Queen's funeral plans: What time is the funeral? Elizabeth II funeral route to Windsor Castle, committal service time and how to watch

The Queen’s coffin has begun its final journey from Westminster Abbey to Windsor Castle where the late monarch will be reunited with her beloved husband.

The Queen’s coffin had been in state prior to the funeral for the public to pay their respects.

The King and his siblings walked behind the coffin as it left Westminster Abbey following the state funeral, while other royals are travelling by car.

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During the service, Charles was visibly moved and looked close to tears as the national anthem was sung in the Abbey.

Members of the public file past the the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, as they pay their respects as the vigil begins in Westminster Hall, London, where it will lie in state ahead of her funeral on Monday. Picture date: Wednesday September 14, 2022.Members of the public file past the the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, as they pay their respects as the vigil begins in Westminster Hall, London, where it will lie in state ahead of her funeral on Monday. Picture date: Wednesday September 14, 2022.
Members of the public file past the the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, as they pay their respects as the vigil begins in Westminster Hall, London, where it will lie in state ahead of her funeral on Monday. Picture date: Wednesday September 14, 2022.

Prince George was also comforted by his mother, the Princess of Wales, during the service.

Here’s everything you need to know about her funeral including timings, where it is held, key details and more.

When and where will the Queen lie in state?

The late monarch’s lying in state in Westminster Hall opens to the public at 5pm on Wednesday and it will be open 24 hours a day until it closes at 6.30am on Monday September 19 – the day of the Queen’s funeral.

Members of the public gather outside Buckingham Palace, London, ahead of the arrival of the hearse carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II. Picture date: Tuesday September 13, 2022.Members of the public gather outside Buckingham Palace, London, ahead of the arrival of the hearse carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II. Picture date: Tuesday September 13, 2022.
Members of the public gather outside Buckingham Palace, London, ahead of the arrival of the hearse carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II. Picture date: Tuesday September 13, 2022.

Her coffin will be taken in procession from the Palace of Westminster to Westminster Abbey for the funeral service.

The King and members of the royal family will walk behind the Queen’s coffin to Wellington Arch when it leaves Westminster Abbey on Monday after the funeral.

The coffin, which sits on a catafalque and is draped with a Royal Standard, continues to be guarded at all hours by units from the Sovereign’s Bodyguard, the Household Division or Yeoman Warders of the Tower of London.

A priceless crown and other regalia are traditionally placed on top of a sovereign’s coffin.

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Each corner of the platform is watched 24 hours a day by units from the Sovereign’s Bodyguard, Foot Guards or the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment.

Date and time of Queen Elizabeth’s funeral

The Queen’s funeral will be held at Westminster Abbey – the historic church which can hold around 2,000 people – at 11am next Monday.

When is the Queen’s committal service and is committal service on TV?

The service will start at 4pm at St George’s Chapel, four hours after the end of the state funeral. The service is expected to last 30 minutes.

The Queen’s committal service will be televised live on BBC One, BBC Two, ITV and ITV2.

The event will also be available to watch on BBC iPlayer live and after it first airs.

The private service taking place after the committal will not be televised.

Queen’s funeral – start time

At 8am the doors of Westminster Abbey will open for the congregation to begin taking their seats.

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Heads of state and overseas government representatives, including foreign royal families, governors general and Realm prime ministers, will gather at the Royal Hospital Chelsea and “travel under collective arrangements” to the Abbey, the Earl Marshal said.

He added that other representatives of the Realms and the Commonwealth, the Orders of Chivalry including recipients of the Victoria Cross and George Cross, Government, Parliament, devolved Parliaments and Assemblies, the Church, and Her Majesty’s Patronages will form the congregation, along with further representatives from law, emergency services, public servants and professions, and public representatives.

Members of the British royal family who are not processing from Westminster Hall will have arrived at the abbey and been escorted to their seats in the South Lantern.

The funeral will start after the procession, with the service scheduled to begin at 11am.

Funeral flowers

Funeral flowers in the abbey featured myrtle – which was used in the Queen’s wedding bouquet as is royal tradition.

The huge white and green displays of blooms included asiatic lilies, gladioli, alstroemeria, eustoma and foliage of English oak, weeping birch and the sprigs of myrtle.

Around the coffin will stand the four tall yellow candles which usually rest around the grave of the unknown warrior at the entrance to the historic church.

Queen’s funeral – order of proceedings and procession start time

The King will once again lead his family in marching behind the Queen’s coffin when it is moved, at 10.44am on Monday, from Westminster Hall to Westminster Abbey for the Queen’s funeral service.

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He will walk with the Princess Royal, Duke of York and Earl of Wessex and behind the quartet will be the Queen’s grandsons Peter Phillips, Duke of Sussex and the Prince of Wales.

They will be followed by the late monarch’s son-in-law Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, the Duke of Gloucester, the Queen’s cousin, and her nephew the Earl of Snowdon.

The Queen’s coffin will be carried during the procession on a 123-year-old gun carriage towed by 98 Royal Navy sailors in a tradition dating back to the funeral of Queen Victoria.

The Procession will be led by a massed Pipes & Drums of Scottish and Irish Regiments, the Brigade of Gurkhas, and the Royal Air Force – numbering 200 musicians.

The procession will arrive at the west gate of Westminster Abbey at 10.52am when the bearer party will lift the coffin from the gun carriage and carry it into the Abbey for the state funeral service, the Earl Marshal said.

The service will begin at 11am and will be conducted by the Dean of Westminster.

The Prime Minister and the Secretary General of the Commonwealth will read Lessons, while the Archbishop of York, the Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster, the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland and the Free Churches Moderator will say prayers.

The sermon will be given by the Archbishop of Canterbury who will also give the commendation, while the Dean will pronounce the blessing.

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At around 11.55am the Last Post will sound, followed by two minutes of silence to be observed in the Abbey and throughout the UK.

Reveille, the national anthem and a lament played by the Queen’s piper will bring the state funeral service to an end at around 12 noon.

The bearer party will then lift the coffin from the catafalque and will move in procession through the Great West Door returning to the State Gun Carriage positioned outside the West Gate.

The coffin will be followed by the King and the Queen Consort, the Prince and Princess of Wales and members of the royal family who will walk in the procession to Wellington Arch.

Who will attend Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral?

Around 500 dignitaries from around the world will attend the Queen’s funeral.

They will join members of the royal family, UK prime ministers past and present, and key figures from public life.

Invitations were sent over the weekend to the heads of state of nations with which the UK has diplomatic relations. For most countries, that means the head of state plus one guest.

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Invitations to the Queen’s state funeral have not been sent to Russia, Belarus or Myanmar, while Iran will only be represented at an ambassadorial level, Whitehall sources have said.

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“This is the biggest international event we have hosted in decades,” a Whitehall source said.

The source compared the logistical task to organising “hundreds of state visits” within a matter of days, whereas there might normally only be two or three a year.

For most countries, the invitation extends to the head of state plus a guest.

The Prime Minister will meet a small proportion of world leaders attending London for the Queen’s funeral.

It is understood those meetings will be held between the country mansion of Chevening House and Downing Street over the weekend.

The Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman said on Thursday that Downing Street could not yet confirm which world leaders Liz Truss will be meeting.

Guest list for Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral

The leaders of most Commonwealth countries are expected to attend, with New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern saying she will make the nearly 24-hour journey with a delegation of five others.

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New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will meet the King, Prince of Wales and Prime Minister before the Queen’s funeral.

Her Canadian and Australian counterparts, Justin Trudeau and Anthony Albanese, have also confirmed their attendance.

French President Emmanuel Macron will be among the world leaders in London on Monday for the funeral of the Queen, as he spoke of the “unbreakable” ties between his country and the UK.

Mr Macron said he spoke to the King on Wednesday to offer his and his country’s condolences, promising to “strengthen” the relationship between the UK and France by “following the path” of the late Queen.

Germany’s President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Italy’s President Sergio Mattarella, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro are among those attending, along with the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.

King Felipe of Spain and his wife, Queen Letizia, are among the European royals who will attend.

Chief Cabinet secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said the Japanese government requested they accept the British royals’ invitation to attend, considering the close relations between the two countries’ royal families.

Emperor Naruhito of Japan is also set to travel to London, in what would be his first overseas trip since ascending the throne in 2019.

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Traditionally, a Japanese emperor stays away from funerals whether at home or abroad because of a cultural belief based in the Shinto religion that considers death impure.

But it is not thought the trip will be made by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who took time out from organising his country’s fightback against Russian President Vladimir Putin’s forces to sign a book of condolence for the Queen.

Prime Minister Liz Truss is not expected to hold any formal bilateral meetings with world leaders during the mourning period, but the funeral is still likely to offer an opportunity for some informal conversations with allies.

Queen Elizabeth II funeral: Procession route from Westminster Abbey to Wellington Arch and Windsor

The Queen’s Coffin will be carried from Westminster Hall shortly after 10.35am to the State Gun Carriage, which will be positioned outside the building’s North Door.

The procession will go from New Palace Yard through Parliament Square, Broad Sanctuary and the Sanctuary before arriving at Westminster Abbey just before 11am.

After the State Funeral Service finishes at around midday, the coffin will be placed on the State Gun Carriage outside the Abbey.

At 12.15pm, the procession will set off for Wellington Arch at Hyde Park Corner.

The route will go from the Abbey 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.

When does the Queen’s coffin travel to Windsor?

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At Wellington Arch, the Queen’s coffin will be transferred from the State Gun Carriage to the State Hearse just after 1pm, ahead of the journey to Windsor.

It then will travel from central London to Windsor, on a route that has not been disclosed by the Palace.

When the hearse arrives in Windsor, the procession will begin just after 3pm at Shaw Farm Gate on Albert Road.

The state hearse will join the procession, which will have been formed up and in position, at Shaw Farm Gate before travelling to St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.

The procession will follow the route of Albert Road, Long Walk, Cambridge Gate, Cambridge Drive, George IV Gate, Quadrangle (south and west sides), Engine Court, Norman Arch, Chapel Hill, Parade Ground and Horseshoe Cloister Arch.

Just before 4pm, the procession will halt at the bottom of the West Steps of St George’s Chapel in Horseshoe Cloister.

How to watch Queen’s funeral

The Queen’s funeral will be available to view on all major channels.

While TV details have not yet been confirmed, the funeral will be broadcast on BBC, across all ITV channels, and other major news channels, as well as being available through Youtube.

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ITV funeral coverage

ITV has announced it will run live, uninterrupted coverage of the Queen’s state funeral at Westminster Abbey on Monday 19 September.

The Queen’s funeral will be broadcast simultaneously on the main channel and five digital channels and the ITV Hub. This is the first time the broadcaster has done so.

ITV confirmed there will be no advertising on any channel on the day.

Broadcasters Tom Bradby and Julie Etchingham will host ITV’s coverage of the Queen’s funeral, the broadcaster has announced.

Their programming will start at 9.30am on September 19 and will cover the historic funeral service at Westminster Abbey.

It will also follow the military procession escorting the late monarch through London to Windsor Castle and the committal service at St George’s Chapel.

Evening News presenter Mary Nightingale will lead the reporting from Westminster Abbey, while royal editor Chris Ship will be in London and Windsor.

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Rageh Omaar will be stationed with the armed forces at Wellington Barracks, Nina Hossain will be on the Long Walk in Windsor speaking to people paying their respects, while Charlene White will be with mourners in London.

The coverage will be previewed on Good Morning Britain and followed by ITV Regional News and an extended Evening News.

BBC funeral coverage

Full details of BBC coverage of Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral are not yet known. However, the BBC said special programmes on Tuesday (13 September) will be interspersed with news programmes, including HM The Queen: The Journey To London as well as a special edition of The One Show: Our Queen Remembered.

While details have not yet been confirmed, it is expected that the funeral will be screened live on both BBC One, the BBC News channel and on BBC iPlayer.

Rolling coverage will likely start on BBC Breakfast from 6am - and normal programming will likely resume after the 6pm news.

BBC One will broadcast uninterrupted coverage of the funeral from 8am to 5pm, with ITV’s coverage starting at 9.30am.

Sky News will also broadcast the entire funeral live and will have rolling coverage from 6am, with hosts Kay Burley and Jayne Secker.

Global coverage of Queen’s funeral, CNN, ABC, CBC, NBC funeral coverage

CNN tweeted about its own plans for coverage with a video montage of tributes being paid to the monarch in the UK.

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“A queen remembered. A life celebrated. Join CNN as a country and the world say goodbye,” a voiceover for the promotional clip said.

Fellow US outlet NBC News is also due to broadcast the funeral on its network and streaming service: NBC News Now.

Over in Australia, national broadcaster ABC listed “live coverage of the state funeral of HM Queen Elizabeth II”, as well as several special documentaries celebrating the monarch’s life and legacy “through Australian eyes”.

People can also tune into ABC NewsRadio to listen to the funeral live from the ABC listen app.

Canadian network CBC also said it would have live televised coverage on Monday on its main CBC News Network, as well as CBC TV, CBC Gem, CBCNews.ca and the CBC News app

The broadcaster will also provide audio coverage on CBC Radio and its CBC Listen app.

Several US networks also showed live footage of the Queen’s coffin as it returned to Buckingham Palace on Tuesday, including NBC, CBS and ABC News.

How to watch livestream of Queen Elizabeth II lying in state

The number of viewers tuned into the livestream of the Queen lying in state topped 20,000 on a number of occasions within its first hour online.

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The service began broadcasting globally via the BBC News website at 5pm on Wednesday, when the doors of Westminster Hall opened to the public.

Mourners could be seen tearful as they filed solemnly past the coffin and paid their respects.

The number of people viewing the dedicated stream quickly rose to about 20,000 and remained there for much of the first hour of broadcast.

The service is also available in the UK on the iPlayer, BBC Parliament and the red button.

Where is the Queen going to be buried?

The Queen will be buried at St George’s Chapel, Windsor.

The Queen’s committal service will take place at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle at 4pm on Monday.

Will the Queen be buried with Prince Philip the Duke of Edinburgh?

Philip is currently in the Royal Vault, but he will be moved to lie beside his wife in the chapel.

The Queen will be buried with the Duke of Edinburgh in King George VI’s chapel in Windsor Castle in a private service at 7.30pm on Monday.

Did the Duke of Edinburgh lie in state?

No, he did not, and this was in accordance with his wishes, but his death took place during the Covid-19 crisis and at that point such mass gatherings were also against the law.

Who was the last person to lie in state?

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The last person to lie in state in the UK was the Queen Mother in 2002.

On top of her coffin in Westminster Hall was her coronation crown, set with the Koh-i-Noor diamond, and a hand-written message from her daughter, the Queen, reading: “In loving memory, Lilibet.”

An estimated 200,000 people turned out to pay their respects over three days.