The duty of organising the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II falls to a duke, who has obviously never had to arrange something of this scale and importance before. The Earl Marshal is not only responsible for arranging the State Opening of Parliament, but also has a duty to organise the state funerals of sovereigns. Not only that, but he organises the accession and coronations of new monarchs - a task he will be doing for the first time.
The role of the Earl Marshal is hereditary, and it falls to the Duke of Norfolk, the highest ranking duke in England. The current Earl Marshal is the 18th Duke of Norfolk, Edward Fitzalan-Howard, who inherited the position upon the death of his father in 2002.
For the latest updates as the world mourns the Queen and King Charles III's reign begins, follow our live blog.
Get the news you want straight to your inbox. Sign up for a Mirror newsletter here
The duke is the most senior lay member of the Roman Catholic Church in Britain and a crossbench peer in the House of Lords - he was educated at the University of Oxford.
He is a father of five, and also a descendant of Elizabeth I - he is reported to be worth over £100million.
Known to friends as Eddie, the duke previously ran a bottled gas company, a joinery business, and was a keen racing driver and daredevil skier - making him one of Britain’s most eligible bachelors.
'Eddie Norfolk' hit headlines in 2011 when he split with his wife of many years, Georgina. Their separation was reportedly so acrimonious they missed the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding to avoid being in the same room as one another and to spare the Queen any embarrassment.
Yet, the pair were reconciled after a five-year break which saw them live in opposite wings of their family seat, Arundel Castle in West Sussex.
The duke apparently oversees proceedings such as the State Opening of Parliament with a "mixture of flair, timing, absolute precision and with great humour", but is also reported to be somewhat "pompous".
At the state opening, the Queen would be met by the Earl Marshal and the Lord Great Chamberlain at the Palace of Westminster’s Sovereign’s Entrance, and since the 16th century the Earl Marshal has had authority over the kings of arms, heralds and pursuivants at the College of Arms, the body that regulates heraldry.
As well as organising the Queen’s funeral with the College of Arms, and later the King’s Coronation, he will also be in charge of the official public proclamation of Charles as King at the Accession Council.
The Earl Marshal will play a role during the declaration of the new sovereign as he will stand on the balcony of Friars Court in St James’s Palace whilst it is read out publicly for the first time in London.
You can leave your tributes to Queen Elizabeth II here
