Plans have been perfected over the years, a strict schedule of procedures for what will be the biggest state funeral and security operation ever held in the UK.
The funeral of the Queen, the UK’s longest-reigning monarch, takes place on Monday, and Buckingham Palace has now announced details of what will happen on the day.
It will be a day of emotion and sadness, but also a celebration of the monarch’s life and 70-year reign, with thousands expected to take to the streets of London and Windsor to pay their respects as he takes his last journey.
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Millions more will be watching at home in the UK and around the world as the funeral is televised in what could become the most-watched broadcast in history.
It has been 70 years since the death of the previous monarch, Queen Elizabeth II’s father, George VI, so the vast majority of people in the UK are not used to the traditions and pageantry that have shown over the past few days. And for those who remember her father’s reign and death, the Queen’s funeral, taking place in the digital age, will be on an unparalleled scale and far more accessible.
The man in charge of the operation, the Earl Marshal, the Duke of Norfolk, says the state funeral will “unite people from all over the world and resonate with people of all faiths” and pay a “fitting tribute to a reign extraordinary”.
Here’s our guide to the event – from rehearsal details and everything that happens beforehand to the Queen’s burial, other state funerals and the historical significance of the venues.
What time is the Queen’s funeral, where is it taking place and why?
Image: Image: AP/Felipe Dana
After several days in her coffin in state, the Queen’s funeral will be held at Westminster Abbey in London on Monday, starting at 11am. Poignantly, this is where she married Prince Philip 75 years ago and his coronation also took place here in 1953.
Breaking with centuries of tradition, this is the first funeral service for a monarch to take place at Westminster Abbey since King George II’s ceremony in 1760, which was then held at Windsor. However, the funerals of both Princess Diana and the Queen Mother took place here in 1997 and 2002 respectively.
The move is believed to have been chosen by the Queen herself, according to reports, as the venue can hold more people and the London location is better for accommodating crowds.
The funeral will be conducted by the Right Reverend Dr David Hoyle Dean of Westminster, while the sermon will be preached by the Right Reverend and Right Honorable Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury.
The Choirs of Westminster Abbey and His Majesty’s Chapel Royal, St James’s Palace will perform under the direction of James O’Donnell, the Abbey’s organist and Master of the Choristers.
What happens before the service?
The King’s bodyguards keep a constant watch over his coffin at the Palace of Westminster. Each watch lasts for six hours, and individuals on these watches watch for 20 minutes.
The coffin is covered with the Royal Standard, on which are the Instruments of State, the Crown of the Imperial State, the Orb and the sceptre. These will remain for the duration of the event.
A national moment of reflection takes place the day before the funeral, Sunday at 8pm, and will be marked by a minute of silence.
Community events and vigils can be organized to observe across the UK, but people can also mark the moment privately at home or on doorsteps with neighbours. Those wishing to pay their respects abroad are also encouraged to observe a minute’s silence at 8pm BST.
The Queen’s state closes at 6.30am on the morning of the funeral. After that, his coffin will be carried in a large military procession from the Palace of Westminster to Westminster Abbey, which is closed for preparations until the funeral.
Following the coffin will be the king, members of the royal family and members of the king’s household.
And what happens next?
After the funeral, the Queen’s coffin will travel in procession from Westminster Abbey to Wellington Arch, also known as Constitution Arch, which was built as the original entrance to Buckingham Palace and is located between the corners of Hyde Park and Green Park.
From there, the coffin will travel to Windsor. Here, the hearse will travel in procession to St George’s Gothic Chapel, which is within the walls of Windsor Castle, via the Long Walk. A committal service will then take place at St George’s.
This is the church regularly chosen by the royal family for weddings, christenings and funerals, where Prince Harry and Meghan were married in 2018 and where Prince Philip’s funeral was held last year.
Later in the evening, there will be a private burial service with senior members of the royal family.
Where will the Queen be buried and will she be with Prince Philip?
The Queen’s final resting place will be the King George VI Memorial Chapel, a small annexe to Windsor’s main chapel, where her mother and father were buried and where the ashes of her sister, Princess Margaret
Reports on why Margaret was cremated differ: some say she chose to do so because she felt a burial was “too somber”, others say her decision was influenced by the fact that there was not much room for to typical burials.
When Prince Philip died, he was temporarily buried in the Royal Vault at St George’s, but will now be moved to the Chapel of Remembrance to join the Queen.
The important role of the Navy
The procession will feature a total of around 6,000 representatives from the three armed forces, with members of the Navy towing the gun carriage that will carry the Queen’s coffin to Westminster Abbey.
This follows the tradition established at Queen Victoria’s funeral in 1902, when the horses panicked and a group of sailors were requisitioned to carry the carriage through the streets of Windsor.
Since then, the carriage, originally built in 1899, has been kept in an environmentally secure room at HMS Excellent in Portsmouth, where its custodian, Lieutenant Commander Paul “Ronnie” Barker turns the wheels a quarter check back every week to make sure they don’t. be tilted by gravity.
And the role of the former head of MI5…
The Lord Chamberlain, Baron Parker of Minsmere, is the most senior official in the Royal Household and the former head of the spy agency.
He ran the Queen’s workhouse and his job is to ensure the smooth running of all the different departments.
On ceremonial occasions, the Lord Chamberlain carries a white cane and a golden key, the symbols of his office – and tradition says that he must now break his cane over the Queen’s grave – a symbolic gesture that marks the death of the sovereign he serves.
The last Lord Chamberlain to break his cane in this way was the Earl of Clarendon over the grave of King George VI in 1952.
The Queen’s trip to Westminster Abbey
On the day of the funeral, after standing in state at Westminster Hall at 6.30am, the doors will be closed for preparation.
Shortly after 10.35am, the Queen’s coffin will be raised and carried in procession to the Royal Navy State Carriage outside the North Gate.
The gun carriage will then depart at 10.44am, with the route to the Abbey lined by members of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines.
A three-service guard of honor will take place in Parliament Square, accompanied by the Royal Marines band.
The procession will arrive at 10.52 and the coffin will be taken to the abbey for the service.
The doors to Westminster Abbey will have opened at 8am to allow the general congregation to take their seats.
The ceremony itself
Invited foreign heads of state and government representatives, including foreign royal dignitaries, will travel en masse from the Royal Hospital Chelsea to the Abbey.
The funeral will be conducted by the Dean of Westminster, with Prime Minister Liz Truss and the Commonwealth Secretary-General to read the lessons. The Archbishop of York, the Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster, the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland and the Moderator of the Free Churches will deliver prayers.
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2:50 What is a state funeral?
The sermon will be given by the Archbishop of Canterbury, who will also give the eulogy. The Dean of Westminster will then give the benediction.
Towards the end of the ceremony, at around 11.55am, the Last Post will be played, followed by a two-minute silence which will be observed in the Abbey and across the UK.
The national anthem will be played and there will be a lament at the close of the service around noon.
The coffin will be followed by the king, the queen consort and members of the royal family.
Procession at Wellington Arch
The Royal Family will walk in procession from the Abbey to Wellington Arch, where the procession is due to arrive at 1pm.
The King and members of the Royal Family will once again follow in the procession, which will also have detachments from the Armed Forces of the Commonwealth. The King’s troops, the Royal Horse Artillery, will fire tiny guns in Hyde Park.
Big Ben will be playing throughout this procession.
At Wellington Arch, the coffin will be transferred from the hearse to the state hearse for the journey to Windsor. At the exit of the procession, the parade will give a royal salute and play the national anthem. His Majesty the King and members of the Royal Family will then depart for…