LONDON (Reuters) – World leaders are set to join the British royal family, her political elite and members of the military, judiciary and charities at the state funeral for Queen Elizabeth on Monday.
Below are details of what is expected on the day:
WESTMINSTER
– The Queen’s laying in state at Westminster Hall ends at 06:30 (0530 GMT) on Monday.
– Shortly after 10.35 a porter detail lifts the coffin from the catafalque and carries it to the Royal Navy’s State Gun Carriage.
– The State Gun Carriage is a field gun carriage previously used for the funerals of Queen Victoria, King Edward VII, King George V, King George VI, Winston Churchill and Lord Louis Mountbatten.
– The gun carriage is pulled by 142 members of the Royal Navy and starts at 10:44.
– The route is lined with the Royal Navy and Royal Marines. The procession passes Parliament Square where members of the Navy, Army and Air Force form a guard of honor accompanied by a band of Royal Marines.
– The procession is led by Scottish and Irish regiments, the Brigade of Gurkhas and the Royal Air Force with 200 musicians. The carriage is flanked by detachments of the King’s Body Guards of the Honorable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms, the Yeomen of the Guard and the Royal Company of Archers.
– The coffin is followed by King Charles and members of the royal family.
– The procession arrives at the West Gate of Westminster Abbey at 10:52am
– Heads of State and representatives of foreign governments, including foreign royal families, governors-general and prime ministers of the realm, will gather at the Royal Hospital in Chelsea and travel together to the Abbey.
– The congregation consists of representatives of the realms, the Commonwealth, Parliament, the devolved parliaments, charities and institutions, as well as the judiciary and emergency services.
– The State Funeral begins at 11:00 (1000 GMT) and will be conducted by the Dean of Westminster. Prime Minister Liz Truss and the Commonwealth Secretary-General will read lessons.
– The Archbishop of Canterbury preaches the sermon, who also presents the commendation. The dean pronounces the blessing.
– The final post sounds towards the end of the service at around 11:55am, followed by a two minute silence in the Abbey and across the UK. Planes will avoid flying over central London.
– The reveille, the national anthem and a dirge by the Queen’s Piper conclude the state funeral service at around 12 noon
MOVE TO WELLINGTON ARCH
– The carrying party will return the coffin to the State Gun Carriage, followed by the Royal Family.
– At 12.15pm a procession will leave for Wellington Arch at Hyde Park Corner, carrying the King and some members of the Royal Family. Camilla, Queen Consort and William, Harry and Prince Edward’s wives – Kate, Meghan and Sophie – will follow by car.
– The route is lined with the armed forces. The procession will be attended by representatives from the Commonwealth, Canadian Police, health workers and others. The procession is formed in seven groups, each supported by a service band.
– Minute Guns are fired in Hyde Park. Big Ben will chime throughout the procession. The Royal Guard in Buckingham Palace’s forecourt will give a royal salute as the coffin passes the Queen Victoria Memorial.
– The procession arrives at 1pm at Wellington Arch where the coffin is placed in the hearse for the journey to Windsor. As they set off, the parade is greeted with a royal salute and the national anthem played.
– The royal family will travel to Windsor by car.
WINDSOR FUNERAL
– At 3:10 p.m. a procession starts in Windsor. The King and other members of the royal family will join at 3:40 p.m
– The route is lined by the armed forces, minute guns are fired. Both the Sevastopol Bell and the Curfew Tower Bell are rung.
– The procession stops at 3:53 p.m. at the foot of the West Stairs of St George’s Chapel
– The Surrender Service begins at 4pm and will be conducted by the Dean of Windsor. The prayers are led by the clergy in churches near their various homes. The congregation will include the Queen’s personal staff, as well as Governors-General and Prime Ministers from countries where the British monarch remains head of state.
– Before the closing song, the imperial crown, orb and scepter are taken out of the coffin and placed on the altar.
– The king will put the camp color of the Queen’s Grenadier Guards company on the coffin. The Lord Chamberlain ‘breaks’ his staff of office and places it on the coffin.
– As the coffin is lowered into the royal vault, the Dean of Windsor recites a Psalm and the Commemoration before the Garter King of Arms pronounces the Queen’s styles and titles.
– The sovereign’s piper plays a lament. As he walks away, the music in the chapel gradually fades.
– The Archbishop of Canterbury pronounces the blessing followed by the singing of “God Save The King”.
– There will be a private funeral by the family at 7:30 p.m. The Queen is buried with her husband Prince Philip in the King George VI Memorial Chapel.
(Reporting by Michael Holden and Kate Holton; Editing by Janet Lawrence and Alex Richardson)
