King Charles with other senior Royals behind the Queen’s coffin on Wednesday
(Picture: Getty Images)Amid the tranquillity of his beloved Highgrove home, King Charles III was preparing on Thursday for the state funeral of his mother the Queen.
The national and royal periods of mourning eased into a quieter day after central London was brought to a standstill on Wednesday by the procession of the Queen’s coffin from Buckingham Palace to Parliament’s Westminster Hall for the lying-in-state.
The King led the royal family, walking behind the coffin in the cortege which was watched by tens of thousands of people who had packed the streets to pay their respects.
He was understood to still be working on Thursday, receiving his red boxes of state papers, but away from the intense public glare of recent days. The King spoke to French president Emmanuel Macron, who later said: “The ties between France and the United Kingdom are unbreakable.” His Majesty has also spoken to US president Joe Biden.
The Prince and Princess of Wales were visiting Sandringham to view floral tributes left by members of the public. Thousands of people have journeyed to the royal estate in Norfolk.
The Earl and Countess of Wessex were travelling to Manchester, where they will light a candle in memory of the Queen at the city’s cathedral.
The Princess Royal, accompanied by her husband Sir Tim Laurence, was visiting Glasgow City Chambers to meet representatives of organisations of which the Queen was patron.
As world leaders prepared to fly to London for the state funeral at Westminster Abbey on Monday, thousands of military personnel took part in a full rehearsal in the early hours this morning for the procession of the coffin from Westminster Hall to the abbey, and then on to Wellington Arch.
The sound of bagpipes at 2.45am signalled the start of the procession. The Scots Guards marched away from Parliament’s New Palace Yard and to the abbey. They were followed by nearly 100 sailors —using white ropes to pull the state gun carriage on which the coffin will be borne — and several members of the Household Cavalry on horseback.
Four soldiers stood either side of the coffin as it was taken into the abbey, where indoor rehearsals took place. Mournful brass and drums heralded the coffin leaving the abbey on its way to Wellington Arch.
At about 5.20am, the sound of brass playing God Save The Queen rang out from under the arch, before the state hearse departed through the Apsley Gate of Hyde Park between rows of Household Cavalry. The procession continued to play in the half-light, and Beethoven’s Funeral March and the hymn Jerusalem could be heard before the sun came up.
“It’s peaceful,” said Aidan Conway, from Islington, who watched the rehearsal. “The city at night is incredible anyway, it’s beautiful. The rehearsals are quite remarkable.”
An unprecedented security operation, involving thousands of officers, will tighten in coming days as world leaders arrive for the funeral at 11am on Monday, which will be a public holiday.
Mr Biden, Mr Macron and Australia’s prime minister Anthony Albanese will be among the dignitaries, as will members of royal families from across Europe, including King Felipe of Spain, as well as Emperor Naruhito of Japan.
Chinese vice-president Wang Qishan was also expected to attend, according to the South China Morning Post, which will prove controversial with a number of MPs opposed to such an invitation, given Beijing’s treatment of the Uighur population in Xinjiang province.
Prime Minister Liz Truss is due to hold informal talks with some of the world leaders who will be arriving in London.
She was also expected to be in Downing Street for the one-minute silence at 8pm on Sunday.
After leaving London on Monday, the Queen’s coffin will be taken to Windsor Castle for a televised committal service in St George’s Chapel. Later in the evening, there will be a private interment service with senior members of the royal family.
The Queen’s final resting place will be the King George VI memorial chapel, an annex to the main chapel, where her mother and father were buried, along with the ashes of her sister, Princess Margaret. Philip’s coffin will move from the royal vault to the memorial chapel to join the Queen’s.
