On Monday, the Queen’s state funeral will take place. More details of the historic event have been released.
Initial details regarding the funeral were announced by Buckingham Palace on Sunday, including the date and time of the funeral. The new details include confirmation the Queen will be interred alongside her late husband, the Duke of Edinburgh in St George’s Chapel, Windsor.
The Queen’s state funeral at Westminster Abbey, will begin at 11am. She is currently lying in state at the nearby Westminster Hall since Wednesday, where the public have been paying their respects.
The coffin of Queen Elizabeth II arrives at Westminster Hall accompanied by King Charles III and other members of the Royal Family, as four days of Lying in State begins.
Tomorrow evening, a vigil around the coffin will be held by The King, The Princess Royal, The Duke of York and The Earl of Wessex at 7:30pm. This service is where Prince Andrew will be allowed to wear uniform as a mark of respect to his late mother.
A vigil was also held earlier this week in Scotland by the Queen’s children.
On the day of the funeral, lying in state will end at 6:30am. At10.35am, the bearers will lift the coffin and carry it in procession to the state gun carriage of the Royal Navy, which will be positioned outside the north door. This is one of the differences between at state and a ceremonial funeral – a state funeral sees the gun carriage pulled by sailors rather than horses.
The doors to Westminster Abbey open at 8.00am that morning to allow the general congregation to take their seats. This will include invited heads of state and overseas government representatives, including Royals from across the world like the King and Queen of the Netherlands, and the King and Queen of Spain.
Members of the Royal Family will follow the coffin on the day, and had to Windsor for a private committal
The coffin will remain lying in state until Monday morning
Guests will travel together from Royal Hospital Chelsea to the Abbey, due to security.
200 people who were recognised in The Queen’s Birthday Honours earlier this year have also been invited, including those who played a part in the COVID-19 response and who have volunteered in their local communities.
The gun carriage will then set off at 10.44am, where the route to the Abbey will lined by members of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines. At Parliament Square, a tri-service Guard of Honour will take place and will be accompanied by the band of the Royal Marines.
Following the Queen’s coffin will be the King, members of the Royal Family and members of his household.
It has been confirmed The Prince of Wales and The Duke of Sussex will walk side by side, as they did in the procession to Westminsiter Hall on Wednesday. For the funeral of the Duke of Edinburgh, the brothers did not walk side by side, separated by their cousin, Peter Phillips, which fuelled rumours of a rift.
Prince Charles and Princess Anne lead the procession that followed Prince Philip’s coffin at his funeral in 2021.
The procession will arrive at 10.52am and the coffin will be carried into the Abbey for the service. The funeral begins at 11am promptly.
Elements of the Service will pay tribute to the Queen’s extraordinary reign and her life as Head of State, Nation and Commonwealth.
Towards the end of the Service, Last Post will sound followed by a two-minute national silence. The National Anthem will bring the Service to a close.
The afternoon of the 19th September will see a procession towards Wellington Arch, where members of the Royal Family will walk on foot and others will follow by car.
The Queen looks towards Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh’s coffin during his funeral service; her own private committal service will take place there on Monday
At 1pm the Queen’s coffin will be placed in the State Hearse at Wellington Arch. The coffin will arrive at Shaw Farm Gate in Windsor at 3.06pm, where a new procession will leave at 3.10pm with the King and other members of the Royal Family joining at 3.40pm.
Just before 4pm, the Queen’s coffin will be carried up the West Steps of St George’s Chapel. The committal service, marking her final journey to rest, will begin shortly afterwards and will be conducted by the Dean of Windsor.
Prior to the final Hymn, the Imperial State Crown, the Orb and the Sceptre will be removed from the Queen’s coffin and placed on the altar. At the end of the final Hymn, The King will place The Queen’s Company Camp Colour of the Grenadier Guards on the coffin.
George VI Memorial Chapel in St George’s Chapel, Windsor. The Queen will be privately interred in the Royal Vault alongside Prince Philip and her parents on Monday
The Sovereign’s Piper will play a Lament and The Archbishop of Canterbury will pronounce the Blessing. The National Anthem will be sung at the conclusion of the service.
Later, at around 7.30pm, a private burial will be conducted by the Dean of Windsor attended by members of the Royal Family. The Queen will be buried with her late husband at the King George VI Chapel, alongside George VI, the Queen Mother and the ashes of Princess Margaret.
