How the royal family will say goodbye to the queen; see ceremony details

The death of Queen Elizabeth II ushered in a period of mourning that will culminate in a grand state funeral on September 19, in honor of her life of devotion and unwavering service.

Codenamed “Operation London Bridge”, the arrangements for Britain’s longest-serving monarch have been carefully studied for years by the many agencies involved, with the Queen herself signing off on all the details before her death. However, the details were kept under wraps until the acting sovereign, King Charles III, gave his final seal of approval.

The queen will be buried in St George’s Chapel, on the grounds of Windsor Castle, alongside her 73-year-old “strength and permanence”, Prince Philip. Here, we’ve put together a day-to-day guide to what’s going to happen between now and the state funeral.

Sunday, September 11

After the Queen’s death, her oak coffin – topped with the Royal Standard of Scotland and a wreath – stood in the Balmoral Ballroom, where estate officials were given the chance to pay their last respects. On Sunday morning (11), six of his game wardens carried the coffin to a hearse.

At 10 am (6 am GMT), the monarch’s coffin embarked on its journey to the nation’s capital. However, he did not go there directly. First, he took a six-hour trip to Edinburgh and the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the official residence of the British monarch in Scotland. The road trip normally takes around three hours, however, it was conducted slowly to allow people to witness the hearse along the route and nod their heads as it passes.

An honor guard composed of the Royal Regiment of Scotland greeted the hearse that arrived in Edinburgh with a royal salute before being transferred to the Throne Room by a military group.

Meanwhile, in London, the King met with the Secretary General of the Commonwealth (Community of Nations) before receiving the High Commissioners of the realms of which he is now head of state in the Great Hall of Buckingham Palace.

Monday, September 12

On Monday morning, the King will start the day with a visit to Westminster Hall, where both Houses of Parliament will express their condolences. He and his wife Camilla fly to Edinburgh, arriving at 12:45. (8:45 am ET), where they will head straight to the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

At 2:35 pm (10:35 am ET), the queen’s coffin will proceed to St Giles Cathedral for a service of prayer and reflection attended by the king and queen consort and members of the royal family, as well as a congregation composed “of all areas of Scotland society”, according to a senior palace official. Afterwards, the coffin will rest there for 24 hours to allow the Scottish public to see it, in a tradition known as a wake in the state.

After the service, the King will return to Holyrood, where he will have an audience with Scottish Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon, followed by a meeting with the Speaker of the Scottish Parliament. Charles, accompanied by the Queen Consort, will later go to the Scottish Parliament to receive a motion of condolence.

That night at 7:20 pm. (13:20 GMT), the king and members of the royal family will mount their own guard – or vigil – of the queen’s coffin.

Tuesday, September 13

On Tuesday (13), the king and Camilla will travel to Belfast, Northern Ireland. The couple will visit Hillsborough Castle and see an exhibition about the Queen’s long association with Northern Ireland. The King will meet with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, as well as other party leaders, and receive a message of condolence led by the Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Back in Scotland, the Queen’s only child, Princess Anne, will prepare to accompany her mother’s body on the flight back to London. At 17:00 (13:00 GMT) the coffin will travel 13.2 kilometers by hearse to Edinburgh Airport, from where it will depart for RAF Northolt (military air base).

A state hearse will take the monarch’s remains to Buckingham Palace, where the king, queen consort, as well as other members of the Windsor clan will be awaiting the coffin’s arrival at around 8pm. (4 pm Brasilia time).

The Rector of the Royal Chapels will lead prayers and a party of bearers met by the Queen’s Company, 1st Battalion of Grenadier Guards will place the coffin on trestles in the center of the Fore Room to rest overnight.

Wednesday, September 14

On Wednesday, an extraordinary silent procession will carry the coffin in a carriage of arms from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall, the oldest part of the Palace of Westminster in London, where the queen’s coffin will remain until morning. of the funeral.

For this journey, the coffin will be adorned with the Imperial State Crown and a wreath. The procession route will start at 2:22 pm. (10:22 am ET) along The Mall, through Horse Guards Parade, through Downing Street towards Westminster.

In what will likely be an intense moment, members of the royal family will walk behind their beloved matriarch. They will be followed by senior officials from the royal families, as well as close personal officials and members of the Families Division. As the crowds watch the procession – which will take about 40 minutes – Big Ben will sound and fire will be fired by the King’s Royal Artillery Corps in Hyde Park with an echo throughout the capital.

The queen’s coffin will be placed on a raised platform – or catafalque – in the middle of the hall and guarded 24 hours a day by officers from the House Division, the King’s Bodyguard or the Royal Company of Archers.

Upon your arrival at Westminster Hall, a brief service will be conducted by Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, after which the hall will open to the public to pay their respects.

Thursday, September 15th

Members of the public will be able to walk past the queen’s coffin during her first full day at Westminster Hall on Thursday.

Brass plaques in the 11th century hall mark the location where Edward VII was in state in 1910, George V in 1936, George VI in 1952 and Queen Mary a year later. The hall, which is 900 years old, is also where British Prime Minister Winston Churchill stayed in the state in 1965.

Friday, September 16th

On Friday, the lie state will continue for a full second day. A large number of people are expected to queue in central London for the chance to visit the coffin and be a part of this historic moment. Details of how the public can participate are expected to be released by the government in the coming days.

Separately, King Charles and Camilla will visit Wales on Friday, wrapping up their tour of the four nations that make up the United Kingdom.

Saturday, September 17

Public access to the wake continues through the weekend.

Sunday, September 18

Sunday marks the last full day that the queen’s body will be laid to rest at Westminster Hall.

Monday, September 19

On the morning of Monday 19 September – declared a UK-wide public holiday – the Queen’s state wake will end. The coffin will travel in procession once more to Westminster Abbey for the state funeral, details of which are likely to come in the following days.

Westminster Abbey, founded in AD 960 by Benedictine monks, is one of London’s best-known landmarks. The historic church has been the setting for every coronation since 1066, and is where then-Princess Elizabeth married Prince Philip in 1947. But there hasn’t been a funeral for a monarch there since George II’s in 1760.

Heads of state and dignitaries from around the world are expected to be invited to the British capital to join members of the royal family in celebrating the Queen’s life and unwavering service to the nation and the Commonwealth. While a guest list has yet to be announced, US President Joe Biden plans to attend the funeral.

Other familiar faces in the televised service will be some of the 15 prime ministers who served during the Queen’s reign.

On its completion, the coffin will travel in procession to Wellington Arch, before making its final journey from London to Windsor.

Your destination is the now familiar St George’s Chapel, within the grounds of Windsor Castle. It is where Prince Philip’s memorial service was held, as well as more joyous occasions such as the nuptials of the Queen’s grandchildren.

After service to the Duke of Edinburgh in 2021, his coffin was lowered into the Royal Vault, situated below the chapel, where many members of the royal family were buried. However, he is expected to be relocated to lie with the Queen in the King George VI Memorial Chapel, located elsewhere within St George’s Chapel.