Why were Sandra Oh and Bear Grylls at Queen Elizabeth II's funeral?

As Britain and the world bid farewell to Queen Elizabeth II, more than 2,000 VIPs, presidents and royal families from around the world attended her funeral service at Westminster Abbey on Monday. Among mourners inside the historic chapel were a few celebrities including Golden Globe-winning actress Sandra Oh, British adventurer Bear Grylls and English actress Sophie Winkleman.

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Scroll through the gallery above to see images from the funeral

Fans of Oh posted clips of her walking into the abbey as part of the Canadian delegation, alongside Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie Gregoire. Oh is a recipient of the member of the Order of Canada and attended the funeral with fellow recipients, musician Gregory Charles and Olympic gold medallist swimmer Mark Tewksbury.

Grylls was spotted waving to the crowds outside Westminster Abbey on Monday. The adventurer and TV personality has met the queen on a number of occasions as Chief Scout for Scouts in the UK. Queen Elizabeth was a patron of the voluntary organisation throughout her reign.

"We will remember her and give thanks for her kindness, her service, and the unwavering support she showed our movement over many decades. She was truly a friend to Scouts everywhere," Grylls wrote as tribute soon after the queen's death.

"I will miss her quiet leadership, her values and integrity, and her wonderful sense of humour. While she was our monarch and Patron, she always made time to listen to our Scouts and recognise their achievements. Her smile would light up the room."

Grylls was also made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire by the queen during her 2019 birthday honours, for his services to young people, the media and charity.

"As our patron, the queen leaves the brightest of legacies — one of hope and promise for future generations. Together, we honour her heart and service, and on behalf of every Scout, we stand united in love and grief. We will never forget you, Your Majesty," Grylls wrote on Instagram.

British actress and singer Winkleman was also spotted at the funeral service on Monday along with her husband Frederick Windsor and mother-in-law, Princess Michael of Kent. The Peep Show star is married to Windsor, who is the son of Prince Michael of Kent, a paternal cousin of the queen.

While she did not attend the funeral service, British TV personality and former model Penny Lancaster was also spotted in the streets of central London as part of the force policing the queen’s funeral procession.

Lancaster, who is married to Sir Rod Stewart, completed her training to become a special police constable for City of London Police in April last year. She was pictured on Monday making her way through busy crowds in the area surrounding Westminster and Buckingham Palace while wearing the red and white chequered sleeve and cap bands of the force.

A video showed her alongside another member of the City of London Police, moving between members of the public waiting to see the procession pass by. Lancaster began volunteering with the force after appearing in the Channel 4 show Famous and Fighting Crime, in which celebrities swapped their day jobs with those of emergency service professionals.

She has met the queen before, during a reception for the Royal National Institute of Blind People at St James Palace in 2013, which she attended with her husband.

At the funeral service, the Archbishop of Canterbury hailed Queen Elizabeth's “abundant life and loving service” as he delivered the sermon at her state funeral.

“She was joyful, present to so many, touching a multitude of lives," the most Rev Justin Welby said at Westminster Abbey.

— Additional reporting by PA News