The funeral of Queen Elizabeth II will take place today, as the UK marks a special Bank Holiday to commemorate the life of its monarch of 70 years.
After thousands of mourners queued for hours to pay their respects to the Queen as she lay in state at Westminster Hall, Her Majesty’s coffin will be transported to Westminster Abbey today for the first service before the Queen makes her final journey to St George’s Chapel in Windsor. She will be buried alongside her late husband of 73 years Prince Philip , who died aged 99 in April last year.
Preparations for the day are already underway, with Westminster Abbey having shut to the public and the first arrivals making their way to the service. Around 2,000 mourners, including royalty and heads of state from around the world such as US President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, are expected to be at Westminster Abbey for the funeral, The Mirror reports .
READ MORE: Updates from The Queen's state funeral in Westminster
Here are the timings of the historic day:
6:30am - Westminster Abbey shuts to the public
8am - First arrivals at Westminster Abbey
10:35am - Coffin moved from Westminster Hall to Westminster Abbey
11am - Funeral begins
12:15pm - Procession sets off for Wellington Arch, public’s first view
3pm - Coffin is moved into the hearse and driven to Windsor
4pm - Second service at St George’s Chapel in Windsor for 800 people
7:30pm - Private service for members of the royal family
8:30pm/9pm - Royals likely to leave the service
One of the biggest transport operations ever seen in the UK will take place as millions of mourners travel to London. Members of the public will line the route as the Queen’s coffin makes its journey from London to Windsor, with multiple road closures in place for the day and long delays expected for those planning to drive around the capital.
The Queen’s funeral will feature a selection of hymns, songs, recitals and prayers all personally chosen by Her Majesty. Prior to the service the tenor bell will toll every minute for 96 minutes, one minute for each year of the monarch’s life.
You can follow the full Order of Service for both the Westminster Abbey and St George’s Chapel services here .
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