An early morning rehearsal for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II
(Picture: PA)Queen Elizabeth II will be laid to rest on Monday in a state funeral set to be watched by billions of people around the globe.
Here’s a minute-by-minute guide to the day’s events as London pays tribute to Britain’s longest-reigning monarch.
6.30am Doors close to public for the Queen’s lying-in-state in Westminster Hall.
8am Westminster Abbey opens for congregation to take their seats for the state funeral service. Heads of state and overseas government representatives, including foreign royal families, governors-general and realm prime ministers gather at the Royal Hospital, Chelsea, and travel under collective arrangements to the abbey.
10.35am Bearer party, drawn from Queen’s Company, 1st Battalion, Grenadier Guards, lifts the coffin from the catafalque. It carries it in procession from Westminster Hall to the Royal Navy’s state gun carriage, which will be positioned outside the building’s north door.
10.44am Gun carriage, drawn by 142 Royal Navy service personnel, sets off at 10.44am. The King, members of the royal family, his household and the household of the Prince of Wales will follow the coffin.
10.52am Procession arrives at the west gate of Westminster Abbey where the bearer party will lift the coffin from the state gun carriage and carry it inside.
11am State funeral begins.
11.55am The Last Post sounds followed by a national two-minute silence.
12pm Reveille, the national anthem and a lament, played by the Queen’s piper, brings the state funeral service to an end at noon. The coffin will be carried to the state gun carriage.
12.15pm Procession sets off for Wellington Arch at Hyde Park Corner, via Broad Sanctuary Parliament Square, Parliament Street, Whitehall, Horse Guards including Horse Guards Arch, Horse Guards Road, The Mall, Queen’s Gardens, Constitution Hill.
1pm Procession arrives at Wellington Arch. The bearer party lifts the coffin from the gun carriage and places it in the state hearse. This departs for Windsor as the parade gives a royal salute and the national anthem is played. The King and members of the royal family depart for Windsor by car.
3.06pm The state hearse approaches Shaw Farm Gate on Albert Road, Windsor, and joins a procession.
3.10pm Procession starts along Albert Road, Long Walk, Cambridge Gate, Cambridge Drive, George IV Gate, Quadrangle (south and west sides), Engine Court, Norman Arch, Chapel Hill, Parade Ground and Horseshoe Cloister Arch.
3.20pm Door of St George’s Chapel opens for the congregation for the committal service.
3.25pm Members of the royal family who will not join the procession arrive at St George’s Chapel for the service.
3.40pm The King and other royal family members who are walking in the procession join it at the quadrangle on the north side as it passes into Engine Court.
3.53pm Procession halts at the bottom of the West Steps of St George’s Chapel. Bearer party lifts the coffin from the state hearse, from where it will be carried up the West Steps.
4pm Committal service will begin. The length of the service is not yet known but when it ends, the King and members of the royal family will depart from the Galilee Porch for Windsor Castle. This marks the end of public ceremonial arrangements.
7.30pm Private burial service conducted by the Dean of Windsor, attended by the King and members of the royal family. The Queen is interred with the Duke of Edinburgh at the King George VI Memorial Chapel.
