Guideline on the Monarch’s grand farewell
Preparations are being made for the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II when the nation will say a final farewell to Britain’s longest-reigning monarch.
It will be a day of emotion, pomp and ceremony with a service at Westminster Abbey, cortege and military procession across London before a final family ceremony at a chapel in Windsor Castle.
Here’s what we know so far about how events will unfold on Monday 19 September.
06:30: The Queen’s lying-in-state at Westminster Hall in the heart of London will come to an end in the early morning. Thousands have been queuing and filing by to view her coffin.
08:00: A little later, at 08:00 BST, the doors of Westminster Abbey will open for guests ahead of her funeral at 11:00. Heads of state from across the world will be flying in to join members of the Royal Family to remember the Queen’s life and service. Senior UK politicians and former prime ministers will also be there.
10:44: The ceremonial part of the day will begin in earnest about 15 minutes before the funeral, as the Queen’s coffin is carried from Westminster Hall to Westminster Abbey ready for her funeral service. She will be carried on the State Gun Carriage of the Royal Navy, drawn by 142 sailors. Senior members of the Royal Family, including the new King and his sons Prince William and Prince Harry, will follow the gun carriage in procession.
11:00: The Queen’s funeral, expected to be attended by 2,000 guests, will then take place at Westminster Abbey.
It will be a state funeral - an event that is typically held for kings or queens and follows strict rules of protocol, such as a military procession and a period of lying in state - currently under way at Westminster Hall.
The service will be conducted by the Dean of Westminster David Hoyle, with the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby giving the sermon. Prime Minister Liz Truss (pictured) will read a lesson.
11:55: Towards the end of the funeral, at about 11:55, the Last Post - a short bugle call - will be played followed by a two-minute national silence.
The national anthem and a lament played by the Queen’s piper will bring the service to an end at about midday.
12:15: Following the funeral service, the Queen’s coffin will be drawn in a walking procession from the Abbey to Wellington Arch, at London’s Hyde Park Corner.
With the route lined with military personnel and police, Big Ben will toll at one-minute intervals as the procession moves slowly through the streets of the capital.
Gun salutes will also fire every minute from Hyde Park. The procession, led by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, will be made up of seven groups, each with its own band.
The procession, led by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, will be made up of seven groups, each with its own band. Members of the armed services from the UK and the Commonwealth, the police and the NHS will also be involved.
