What is a state funeral, when was last one in the UK and who was it for?

Queen Elizabeth II died on September 8 at the age of 96. Buckingham Palace confirmed she passed away peacefully in her sleep at her beloved home in Balmoral Castle.

King Charles III and Prime Minister Liz Truss will both be speaking at the state funeral service later today, following their shared tour of the UK for the national period of mourning.

This will likely be one of the biggest state funerals in UK history, an event typically preserved for Royal Family members.

However, Prince Philip received a royal ceremonial funeral during Covid-19 restrictions, leaving the Queen to sit alone during the event.

It is set to commence at 11am after a short, 10-minute procession led by the Royal gun carriage followed by Royal Family members.

The service itself will last no more than an hour, with a two-minute silence being observed at 12pm, immediately after the event.

The BBC will be airing the funeral, along with most other networks in the UK including ITV and Sky News.

There will be no restrictions this time as state funerals are massive affairs – here is everything you need to know.

What is a state funeral?

State funerals are held primarily for ruling monarchs (Alpha Press)

The head of state in the UK is always entitled to a state funeral, with the last sovereign state funeral being held in 1952 upon the death of King George VI.

Very rarely, other dignitaries can be granted a state funeral with the approval of Parliament and the ruling monarch.

These are only in exceptional circumstances, with the last taking place in 1965, following the death of Winston Churchill.

Who has had a state funeral in the UK?

Winston Churchill received a state funeral (PA)

Before King George IV’s state funeral, Queen Victoria received one in 1901, as did King Edward VII in 1910 and King George V in 1936.

Traditionally, Royal Family members are buried in St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.

Both Queen Victoria and King George VI are buried there, alongside Queen Elizabeth I and the Queen’s mother.

The most recent example of a state funeral being granted for an exceptional individual was the death of Sir Winston Churchill in 1965.

He wasn’t the first Prime Minister to receive one though, as William Gladstone did in 1898, along with Lord Palmerston in 1965.

In 1852, The Duke of Wellington was given a state funeral, while Lord Nelson received one in 1806 after his demise in the Battle of Trafalgar during the Napoleonic Wars.

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