final goodbye to Queen Elizabeth II at a state funeral yesterday that drew presidents and kings, princes and prime ministers ‒ and crowds who massed along the streets of London to honour a monarch whose 70-year reign defined an age.

Queen Elizabeth II was buried in the King George VI Memorial Chapel at Windsor Castle alongside her husband, Prince Philip, her parents and the ashes of her sister, Princess Margaret. Her husband, Prince Philip, died last year at age 99.

In Seychelles, many are still reminiscing Queen Elizabeth II’s visit to Seychelles on March 20, 1972 to open the Seychelles International Airport, seven months after the landing of the first commercial flight to Seychelles. Accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip, she arrived on Mahé to a musical welcome from church bells and a Creole band.

On that day, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip were driven around by renowned Seychellois driver Lewis Denousse of Bel Air better known as ‘Pti Jean’.

Always smartly dressed in his white uniform and white cap, Mr Denousse worked as chauffeur for the last two British governors ‒ Sir Bruce Greatbatch and Colin Allan ‒ before Seychelles gained its independence from Britain. He later joined the British High Commission as driver. He had a spell as driver at the Seychelles National Oil Company (Snoc) before going into retirement in 1993.

Born on February 15, 1927, Mr Denousse died on March 23, 2012 at the age of 85.

Seychelles was a British Crown Colony from 1903 before gaining independence from the British on June 29, 1976.

Source: Seychelles Nation