Queen Elizabeth II's state funeral will take place at Westminster Abbey on Monday. The service, which will be watched by millions across the UK and globe, will start at 11am.
The order of service shows that future King Prince George, 9, and his sister Princess Charlotte, 7, will be among the guests at the funeral. They will join 2,000 others for the service at the Abbey which will include world leaders, European royal families and other invited guests.
The Dean of Westminster, the Very Reverend Dr David Hoyle, will conduct the service and say The Bidding during the funeral.
It will also feature hymns The Lord’s My Shepherd, I’ll Not Want - which was sung at the Queen's wedding - The Day Thou Gavest, Lord, Is Ended; and Love Divine, All Loves Excelling.
The latter has often featured at royal weddings including William and Kate’s, Charles and Camilla’s wedding blessing, and Princess Eugenie’s.
READ MORE: BBC and ITV full day TV schedule for Queen's funeral bank holiday
There will be prayers by the Reverend Dr Iain Greenshields, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland and The Bishop of London Dame Sarah Mullally. Reverend Canon Helen Cameron, Moderator of the Free Churches Group, will praise the Queen’s “unstinting devotion to duty, her compassion for her subjects, and her counsel to her ministers”.
There will also be readings by the Archbishop of Canterbury, The Most Reverend and Right Honourable Justin Welby, and Prime Minister Liz Truss.
At the end of the service, following The Last Post, two minutes’ silence, the Reveille, and the national anthem, the Queen’s Piper, Warrant Officer Class 1 (Pipe Major) Paul Burns, will play the traditional lament Sleep, Dearie, Sleep.
The Queen has been lying in state in nearby Westminster Hall since Wednesday evening. Millions of people are believed to have queued up to see the Queen's coffin. Before the funeral a procession will take the coffin from Westminster Hall to the Abbey.
Following the service the coffin will be taken in procession to Wellington Arch. From here the Queen's coffin will be taken to Windsor where there will be a committal service at 4pm.
There will then be a private burial at St George's Chapel at 7.30pm.
The Queen's funeral takes place 11 days after she died in Balmoral on September 8. Below is the full order of service for Her Majesty's funeral service.
Order of service in full
The service is conducted by The Very Reverend Dr David Hoyle MBE, Dean of Westminster. The service is sung by the Choir of Westminster Abbey and the Choir of the Chapel Royal, St James’s Palace, (Joseph McHardy, Director of Music) under the direction of James O’Donnell, Organist and Master of the Choristers, Westminster Abbey.
The State Trumpeters of the Household Cavalry are led by Trumpet Major Julian Sandford. The Fanfare Team of the Household Division Bands is conducted by Lieutenant Colonel David Barringer MBE, Commanding Officer, Household Division Bands. The organ is played by Peter Holder, Sub-Organist, Westminster Abbey.
Before the service, the tenor bell is tolled every minute for 96 minutes, reflecting the years of Queen Elizabeth II’s life. Members of Foreign Royal Families, Heads of State, and Overseas Government Representatives are received at the Great West Door by the Dean and Chapter of Westminster and are conducted to their seats in the Lantern. All remain seated.
Music before the service
Matthew Jorysz, Assistant Organist, Westminster Abbey, plays
- Fantasia of four parts Orlando Gibbons (1583–1625) Organist of Westminster Abbey 1623–25
- Romanza (Symphony no 5 in D) Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872–1958) arranged by Robert Quinney (b 1976)
- Reliqui domum meum Peter Maxwell Davies (1934–2016)
- Meditation on ‘Brother James’s Air’ Harold Darke (1888–1976)
- Prelude on ‘Ecce jam noctis’ Op 157 no 3 Healey Willan (1880–1968)
- Psalm Prelude Set 1 no 2 Herbert Howells (1892–1983)
- In the Country Op 194 no 2 Charles Villiers Stanford (1852–1924)
- Fantasy on ‘O Paradise’ Malcolm Williamson (1931–2003)
- Elegy Op 58 Edward Elgar (1857–1934) arranged by Matthew Jorysz (b 1992)
The Sub-Organist plays
- Andante espressivo (Sonata in G Op 28) Edward Elgar
- Sospiri Op 70 Edward Elgar arranged by Peter Holder (b 1990)
The Procession of Religious Representatives moves to places in the Nave and the Sacrarium. All remain seated.
This includes representatives of different faiths as well as representatives from the churches of Wales, England and Scotland.
Members of the Royal Family are received at the Great West Door by the Dean and Chapter of Westminster and are conducted to their seats in the Lantern. All remain seated.
The Choir of Westminster Abbey and the Choir of the Chapel Royal, St James’s Palace, proceed to places in the Nave and in Quire. All remain seated.
Coffin enters and readings
All stand as the Procession of the Coffin enters the Abbey. The Choir of Westminster Abbey sings The Sentences - during which the Procession of the Coffin moves through the Abbey
There will then be a number of readings:
John 11: 25–26 I am the resurrection and the life, saith the Lord: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.
Job 19: 25–27 I Know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: and though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God; whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another.
1 Timothy 6: 7; Job 1: 21 - We brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.
The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.
Song - Thou knowest, Lord (Henry Purcell) -Thou knowest, Lord, the secrets of our hearts; shut not thy merciful ears unto our prayer; but spare us, Lord most holy, O God most mighty, O holy and most merciful Saviour, thou most worthy Judge eternal, suffer us not, at our last hour, for any pains of death, to fall from thee. Amen.
Revelation 14: 13 - Heard a voice from heaven, saying unto me, Write, From henceforth blessed are I the dead which die in the Lord: even so saith the Spirit; for they rest from their labours. Amen.
The Queen's coffin is then surmounted by The Imperial State Crown, The Orb and The Sceptre and borne by the Bearer Party.
The Bidding
The Very Reverend Dr David Hoyle MBE, Dean of Westminster, gives The Bidding :
In grief and also in profound thanksgiving we come to this House of God, to a place of prayer, to a church where remembrance and hope are sacred duties. Here, where Queen Elizabeth was married and crowned, we gather from across the nation, from the Commonwealth, and from the nations of the world, to mourn our loss, to remember her long life of selfless service, and in sure confidence to commit her to the mercy of God our maker and redeemer.
With gratitude we remember her unswerving commitment to a high calling over so many years as Queen and Head of the Commonwealth. With admiration we recall her life-long sense of duty and dedication to her people. With thanksgiving we praise God for her constant example of Christian faith and devotion. With affection we recall her love for her family and her commitment to the causes she held dear.
Now, in silence, let us in our hearts and minds recall our many reasons for thanksgiving, pray for all members of her family, and commend Queen Elizabeth to the care and keeping of almighty God.
A brief silence is kept.
Merciful God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the resurrection and the life; in whom whosoever believeth shall live, though he die; and whosoever liveth, and believeth in him, shall not die eternally; who hast taught us, by his holy Apostle Saint Paul, not to be sorry, as men without hope, for them that sleep in him: We meekly beseech thee, O Father, to raise us from the death of sin unto the life of righteousness; that, when we shall depart this life, we may rest in him, as our hope is this our sister doth; and that, at the general Resurrection in the last day, we may be found acceptable in thy sight; and receive that blessing, which thy well-beloved Son shall then pronounce to all that love and fear thee, saying, Come, ye blessed children of my Father, receive the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world. Grant this, we beseech thee, O merciful Father, through Jesus Christ, our mediator and redeemer. Amen.
Hymm - The day thou gavest
The day thou gavest, Lord, is ended,
the darkness falls at thy behest;
to thee our morning hymns ascended,
thy praise shall sanctify our rest.
We thank thee that thy Church unsleeping,
while earth rolls onward into light,
through all the world her watch is keeping,
and rests not now by day or night.
As o’er each continent and island
the dawn leads on another day,
the voice of prayer is never silent,
nor dies the strain of praise away.
The sun that bids us rest is waking
our brethren ’neath the western sky,
and hour by hour fresh lips are making
thy wondrous doings heard on high.
So be it, Lord; thy throne shall never,
like earth’s proud empires, pass away;
thy kingdom stands, and grows for ever,
till all thy creatures own thy sway.
The First Lesson
The Right Honourable the Baroness Scotland of Asthal KC , Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, reads The First Lesson - 1 Corinthians 15: 20–26, 53–end:
Now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming. Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
The Psalm - Psalm 42: 1–7
Like as the hart desireth the water-brooks : so longeth my soul after thee, O God.
My soul is athirst for God, yea, even for the living God : when shall I come to appear before the presence of God?
My tears have been my meat day and night : while they daily say unto me, Where is now thy God?
Now when I think thereupon, I pour out my heart by myself : for I went with the multitude, and brought them forth into the house of God;
In the voice of praise and thanksgiving : among such as keep holy-day.
Why art thou so full of heaviness, O my soul : and why art thou so disquieted within me?
Put thy trust in God : for I will yet give him thanks for the help of his countenance.
The Second Lesson
Prime Minister Liz Truss MP reads The Second Lesson - John 14: 1–9a:
Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? He that hath seen me hath seen the Father.
Hymm - The Lord's My Shepherd
The Lord’s my shepherd, I’ll not want;
he makes me down to lie
in pastures green; he leadeth me
the quiet waters by.
My soul he doth restore again,
and me to walk doth make
within the paths of righteousness,
e’en for his own name’s sake.
The choir sings
Yea, though I walk through death’s dark vale,
yet will I fear none ill;
for thou art with me, and thy rod
and staff me comfort still.
All sing
My table thou hast furnishèd
in presence of my foes;
my head thou dost with oil anoint,
and my cup overflows.
Goodness and mercy all my life
shall surely follow me;
and in God’s house for evermore
my dwelling place shall be.
The Sermon
The Most Reverend and Right Honourable Justin Welby , Archbishop of Canterbury.
Peace by Henry Vaughan
My soul, there is a country
Far beyond the stars,
Where stands a wingèd sentry
All skilful in the wars:
There above noise, and danger,
Sweet Peace sits crowned with smiles,
And One born in a manger
Commands the beauteous files.
He is thy gracious friend,
And (O my soul, awake!)
Did in pure love descend,
To die here for thy sake.
If thou canst get but thither,
There grows the flower of Peace,
The Rose that cannot wither,
Thy fortress, and thy ease.
Leave then thy foolish ranges,
For none can thee secure,
But One who never changes,
Thy God, thy Life, thy Cure.
from Songs of Farewell Hubert Parry (1848–1918)
The Prayers
The Reverend Mark Birch , Minor Canon and Precentor, leads the prayers.
The Reverend Dr Iain Greenshields , Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, says:
Let us give thanks to God for Queen Elizabeth’s long life and reign, recalling with gratitude her gifts of wisdom, diligence, and service.
O God, from whom cometh everything that is upright and true: accept our thanks for the gifts of heart and mind that thou didst bestow upon thy daughter Elizabeth, and which she showed forth among us in her words and deeds; and grant that we may have grace to live our lives in accordance with thy will, to seek the good of others, and to remain faithful servants unto our lives’ end; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Ms Shermara Fletcher , Principal Officer for Pentecostal and Charismatic Relations, Churches Together in England, says:
Confident in God’s love and compassion, let us pray for all those whose hearts are heavy with grief and sorrow.
Almighty God, Father of all mercies and giver of all comfort: deal graciously, we pray thee, with those who mourn, that casting every care on thee, they may know the consolation of thy love; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Right Reverend and Right Honourable Dame Sarah Mullally DBE, Bishop of London and Dean of His Majesty’s Chapels Royal, says:
Let us pray for His Majesty The King and all the Royal Family; that they may know the sustaining power of God’s love and the prayerful fellowship of God’s people.
Almighty God, the fountain of all goodness, we humbly beseech thee to bless our most gracious Sovereign Lord King Charles, Camilla The Queen Consort, William Prince of Wales, and all the Royal Family: endue them with thy Holy Spirit, enrich them with thy heavenly grace; prosper them with all happiness; and bring them to thine everlasting kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Reverend Canon Helen Cameron , Moderator of the Free Churches Group, says:
In recognition of Queen Elizabeth’s service to this United Kingdom, let us rejoice in her unstinting devotion to duty, her compassion for her subjects, and her counsel to her ministers; and we pray for the continued health and prosperity of this Nation.
Alnmighty God, whose will it is that all thy children should serve thee in serving one another: look with love, we pray thee, on this Nation. Grant to its citizens grace to work together with honest and faithful hearts, each caring for the good of all; that, seeking first thy kingdom and its righteousness, they may possess all things needful for their daily sustenance and the common good; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
His Eminence Cardinal Vincent Nichols , Archbishop of Westminster, says:
Let us give thanks for Queen Elizabeth’s commitment to the Commonwealth throughout her reign, for her service and dedication to its peoples, and for the rich bonds of unity and mutual support she sustained.
Almighty and everlasting God, hear our prayer for the Commonwealth, and grant it the guidance of thy wisdom. Inspire those in authority, that they may promote justice and the common good; give to all its citizens the spirit of mutual honour and respect; and grant to us all grace to strive for the establishment of righteousness and peace; for the honour of thy name. Amen.
The Most Reverend and Right Honourable Stephen Cottrell , Archbishop of York, Primate of England and Metropolitan, says:
We give thanks to God for Queen Elizabeth’s loyalty to the faith she inherited through her baptism and confirmation, and affirmed at her coronation; for her unswerving devotion to the Gospel; and for her steadfast service as Supreme Governor of the Church of England.
ORD, we beseech thee to keep thy household the Church in continual godliness; that through thy protection she may be free from all adversities, and devoutly given to serve thee in all good works, to the glory of thy name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Precentor says:
Let us pray that we may be given grace to live as those who believe in the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, and the resurrection to eternal life.
Bring us, O Lord God, at our last awakening into the house and gate of heaven, to enter into that gate and dwell in that house, where there shall be no darkness nor dazzling, but one equal light; no noise nor silence, but one equal music; no fears nor hopes, but one equal possession; no ends nor beginnings, but one equal eternity; in the habitation of thy glory and dominion, world without end. Amen.
The choir sings O Taste and See (Ralph Vaughan)
The Precentor concludes:
In confidence and hope, let us pray to the Father in the words our Saviour taught us,
OUR Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done; on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.
Hymm - Love divine, all loves excelling
Love divine, all loves excelling,
joy of heaven, to earth come down,
fix in us thy humble dwelling,
all thy faithful mercies crown.
Jesu, thou art all compassion,
pure unbounded love thou art;
visit us with thy salvation,
enter every trembling heart.
Come, almighty to deliver,
let us all thy life receive;
suddenly return, and never,
never more thy temples leave.
Thee we would be always blessing,
serve thee as thy hosts above,
pray, and praise thee, without ceasing,
glory in thy perfect love.
Finish then thy new creation,
pure and spotless let us be;
let us see thy great salvation,
perfectly restored in thee,
changed from glory into glory
till in heaven we take our place,
till we cast our crowns before thee,
lost in wonder, love, and praise!
The Commendation
The Archbishop of Canterbury says:
Let us commend to the mercy of God, our maker and redeemer, the soul of Elizabeth, our late Queen.
Heavenly Father, King of kings, Lord and giver of life, who of thy grace in creation didst form mankind in thine own image, and in thy great love offerest us life eternal in Christ Jesus; claiming the promises of thy most blessed Son, we entrust the soul of Elizabeth, our sister here departed, to thy merciful keeping, in sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life, when Christ shall be all in all; who died and rose again to save us, and now liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, in glory for ever. Amen.
O forth, O Christian soul, from this world, in the name of God the Father almighty, who created thee; in the name of Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, who suffered for thee; in the name of the Holy Spirit, who was poured out upon thee and anointed thee. In communion with all the blessed saints, and aided by the angels and archangels and all the armies of the heavenly host, may thy portion this day be in peace, and thy dwelling in the heavenly Jerusalem. Amen.
The choir sings Romans 8:38–39:
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Alleluia! Amen.
The Blessing
The Dean pronounces:
God grant to the living grace; to the departed rest; to the Church, The King, the Commonwealth, and all people, peace and concord, and to us sinners, life everlasting; and the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among you and remain with you always. Amen.
All will then remain standing for The Last Post , followed by the Reveille .
The National Anthem
God save our gracious King,
long live our noble King,
God save The King.
Send him victorious,
happy and glorious,
long to reign over us:
God save The King.
Thy choicest gifts in store
on him be pleased to pour,
long may he reign.
May he defend our laws,
and ever give us cause
to sing with heart and voice:
God save The King!
All will remain standing. The Queen’s Piper, Warrant Officer Class 1 (Pipe Major) Paul Burns, plays Sleep, Dearie, Sleep.
All will remain standing as the coffin and processions leave the church.
Music after the service
Allegro maestoso (Sonata in G Op 28) Edward Elgar
Members of the Congregation are requested to remain in their places until invited to move by the Honorary Stewards.
Later in the afternoon, the bells of the Abbey are rung fully-muffled by the Westminster Abbey Company of Ringers in a peal of Stedman Caters, comprising 5096 changes.
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