Queen Elizabeth II’s (1926-2022) coffin is presently in Edinburgh, completing her last days in the Scottish capital. From there she will move to London ahead of her state funeral on Monday 19 September.
Public have been viewing her coffin and paying their last respects in her journey from her Balmoral home to Edinburgh’s St Giles’ Cathedral. The Queen will continue to lie in state for four days in London at Westminster Hall from Wednesday. During this time, Queen’s son and King, Charles III will take a tour of the four nations that comprise United Kingdom.
From now to the Queen’s funeral-complete guide
The Queen’s coffin will lie in state in St Giles’ Cathedral. Arrangements have been made for a large crowd of people who would gather to pay their last respects. They have been already warned of waiting and standing in line for hours.
Her coffin will stay at the cathedral till 17:00 after which she would be taken to Edinburgh airport. People will be allowed to pay their respects en route.
The air travel will complete at RAF Northholt at 18:00. Princess Royal and Princess Anne will accompany her and the coffin is expected to arrive in London right before 19:00. It will then move to Buckingham Palace where King Charles III and Camilla, the Queen Consort will receive it along with other members of the Royal Family. A guard of honour, a part of King’s Guard will further receive the coffin and take it to the Bow Room, in the palace which will be watched over by a rota of chaplains.
During Charles’ tour he will fly to Belfast earlier in the day and will meet Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Chris Heaton-Harris MP, and other party leaders. They will meet various religious leaders there and thereby head for prayer service at St Anne’s Cathedral
After a meeting with religious leaders, the King and Camilla will attend a prayer service at St Anne’s Cathedral, before returning to London.
September 14:
The next day the Queen’s coffin will be shifted from the Palace at 14:22 to Westminster Hall, where it will lie in state for four days. This means people will be formally allowed to view her till her funeral. The cortege will move along Queen’s Gardens, The Mall, Horse Guards and Horse Guards Arch, Whitehall, Parliament street, Parliament Square and New Palace Yard in central London. King and the Royal Family will be part of the procession and guns will be fired at Hyde Park and Big Ben will toll.
It will reach Westminster Hall at 15:00. The coffin will be guarded on all four sides 24-hours a day by guards of royal households. People can pay their respects from 17:00 as the Hall will be opened for public until 06:30 on Monday.
September 15:
As this will start the lie in state of the Queen for four full days, hundreds of thousands of people will gather to pay their respects at Westminster Hall. It is the oldest part of Westminster Palace.
September 16:
On this day, the King with wife Camilla will travel to Wales which would culminate their visits to the four nations.
September 17:
The Queen’s coffin lying in state will mark the third day.
September 18:
On the fourth day, a minute silence will be observed across the UK at 20:00. People can observe silence anywhere, at their homes, on street, community events, churches etc.
September 19:
The day of her funeral will mark a bank holiday across UK. Her lying in state will end at 06:30. At 10:44 her coffin will journey from the Palace of Westminster to Westminster Abbey. The funeral will begin at 11:00. It will be attended by Royal Family members, UK politicians and heads of state worldwide. After the funeral, the coffin will have its last journey from Westminster Abbey to Wellington Arch, from where it will travel to Windsor.
The state hearse will then take the coffin along the Long Walk to St George’s Chapel in Windsor Chapel, where a committal service will take place.
