The state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II will take place at Westminster Abbey on Monday, September 19. The funeral, attended by the new monarch King Charles III, the Queen Consort and other members of the royal family, will be followed by a committal service in the grounds of Windsor Castle and a private burial in the evening, where the Queen will be laid to rest alongside her late husband Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
The Queen passed away at the Balmoral estate in Scotland on Thursday, September 8. Her eldest son Charles immediately became the new King, making his first address to the nation the following evening.
The Queen's coffin will move from the Palace of Westminster, where it has been lying in state since Wednesday, September 14, to Westminster Abbey in a short procession before the funeral starts at 11am. US president Joe Biden and French president Emmanuel Macron will be among the 2,000 people gathered inside Westminster Abbey for the funeral, while King Felipe of Spain and his wife, Queen Letizia, are among the European royals who will attend.
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After the funeral service, the royal family will walk in a procession with the coffin to Wellington Arch, Hyde Park Corner. From there, the Queen's coffin will be taken to Windsor Castle in the state hearse.
Here is a breakdown of all the key timings involved in the historic day.
6.30am
The final members of the public will be admitted to see the Queen lying in state at 6.30am on the morning of the funeral. After that, the queue will close.
People who try to join the queue ahead of this have been warned that they may be turned away. It is understood that entry to the back of the line may be closed early, to ensure as near as possible that those already waiting are able to file past the late monarch’s coffin in Westminster Hall to pay their respects.
8.00am
The doors of Westminster Abbey will open at 8am for the congregation to begin taking their seats. It is understood the congregation will be made up of around 2,000 invited guests. The guest list features members of the royal family, several hundred dignitaries from around the world and nearly 200 key workers and volunteers recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list.
10.44am
The procession of the Queen's coffin from the Palace of Westminster to Westminster Abbey will begin. The coffin will be carried on the State Gun Carriage of the Royal Navy and will be followed by a procession led by King Charles III, followed by other members of the royal family and members of the King's household.
10.52am
The procession will arrive at the West Gate of Westminster Abbey at 10.52am. The pall bearers will lift the coffin of the gun carriage and carry it into the abbey for the funeral to begin.
11.00am
The funeral is due to start at 11am. The service will be led by the Dean of Westminster and the sermon will be given by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
11.55am
At approximately 11.55am, at the end of the service, the Last Post will be played. A two-minute silence will then follow, observed by the congregation and the rest of the UK.
12.00pm
At around midday, the funeral service will come to an end, signified by a rendition of the National Anthem, God Save The King. At the end of the service, the Queen's coffin will be carried to the state gun carriage.
12.15pm
The procession of the Queen's coffin from Westminster Abbey to Wellington Arch at Hyde Park Corner will begin at around 12.15pm. The route will go via: Broad Sanctuary Parliament Square (south and east sides), Parliament Street, Whitehall, Horse Guards including Horse Guards Arch, Horse Guards Road, The Mall, Queen’s Gardens (south and west sides), Constitution Hill and Apsley Way.
The King and members of the royal family will once again lead the procession behind the coffin.
1.00pm
The Queen's coffin is due to arrive at Wellington Arch at 1pm. Here, it will be transferred to the state hearse to travel to Windsor Castle. As the hearse departs, the National Anthem will be played.
The King and other members of the Royal Family will travel to Windsor by car.
3.06pm
When the coffin reaches Windsor, at approximately 3.06pm, the hearse will slow to join a procession, which will have been formed up and in position. The procession will start at Albert Road and travel via the Long Walk to St George’s Chapel for the committal service.
3.20pm
The door of St George’s Chapel will open for the congregation for the committal service.
3.40pm
The King and other royal family members will join the procession at the Quadrangle on the north side as it passes into Engine Court.
3.53pm
The procession will halt at the bottom of the West Steps of St George's Chapel. The bearer party will lift the coffin from the hearse and carry it up the West Steps.
4.00pm
The committal service will begin at 4pm. The congregation will be made up of past and present members of The Queen’s Household, including from the private estates, governors general and realm prime ministers. The service will feature ceremonial aspects that signify the end of the Queen's reign.
The service will be conducted by the Dean of Windsor, with prayers said by the Rector of Sandringham, the Minister of Crathie Kirk and the Chaplain of Windsor Great Park. The St George’s Chapel choir will sing during the service.
Before the final hymn, the Imperial State Crown, the orb and the sceptre will be removed from the coffin and placed on the alter. At the end of the final hymn, the King will place the Queen's Company Camp Colour of the Grenadier Guards, which is a smaller version of the Royal Standard of the Regiment, onto the coffin, while the Lord Chamberlain 'breaks' his Wand of Office and places it on the coffin. The ceremonial breaking of the white staff signifies the end of his service to the Queen as sovereign.
As the coffin is lowered into the royal vault, the Dean of Windsor will say a psalm and the commendation before the Garter King of Arms pronounces the many styles and titles of the Queen. The Sovereign’s Piper will play a lament from the doorway between the chapel and the Dean’s Cloister and walk slowly away so the music gradually fades.
The Archbishop of Canterbury will pronounce the blessing, and God Save The King will be sung. The King and members of the royal family will leave via the Galilee Porch.
7.30pm
A private burial service at 7.30pm will be conducted by the Dean of Windsor and attended by the King and members of the royal family. The Queen will be interred alongside her late husband the Duke of Edinburgh in the King George VI Memorial Chapel in St George’s.
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