The funeral of Queen Elizabeth II takes place on Monday, September 19. It will be the first time since 1760 that a monarch's funeral has been held at Westminster Abbey. The final mourners at the Queen's lying in state left just after 6.30am this morning. Hundreds of thousands of people had queued over the last few days.
The last person to see the coffin was Chrissy Heerey, a serving member of the RAF from Melton Mowbray, who said it was "one of the highlights of my life".
Both the state funeral service at Westminster Abbey and the later committal service at St. George's Chapel in Windsor will be televised around the world to an enormous global TV audience. The event will be broadcast on BBC television and available to stream on BBC iPlayer. ITV will also show it live and uninterrupted on its main channel and all of its digital channels. Sky News will also provide live coverage throughout the day, available free of charge on Sky News, YouTube and Freeview.
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The day has been declared a national bank holiday which will see many businesses close. Following the service, there will be a procession through parts of London before the hearse reaches the Queen's final resting place at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle.
The full times of the Queen's funeral
6.30am – Public lying-in-state ends.
8am – Doors open at Westminster Abbey for congregation to take seats for the service. Coverage starts on BBC One, iPlayer and the BBC News channel.
10.35am – Queen’s coffin lifted from the catafalque by a group from the Queen’s Company, 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards. It will be carried in procession from Westminster Hall to the Navy’s state gun carriage, which will be waiting outside the North Door.
10.44am – Gun carriage drawn by 142 Royal Navy personnel sets off.
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 for the service. King Charles III will lead the procession.
11.00am – The state funeral service begins.
11.55am – The Last Post sounds before a national two-minute silence.
12.00pm – Reveille, the national anthem and a lament played by the Queen’s Piper brings the funeral service to an end. 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 (south and east sides), Parliament Street, Whitehall, Horse Guards including Horse Guards Arch, Horse Guards Road, The Mall, Queen’s Gardens (south and west sides), Constitution Hill and Apsley Way. Members of the royal family, including the Queen’s children, will walk behind the coffin.
1.00pm – Procession arrives at Wellington Arch, marking the end of the proceedings in London. The coffin will be moved onto the state hearse and begin its journey to Windsor for the second procession. The King and the Queen Consort, the Prince and Princess of Wales and other royals will depart for Windsor by car.
3.06pm – Hearse approaches Shaw Farm Gate.
3.10pm – Procession heads towards St George’s Chapel via the Long Walk.
3.20pm – Congregation begins to enter St George’s Chapel for the committal service.
3.25pm – Some members of the Royal Family who did not join the procession arrive at St George’s Chapel.
3.40pm – King Charles III and other Royal Family members join procession at the quadrangle on the north side as it passes into Engine Court.
3.53pm – Procession arrives at the bottom of the West Steps of St George’s Chapel in Horseshoe Cloister. Bearer party lifts the coffin out of the hearse and take it up the West Steps.
4.00pm – Committal service begins. It will be attended by mourners from the Queen’s household and her family and friends. The Imperial State Crown, orb and sceptre will be removed from the coffin by the crown jeweller. At the end of the final hymn, King Charles will take the Grenadier Guards’ Queen’s Company Colour and place it on the coffin.
Lord Chamberlain Baron Parker, the most senior official in the royal household, will break his Wand of Office. This will be placed on the coffin.
7.30pm – Dean of Windsor conducts a private burial service. The King and members of the family will attend. Charles will put a handful of earth on the coffin. The Queen will be buried with her mother, father and sister. She will joined at the King George VI Memorial Chapel by her late husband Prince Philip, whose body will be removed from the royal vault to be laid next to hers. You can read more stories about the Queen's funeral here.
Who is walking behind the coffin at the Queen's funeral?
King Charles and other members of the Royal Family will walk behind the Queen’s coffin before and after the funeral service at Westminster Abbey. The King will walk with Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward just behind him.
They will be followed by the Queen’s grandsons, Peter Phillips, Prince William and Prince Harry. Next in the procession will be the late Queen’s son-in-law, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, the Duke of Gloucester, her cousin, and her nephew, the Earl of Snowdon. You can see the full information on who will be with the coffin here.
Route the procession will take for Queen's funeral
12.15pm: From the Abbey, the procession sets off for Wellington Arch at Hyde Park Corner, via Broad Sanctuary Parliament Square (south and east sides), Parliament Street, Whitehall, Horse Guards including Horse Guards Arch, Horse Guards Road, The Mall, Queen’s Gardens (south and west sides), Constitution Hill and Apsley Way. Members of the royal family, including the Queen’s children, will walk behind the coffin.
1.00pm – Procession arrives at Wellington Arch, marking the end of the proceedings in London. The coffin will be moved onto the state hearse and begin its journey to Windsor for the second procession. The King and the Queen Consort, the Prince and Princess of Wales and other royals will depart for Windsor by car. Here is the full route the hearse and the royals will take:
- Apsley Way
- South Carriage Drive
- Queens Gate
- Cromwell Road
- Talgarth Road (via Hammersmith Flyover)
- Great West Road (A4)
- Great South West Road (A30)
- London Road (A30) (via under Chiswick Flyover)
- Staines Road (A30)
- Windsor Road (A308)
- Albert Road (A308) to Shaw Farm Gate.
3.06pm – Hearse approaches Shaw Farm Gate and will then head towards St George’s Chapel via the Long Walk.
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