Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral today - All that is expected

Queen Elizabeth II died on September 8 at the age of 96 after 70 years on the throne. The United Kingdom’s first state funeral in 57 years will follow a strict protocol and will be steeped in military traditions. Here are the key things to know about the state funeral of Britain’s longest-reigning monarch
Queen Elizabeth state funeral AP

Queen Elizabeth II's Lying-in-State at Westminster Hall in London will end at 6.30 am on Monday.

Photo : AP
London: Queen Elizabeth II will be honoured with a full state funeral at Westminster Abbey in London on Monday. Britain’s longest-reigning monarch died on September 8 at the age of 96 after 70 years on the throne.
Thousands of police, hundreds of troops and an army of officials made final preparations on Sunday for the state funeral of the Queen, which will witness a gathering of around 500 emperors, kings, queens, presidents, prime ministers and other leaders from around the world. Indian President Droupadi Murmu is also in London to attend the state funeral.
The United Kingdom’s first state funeral in 57 years will follow a strict protocol and will be steeped in military traditions.
According to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), there will be public viewing areas set up in London and Windsor, where the Queen will be laid to rest later on Monday. Large screens across the parks of the UK and many cinema chains are being prepared to screen the state funeral. Around 125 movie theatres will open their doors to broadcast Monday’s funeral live.

Here are the key things to know about the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II:

> The Queen’s Lying-in-State at Westminster Hall in London will end at 6.30 am on Monday.
> Around 10.35 am, a bearer party will lift the coffin from the catafalque and carry it to the State Gun Carriage of the Royal Navy. The State Gun Carriage is a field gun carriage that has previously been used for the funerals of Queen Victoria, King Edward VII, King George V, King George VI, Winston Churchill, and Lord Louis Mountbatten.
> The procession will pass by Parliament Square where members of the navy, army and air force will form a Guard of Honour, accompanied by a band of the Royal Marines.
> 22 Miles (36 kilometers) of barriers erected in central London alone to control crowds and keep key areas around the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace secure.
> The state funeral will begin at 11 am (1000 GMT), conducted by the Dean of Westminster.
> Around 2,000 dignitaries and guests are expected to be present at the Westminster Abbey, ranging from King Charles III and other royals to world leaders including US President Joe Biden, India President Droupadi Murmu, for a sombre ceremony starting at 11 am local time and concluding with a two-minute silence around an hour later.
> The bearer party will return the coffin to the State Gun Carriage, followed by the royal family. The procession will arrive at 1 pm at Wellington Arch, where the coffin will be placed in the hearse to travel to Windsor.
> At 3.10 pm, a procession in Windsor will begin. It will be joined by the king and other members of the royal family at 3.40 pm. The committal service will begin at 4 pm.
> Later, the coffin will be lowered into the Royal Vault, with the Dean of Windsor saying a Psalm and the commendation, and Garter King of Arms pronouncing the styles and titles of the queen.
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