Bear Grylls attends Queen Elizabeth II's funeral in Windsor as UK's Chief Scout

With a heavy heart, Britain's longest-serving monarch, Queen Elizabeth II  was laid to rest on Monday. The historic funeral ceremony, led by the Dean of Windsor, was attended by 800 people and the attendees paid tributes to the Queen's "unstinting service." Out of all in attendance, among the first mourners to arrive at the UK Queen's funeral at London's Westminster Abbey was Bear Grylls.

Bear Grylls attends Queen Elizabeth's funeral

The TV personality attended the event in his capacity as the U.K.'s Chief Scout. According to Entertainment Weekly, Grylls was appointed the youngest-ever Chief Scout in 2009 and subsequently started a second term in that role in 2015. The 48-year-old prominent TV personality can be seen wearing a black suit while waving to mourners prior to the monarch’s service at 11 a.m. in London.

Grylls was invited to the funeral representing the Scouts in his role as the United Kingdom’s Chief Scout. He took to Twitter and shared pictures from the ceremony while paying his last tribute to the Queen with a heartfelt message. "It’s a day we will never forget… a truly beautiful testament to our Nation’s Sovereign, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth. Rest in Peace. Your duty is done. Long Live King Charles….," he tweeted. 

The 48-year-old star has worked closely with members of the Royal Family in the past. Bear met the Queen on numerous occasions, including when she awarded him his OBE in 2019, Mirror reported.  Earlier, Grylls even paid tribute to the Queen on the official Scout website. 

"As a family of Scouts, we are united in sorrow for the loss of our Patron, HM The Queen. She leaves a bright legacy of hope and promise for future generations. Together, we will honor her memory. 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."

Further, he wrote, " While she was our monarch and Patron, she always made time to listen to our Scouts and recognize their achievements. Her smile would light up the room. For 70 years HM The Queen has stood at our side, encouraging our volunteers and inspiring our young people to learn new skills, help others and shine brightly." Meanwhile, for those unknown, Grylls has been the host of several wilderness survival shows, including Man vs. Wild. 

IMAGE: Twitter/@BearGrylls