Covid-19 Queen's funeral plans: What we know so far

[Yallah]

Queen's funeral plans: What we know so far By The Visual Journalism Team BBC News 14 September 2022 Preparations are being made for the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II when the nation will say a final farewell to Britain's longest ever reigning monarch. Full details have not yet been revealed, but here is what we expect to happen on Monday 19 September and how you can follow events. It will be a day of emotion, pomp and ceremony with a service at Westminster Abbey, cortege and military procession across London before a final family ceremony at a chapel in Windsor Castle. Crowds are expected to gather along The Mall to watch the procession and large screens in the royal parks may be set up to show coverage of the service and other events.​ Plans for the Queen's lying-in-state The funeral will be broadcast on BBC television and available to stream on BBC iPlayer, with continuous updates on the news website and BBC radio throughout the day - which has been declared a Bank Holiday across the UK.​ What time is the Queen's funeral? The Queen's state funeral will take place at Westminster Abbey at 11:00 BST. The abbey is the historic church where Britain's kings and queens are crowned, including the Queen's own coronation in 1953. It is also the place where she married Prince Philip in 1947.​ There hasn't been a monarch's funeral service in the abbey since the 18th Century, although the funeral of the Queen Mother was held there in 2002.​ What will happen before the service? The day will begin as the Queen's coffin is carried from Westminster Hall to Westminster Abbey on the State Gun Carriage of the Royal Navy.​ The gun carriage was last seen in 1979 for the funeral of Prince Philip's uncle, Lord Mountbatten, drawn by 142 sailors from the Royal Navy. Senior members of the Royal Family, including the new King, are likely to follow in procession.​ Who will attend the funeral? Heads of state from across the world will be flying in to join members of the Royal Family to remember the life and service of the Queen. Senior UK politicians and former prime ministers will also be there. US President Joe Biden and the prime ministers of Australia, Canada and New Zealand have confirmed their attendance, and Irish Taoiseach Micheal Martin and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen are also said to have accepted invitations. Members of royal families from across Europe, many of whom were blood relatives of the Queen, are expected - Belgium's King Philippe and Queen Mathilde and Spain's King Felipe and Queen Letizia are among those who have confirmed they will be there.​ Who's invited to the Queen's funeral - and who's not? The service will probably be conducted by the Dean of Westminster David Hoyle, with the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby giving the sermon. Prime Minister Liz Truss may be called on to read a lesson.​ What is the funeral procession route? Following the funeral service, the Queen's coffin will be drawn in a walking procession from the abbey to Wellington Arch, at London's Hyde Park Corner, before heading to Windsor by hearse. The Queen's coffin will make its final journey that afternoon to Windsor Castle, via the Long Walk.​ The castle has been inhabited continuously by 40 monarchs across almost 1,000 years. It had special significance to the Queen throughout her life - as a teenager she was sent to the castle during the war years as London faced the threat of bombing - and more recently she made it her permanent home during the coronavirus pandemic.​ People have laid flowers outside Windsor Castle in tribute to the Queen​ Queen Elizabeth II's special connection with Windsor Castle The King and senior members of the Royal Family are expected to join the procession in the Quadrangle in Windsor Castle before the coffin enters St George's Chapel for a committal service.​ Where will the Queen be buried? St George's Chapel is the church regularly chosen by the Royal Family for weddings, christenings and funerals. It is where the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan, got married and where the Queen's late husband Prince Philip's funeral was held.​ The Queen's coffin will be lowered into the Royal Vault before being interred in the King George VI memorial chapel, located inside St George's Chapel. What we know about plans for the Queen's funeral - BBC News Here's what we know about events on the day of the Queen's state funeral. www.bbc.co.uk