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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
National
Ellie Kemp

Queen's state funeral: Time, service details and everything you need to know

Britain's longest-reigning monarch will be laid to rest on Monday (September 19). Queen Elizabeth II died at the age of 96 on Thursday September 8, after ruling for 70 years.

Since her death a national period of mourning has ensued, which has seen the royal family unite in processions and vigils across the UK in memory of the late Queen's life. Thousands of people have also travelled to London and queued for hours to see the monarch's coffin lying in state at Westminster Hall.

Monday has been declared a national bank holiday to allow as many people as possible to watch the proceedings. Many shops and major businesses will be closed, while others will have reduced opening hours.

Read more: 'Is it real?' Heartwarming moment boy, 9, opens one of last thank-you cards from Queen

Some 2,000 people, including world leaders and foreign royals, will attend the funeral at Westminster Abbey. Government sources believe it will be the 'largest international event' the UK has held in decades.

A global TV audience of more than 4billion people is expected to watch the proceedings. Big screens have been put up across the country for people to watch the ceremony - find out where you can watch it in Manchester here.

The funeral will also be broadcast live on BBC, Sky and ITV.

Here are the timings, service details and everything you need to know about Queen Elizabeth's state funeral.

Timings

6.30am: Her Majesty's lying-in-state will end.

10.44am: The Queen's coffin will be moved from the Palace of Westminster to Westminster Abbey for the funeral.

11am: The state funeral begins.

11.55am: A national two-minute silence will be held.

12.15pm: A public procession will begin as Her Majesty's coffin travels from Westminster Abbey to Wellington Arch in London.

What will happen during the funeral?

During the proceedings, the Queen's coffin will be taken in a grand military procession from the Palace of Westminster to Westminster Abbey for the state funeral. Senior members of the family are expected to follow behind, just as they did for the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales and the Duke of Edinburgh.

The Queen's children, King Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, and Prince Edward will be in attendance, as well as her eight grandchildren, Prince William, Prince Harry, Peter Phillips, Zara Tindall, Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, Lady Louise Windsor, and James, Viscount Severn. Royal family members from across Europe will also be attending, including Spain's King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia and Denmark's Queen Margrethe II and her heir, Crown Prince Frederik.

Prince William and Prince Harry march during the procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II (John Sibley - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

The military will line the streets and also join the procession. Heads of state, prime ministers and presidents, members of European royal families and key figures from public life will be invited to gather in the abbey, which can hold a congregation of 2,000.

The service will be televised and a national two minutes’ silence will follow the Last Post being sounded at 11.55am. Reveille, the national anthem and a lament, played by the Queen’s Piper, will bring the state funeral service to an end at approximately noon.

After the proceedings

After the service, the coffin will be taken in procession from Westminster Abbey to Wellington Arch and then travel to Windsor. The hearse will then travel in procession to St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle via the Long Walk, after which a televised committal service will take place 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.

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