Thousands of people have lined the streets of London to see the funeral procession of Queen Elizabeth II. The service will be broadcast globally, with millions set to tune in. The main service will be held at Westminister Abbey this morning before the coffin travels to Windsor Castle later on Monday, September 19.
Today's service marks 10 days of official mourning for Her Majesty who died on September 8 aged 96 as Britain's longest-serving monarch. Miles long queues spanning for over 12 hours at times have formed in the last four days as the Queen lay in state at Westminster hall.
The last people were admitted to the queue at around 10.30pm last night, with the coffin expected to leave ahead of the funeral early this morning. You can read more about the queue here
Read more: The Queen's funeral plans: The full hour-by-hour timetable of what will happen
The coffin will be taken in a grand military procession from the Palace of Westminster to Westminster Abbey for the state funeral at 11am. 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.
Senior members of the family are expected to follow behind, just as they did for the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales and the Duke of Edinburgh. The military will line the streets and also join the procession. Heads of state, prime ministers and presidents, members of European royal families and key figures from public life will be invited to gather in the abbey, which can hold a congregation of 2,000.
After the service, the coffin will be taken in procession from Westminster Abbey to Wellington Arch and travel to Windsor. The hearse will then travel in procession to St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle via the Long Walk, after which a televised committal service will take place in St George's Chapel.
This is the full order of procession at the Queen's funeral
There are three processions around the main service at Westminister Abbey. These include:
- Westminster Hall to Westminster Abbey
- Westminster Abbey to Wellington Arch
- Long Walk to Windsor Castle
The Westminister Abbey procession
The King will lead his family walking behind the Queen's coffin when the procession begins from Westminster Hall at around 10.45am. The procession is expected to arrive at the gate of Westminster Abbey at 10.52am.
Behind the coffin and gun carriage will be;
- The King
- The Princess Royal
- The Duke of York
- The Earl of Wessex and Forfar
- The Prince of Wales
- The Duke of Sussex
- Massed pipes and drums of military bands
- Mr Peter Phillips
- The Earl of Snowdon
- The Duke of Gloucester
- Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence
- Principal Private Secretary
- Master of the Household
- Treasurer
- Equerry
- Equerry
Wellington Arch procession
After the service the Queen’s coffin will be returned to the gun carriage by the bearer party and a procession will travel to Wellington Arch at Hyde Park, led by NHS doctors and nurses.
The King and the royal party will take up their same places behind the coffin as when they escorted it to the Abbey, while the Queen Consort and Princess of Wales will travel to the site by car as will the Duchess of Sussex and Countess of Wessex.
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.
The 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.
Windsor procession:
The hearse will approach Shaw Farm Gate, before heading towards St George’s Chapel via the Long Walk. The congregation begins to enter St George’s Chapel for the committal service.
Some members of the Royal Family who did not join the procession arrive at St George’s Chapel. King Charles III and other Royal Family members join the procession at the quadrangle on the north side as it passes into Engine Court.
The procession will then arrive at the bottom of the West Steps of St George’s Chapel in Horseshoe Cloister. The bearer party lifts the coffin out of the hearse and take it up the West Steps.
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