Why Sandra Oh Was Among the Famous Faces at the Queen's Funeral

Thousands gathered in the streets of London to pay their respects to Queen Elizabeth II at her funeral on Sept. 19. Among the mournful crowd were a few famous faces, including none other than "Grey's Anatomy" alum Sandra Oh, who followed behind the queen's casket as it was transported from the state funeral service at Westminster Abbey to St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle for a committal service. Surrounded by royal family members and world leaders, Oh's appearance at the funeral caught the internet off guard, but the "Princess Diaries" star had good reason to secure an invitation to the queen's funeral.

In June, the governor general of Canada appointed Oh — a dual citizen of Canada and the United States — an Officer of the Order of Canada, the second-highest civilian honor within the Canadian system of honors. Oh received the title for "her artistic career filled with memorable stage, television and film roles in Canada and abroad," according to Governor General Mary Simon's official announcement. As an inductee, Oh joins more than 7,600 people in the order.

Queen Elizabeth II created the Order of Canada in 1967 "to honor people whose service shapes our society, whose innovations ignite our imaginations, and whose compassion unites our communities." According to the general governor: "The Order of Canada celebrates the lives, endeavours and successes of people from coast to coast to coast and from all walks of life. Those being appointed today come from a variety of sectors, have achieved national and international success, and have shown ingenuity, innovation and generosity. What's more, they have made a difference in their communities and for Canada with their outstanding dedication and commitment. Congratulations to the new Order of Canada appointees, as well as those celebrating a promotion within the Order."

"Running Wild" host Bear Grylls also made an appearance at the queen's funeral. He was appointed The Scout Association's youngest chief scout at age 35 in 2009. Others in attendance included President Joe Biden, First Lady Jill Biden, UK Prime Minister Liz Truss, former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon of Scotland, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau.

Other attendees included French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron; Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern of New Zealand and her partner, Clarke Gayford; Queen Letizia and King Felipe VI of Spain; Queen Rania and King Abdullah II of Jordan; Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako of Japan; Prince Albert and Princess Charlene of Monaco; Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of Australia and his partner, Jodie Haydon; and President Isaac Herzog of Israel and his wife, Michal Herzog.

Italian President Sergio Mattarella; Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and his wife, Michelle Bolsonaro; Danish Queen Margrethe II and her heir, Crown Prince Frederik; Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei; Princess Beatrix and King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands; King Harald and Queen Sonja of Norway; and Queen Anne-Marie of Greece were also in attendance.