The Queen's incredibly touching funeral tribute to Captain Sir Tom Moore

The Queen has paid tribute to the late Captain Sir Tom Moore as he was laid to rest in Bedfordshire on Saturday.

• The Queen personally knighted Captain Sir Tom Moore in July 2020 at Windsor Castle.
• The fundraising hero tragically passed away last month after being admitted to hospital with coronavirus and pneumonia.
• This royal news (opens in new tab) comes after it was revealed that Prince Phillip is mourning a personal loss as he battles infection in hospital (opens in new tab).

Captain Sir Tom Moore received a knighthood from the Queen in July last year, after becoming a national hero during the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic. The veteran pledged to raise as much money as possible for the NHS during the crisis and in the process also captured the nation’s hearts and imaginations. 

He went on to raise a total of more than £32 million (opens in new tab) after completing 100 laps of his garden. Captain Sir Tom Moore sadly passed away (opens in new tab) aged 100 on February 2, 2021, after being admitted to hospital with coronavirus and pneumonia (opens in new tab).  

His funeral took place on Saturday in Bedfordshire and, as reported by The Mirror, the Queen paid a heartfelt tribute to him on this sad day. 

Her Majesty is understood to have sent a wreath of 200 beautiful white roses to be laid for the NHS fundraising hero on her behalf. The Deputy Lord Lieutenant of West Yorkshire, David Pearson, laid the wreath in Keighley. The West Yorkshire town was the birthplace of Captain Sir Tom.

According to the Mirror, the fundraising hero was laid to rest by eight members of his family, who said his "message and his spirit lives on".

This comes after Captain Sir Tom Moore was knighted personally by the Queen in July 2020. This knighting ceremony was one of her first official engagements since lockdown began in March 2020.

Taking place on the same day as her granddaughter Princess Beatrice’s wedding to Edoardo (opens in new tab) Mapelli Mozzi, some have claimed the monarch reportedly left the family celebration early to perform Captain Sir Tom’s ceremony. 

In a Tweet when the honour was announced, Captain Sir Tom wrote: ‘It is going to be the most special of days for me’.

Prior to this wonderful occasion, he was also surprised on Good Morning Britain with a Pride of Britain Award, and a personal message from the Queen. Her support and admiration for this remarkable hero are evident in her heartfelt tribute to him on Saturday.

Our thoughts are with Captain Sir Tom Moore’s family and friends at this difficult time.