one of the largest gatherings of heads of states and royalty
Monday, September 19, 2022, marks the state funeral for Queen Elizabeth II.
It is the first state funeral since Winston Churchill’s in 1965.
A Bank Holiday was declared, with shops, schools and doctor’s surgeries closed as a result.
The Dean of Westminster, the Very Reverand Dr David Hoyle, is to preside over the service.
He will say: “Here, where Queen Elizabeth was married and crowned, we gather from across the nation, from the Commonwealth and from the nations of the world, to mourn our loss, to remember her long life of selfless service.”
He will also speak of the Queen’s “unswerving commitment to a high calling over so many years” as a monarch and head of the Commonwealth.
Two thousand mourners will attend the funeral in Westminster Abbey, including Prince George and Princess Charlotte.
Billions are expected to watch the funeral, with wall-to-wall coverage across the globe.
Here is a guide to what will happen throughout the day and the times (BST) when they will happen.
6:30 am
The Queen has been lying in state since September 14, 2022. Her closed coffin has been placed on view to the public.
It came to an end at 6:30 am.
Approximately 300,000 people have queued to pay their respects, with the wait time reaching an estimated 17 hours.
8 am
The Abbey opens to the congregation attending the Queen’s funeral.
The funeral will be one of the largest gatherings of heads of states and royalty the UK has hosted in decades.
It will include European royal families and world leaders.
10:30 am
The Queen’s coffin will be carried on the state funeral gun carriage from Westminster Hall to the Abbey.
It will be towed by 142 sailors from the Royal Navy.
This tradition dates back to the funeral of Queen Victoria in 1901.
10:44 am
King Charles III will be joined by royal family members as well as members of the royal household, will follow the coffin as it makes its journey from Westminster Hall to the Abbey.
10:52 am
The procession will arrive at the west gate of the Abbey.
The bearer party – made up of members of the Queen’s guard – will carry the coffin from the gun carriage and into the funeral service.
11 am
The service, which will be led by Dean of Westminster, Dr David Hoyle, will commence.
The sermon will be delivered by the archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby.
11:55 am
The Last Post will be played and will be followed by a two-minute silence.
Noon
The national anthem will be played, bringing the state funeral service to an end.
The coffin will then be brought to the state gun carriage.
12:15 pm
The coffin will be part of a procession to Wellington Arch.
The procession, led by King Charles III, will be made up of several groups, with each accompanied by a service band.
These groups include representatives from the NHS and members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, as well as detachments from the armed forces of the Commonwealth.
Guns will be fired in Hyde Park by the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery every minute during the procession, while Big Ben will toll every minute.
1 pm
After arriving at Wellington Arch, the bearer party will transfer the coffin to the hearse before the car leaves for Windsor.
There will also be a royal salute and the national anthem will be played.
3 pm
Shortly after 3 pm, the hearse will reach Shaw Farm Cate in Albert Road, Windsor.
It will join an already-formed funeral procession and be ready to head up Long Walk to Windsor Castle.
3:40 pm
The King, accompanied by other members of the royal family, will join the procession at the Quadrangle in the castle grounds, with members of the royal household being positioned at the rear of the coffin.
3:53 pm
The procession will reach the west steps of St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.
The bearer party will lift the coffin from the hearse and it will be carried in procession into the chapel before the committal service.
4 pm
Around 800 guests will attend the televised committal service.
It will be conducted by the Dean of Windsor, David Conner, with a blessing from the Archbishop of Canterbury.
The Queen’s coffin will then be lowered into the royal vault.
7:30 pm
A private burial service will be conducted by the Dean of Windsor, attended just by the King and the royal family.
Finally, the Queen’s coffin will be laid to rest in George VI memorial chapel in St George’s Chapel, alongside Prince Philip and her parents, King George VI and the Queen Mother.
A massive security operation will be in place during the funeral, and transport will be disrupted across the capital, with TFL saying it would be the “biggest event and challenge” in its history.
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