After the Queen’s death, her oak coffin — draped in the Royal Standard for Scotland and a wreath of flowers — sat in the ballroom at Balmoral, where estate staff had the opportunity to pay their last respects. On Sunday morning, six of her rangers carried the coffin into a hearse.
At 10 a.m. (5 a.m. ET), the coffin of the beloved monarch began its journey to the nation’s capital. However, it will not go directly there. He will first make a six-hour trip to Edinburgh and the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the British monarch’s official residence in Scotland. The journey by road usually takes about three hours, however, it will move slowly so that people can watch the hearse along the route and bow their heads as it passes.
A guard of honor made up of the Royal Regiment of Scotland will greet the hearse as it arrives in Edinburgh with a royal salute before it is taken to the Throne Room by a military party.
Meanwhile, back in London, the king will meet with the Commonwealth secretary-general before hosting high commissioners from whose spheres he is now head of state in the Bow Room of Buckingham Palace.
On Monday morning, the King will start his day with a trip to Westminster Hall, where both Houses of Parliament will offer their condolences. He and his wife Camilla then fly to Edinburgh, arriving at 12.45pm. (7:45 a.m. ET), where they will head straight to the Palace of Holyroodhouse.
At 2:35 p.m. (9:35 a.m. ET), the Queen’s casket 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 consisting of ” from all sectors of Scottish society,” according to a senior palace official. The coffin will then lie there for 24 hours to allow the Scottish public to view it, in a tradition known as lying in state.
After the service, the King will return to Holyrood where he will have an audience with the First Minister of Scotland, 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 an offer of condolence.
That afternoon, at 7:20 p.m. (2:20 p.m. ET), the King and members of the royal family will stand their own guard — or vigil — of the Queen’s casket.
On Tuesday, the King and Camilla will take a trip 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 then meet 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 daughter, Princess Anne, will prepare to accompany her mother’s body as it is flown back to London. At 5 p.m. (12 p.m. ET) the casket will travel 8.2 miles (13.2 kilometers) by hearse to Edinburgh Airport, where it will depart for RAF Northolt.
A state hearse will carry the monarch’s remains to Buckingham Palace, where the king, the queen consort and other members of the Windsor clan will await the arrival of the casket at around 8pm. (3 p.m. ET). The Dean of the Chapels Royal will conduct the prayers and a pallbearer party found by the Queen’s Company, 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards will place the coffin on trivets in the center of the bow room to rest for the night.
Wednesday will see an exquisite silent procession carry the coffin in a carriage from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall, the oldest part of the Palace of Westminster, where the Queen will lie in state until the morning of the funeral.
For this journey, the coffin will be adorned with the imperial state crown and a wreath of flowers. The procession route will begin at 2:22 p.m. (9:22 a.m. ET) along The Mall, past Horse Guards Parade, down Downing Street to Westminster.
In a potentially emotional moment, members of the royal family will walk behind their beloved matriarch. They will be followed by senior members of the royal households as well as close personal staff and members of the Household Division. As crowds watch the procession — which will last around 40 minutes — Big Ben will strike and fine guns will be fired by The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery in Hyde Park echoing across the capital.
The Queen’s coffin will be placed on a raised dais — or catafalque — in the middle of the hall and will be guarded around the clock by officers of the Home Office, the King’s Bodyguard or the Royal Company of Archers.
On his arrival at Westminster Hall, a short service will be held by the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, after which the hall will be opened to the public to pay their respects.
Members of the public will be able to walk past the Queen’s coffin during its first full day in state at Westminster Hall on Thursday.
Brass plaques in the 11th century hall mark the site of Edward VII 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 wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill was in 1965.
On Friday, the stay will continue for a second full day. Huge numbers of people are expected to line up in central London for the chance to visit the casket and be part of this historic moment. Details of how the public can participate are to be announced by the government in the coming days.
Separately, King Charles and Camilla will visit Wales on Friday, completing their tour of all four nations that make up the United Kingdom.
Public access to the countryside continues over the weekend.
Sunday marks the last full day the Queen’s body will lie in state at Westminster Hall.
On the morning of Monday, September 19 — a public holiday across the UK — the Queen’s stateside will come to an end. The coffin will then travel in procession once more to Westminster Abbey for the state funeral, details of which are likely to be announced in the coming days.
Westminster Abbey, founded in 960 AD. by Benedictine monks, is one of London’s most recognizable landmarks. The historic church has been the setting for every coronation since 1066, and was where the then-Princess Elizabeth married Prince Philip in 1947. But there hasn’t been a monarch funeral 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 her steadfast service to the nation and the Commonwealth. Although a guest list has not yet been announced, US President Joe Biden plans to attend the funeral.
Other familiar faces on the telecast will be some of the 15 prime ministers who served during the Queen’s reign.
At its conclusion, the coffin will travel in procession to Wellington Arch, before making its final journey from London to Windsor.
His destination is the now famous St. George’s Chapel inside Windsor Castle. Prince Philip’s memorial service was held there, as well as happier events such as the weddings of the Queen’s grandchildren.
After the service for the Duke of Edinburgh in 2021, his coffin was lowered into the Royal Vault, located below the chapel, where many members of the royal family have been laid to rest. However, it is expected to be moved to lie in state with the Queen at the King George VI Memorial, located elsewhere inside St George’s Chapel.
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CNN’s Anna Brand and Henrik Pettersson contributed to this report.
