The Queen's funeral has been confirmed for Monday 19 September, but the last state funeral in the UK took place back in 1965.
The Queen's husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, who died in April 2021, was given a royal ceremonial funeral, rather than a state funeral. He had indicated a wish for minimal "fuss" and did not lie in state, while the Queen mother did lie in state, but similarly had a royal ceremonial funeral.
On January 30, 1965 a state funeral was held for Sir Winston Churchill. There have been no other state funerals since then.
Before Churchill, a state funeral was given to the Queen’s father, King George VI, on February 15, 1952. The procession was the first of a British monarch to be broadcast on television.
Diana, Princess of Wales, was also given a form of ceremonial royal funeral in 1997, despite no longer being an official member of the Royal Family. Baroness Thatcher’s funeral in April 2013 was a ceremonial funeral with full military honours.
Churchill's official funeral lasted for four days, from January 26 to January 30 1965. This included three days lying in state at Westminster Hall, followed by the order of funeral, which was held at St Paul's Cathedral.
The funeral was witnessed by more than 350 million people. At the time was the largest state funeral in history.
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