Plans for the Queen’s lying in state and funeral
The Queen has died, ending the longest reign in British history.
She died peacefully, surrounded by her family at Balmoral Castle in Scotland.
In the days ahead, here’s what we expect for her lying in state and her state funeral, as the nation pays its respects.
Scottish journey
The Queen’s coffin will depart Balmoral estate in the coming days for the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh – the official residence of the British monarch in Scotland.
From here it will be taken in procession to St Giles’ Cathedral, where the Queen will lie at rest, allowing the public to view her coffin.
The coffin will then move to London, ready for the lying in state.
The Queen’s lying in state
The Queen will lie in state in Westminster Hall for about four days before her funeral, allowing members of the public to file past and pay their respects.
The grand hall is the oldest part of the Palace of Westminster, at the heart of British government.
The last member of the Royal Family to lie in state in the hall was the Queen Mother in 2002, when more than 200,000 people queued to view her coffin.
The Queen’s coffin will rest on a raised platform, known as a catafalque, beneath the 11th Century hall’s medieval timber roof. Each corner of the platform will be guarded by soldiers from units that serve the Royal Household.
She will be brought to Westminster Hall from Buckingham Palace in a slow procession, accompanied by a military parade and members of the Royal Family.
People will also be able to watch the procession as it passes through the streets and big screens broadcasting events are likely to be set up in London’s Royal Parks.
Her coffin will be draped in the Royal Standard and once in Westminster Hall it will be topped with the Imperial State Crown, orb and sceptre.
Once the coffin is placed in position in the hall, a short service will be held. Afterwards the public will be allowed to enter.
When is the Queen’s funeral?
The Queen’s state funeral is expected to take place at Westminster Abbey in less than two weeks. The exact day will be confirmed by Buckingham Palace.
The Abbey is the historic church where Britain’s kings and queens are crowned, including the Queen’s coronation in 1953, and where she had 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’s mother was held there in 2002.
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.
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.
The service will likely 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.
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 St George’s Chapel in 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.
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.
The government says there is no obligation to cancel or postpone events during the period of national mourning, or to close entertainment venues. It says those decisions are up to individual organisations. But a number of events due to happen in the 24 hours or so after the Queen’s death was announced had already been called off before that statement was made, and others have followed.
There will be no football matches in the Premier League, English Football League or in Scotland or Northern Ireland across the weekend, and including Friday and Monday. All games in the Women’s Super League, Women’s Championship and Women’s FA Cup have also been postponed this weekend.
All racing on Friday and Saturday been postponed by the British Horseracing Authority.
In golf, there will be no play at the BMW PGA Championship on Friday. The second day of the Test cricket match between England and South Africa on Friday has been postponed, with no confirmation on whether the rest of the five-day game will take place.
The final three stages of the Tour of Britain cycling race, set to take place from Friday to Sunday, will not go ahead.
Premiership rugby union matches scheduled for Friday have been postponed but games will take place over the weekend, preceded by a minute’s silence, and Sunday’s Great North Run will also go ahead.
Parkrun said it would not ask any of its organisers to cancel events but accepted volunteers or landowners might decide runs should not take place.
The BBC Proms on Thursday and Friday have been cancelled, along with the Last Night of the Proms on Saturday.
Theatre performances across the UK are expected to continue, observing a minute’s silence. The award ceremony of the Mercury Music Prize was cancelled on Thursday evening after the news was announced.
The Trades Union Congress that was due to be held in Brighton next week has been postponed and will be rescheduled for a later date.
Government guidance says if sporting fixture or events are planned for the day of the funeral, organisations may want to adjust the timings so they do not clash with the funeral service or processions.
Some shops have remained closed on Friday, including Selfridges, French Connection and Liberty. Harrods has said it will be closed on the day of the funeral, and other businesses may do the same.
Will rail and postal strikes go ahead?
The Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union announced that planned strikes on 15 and 17 September will be cancelled as a mark of respect. The Transport Salaried Staffs Association also called off planned strikes in September.
Postal strikes on Friday have also been cancelled by the Communication Workers Union (CWU).
Will there be any other memorial services before the funeral?
There will be a remembrance service at St Paul’s Cathedral on Friday, attended by the prime minister and other senior ministers.
Because the Queen died in Scotland, her coffin will lie at rest at St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh. The public may be allowed to file past after a few days.
The coffin will then be flown to London, where hundreds of thousands of people will be allowed to file past over a period of four days’ lying in state at Westminster Hall.
The union flag will be flown at half mast on government buildings until the morning after the funeral. Flags will return to full mast for a 24-hour period beginning at 13:00 BST on Saturday to mark the proclamation of Charles as King, before returning to half mast.
On Friday, bells tolled at Westminster Abbey, St Paul’s Cathedral, Windsor Castle and churches around the country in tribute to the Queen.
Gun salutes of 96 rounds, to mark each year of her life, have been fired in Hyde Park, the Tower of London, Stonehenge, Edinburgh Castle and elsewhere.
How else can I pay respects to the Queen?
People can sign an online book of condolence on the Royal Family website but there will be no physical books at royal residences. Any organisation can open a book of condolence and there will be opportunities to sign one at locations around the country, such as town halls and some cathedrals.
A memorial flower garden will be created in London’s Green Park on Saturday and will be the main designated place for laying flowers near Buckingham Palace. Flowers can also be laid in specific sites close to other royal residences in Balmoral, Windsor and Sandringham, and at Hillsborough Castle in Belfast, the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh and at the entrance to Cardiff’s City Hall.
There may be places within local communities where flowers or tributes can be left, such as a town hall or a church and the government advises checking with the council or in local media.
But the government and Royal Household have asked that no flowers, wreaths or tributes be sent directly to royal residences, government offices or to the location of the Queen’s funeral.
