Show only key events Please enable JavaScript to use this feature The Queen will lie in state at Westminster Hall in London from 5pm on Wednesday. to 6:30 a.m. on Monday, September 19. Find out what this means and how you can get involved. What exactly is meant by the term “lies to the state”? Lying in state is usually reserved for sovereigns, current or past queen consorts and sometimes former prime ministers. During the formal event, the closed casket is placed on view as thousands of people line up to walk past and pay their respects. When and where will the Queen lie in state? The late monarch’s Lying in State at Westminster Hall opens to the public at 5pm. on Wednesday and will be open 24 hours a day until closing at 6:30 a.m. the queen’s funeral. Westminster Hall is the oldest building on the Parliamentary estate, dating back to 1099 and has been the site of important events such as the trial of Charles I, coronation banquets and speeches by world leaders. What can people expect to see? The closed coffin will be draped in a royal flag, usually a personal standard, and rest on a raised platform called a catafalque, flanked by a 24-hour military guard. A crown and other regalia are traditionally placed over a sovereign’s coffin. Every corner of the platform is guarded 24 hours a day by units from the Sovereign’s Bodyguard, Foot Guards or Household Cavalry Cavalry. For more information on what to bring, what not to bring, how long you can wait and where the delivery started, see our full explanation here. All UK newspapers led with the same image of the Queen’s coffin, draped in a flag, being carried to the Palace of Holyrood House in Edinburgh. “The Queen embarks on her final journey,” the Guardian said in the lead image of the veteran. However, the paper led on developments in Ukraine, as Russia targets power supplies after being rattled by Ukraine’s gains. Many of the papers had a similar title. “The Queen’s last journey begins,” said i newspaper. The Daily Express led the way with ‘The Queen’s saddest journey begins’, the Mirror had ‘The last journey home’, the Telegraph went with ‘Her last big journey’, The Times had ‘Her last journey begins’, with a circled photo of pallbearers preparing to load the coffin into the hearse, and the Sun did the same, under the headline ‘Queen’s last great journey. The Daily Mail published “The saddest journey… now the long goodbye”. You can see a full collection of documents here.
What’s happening this week
Here’s a daily account of what happens next, leading up to the Queen’s funeral on Monday 19 September. On Monday 12 September, King Charles III and the Queen Consort will visit Westminster Hall in London, where both Houses of Parliament will offer their condolences to the new monarch. Later on Monday, Charles and Camilla will fly to Edinburgh where they will attend a key ceremony and the King will inspect the guard of honour. Charles will then lead the royal family in procession as the Queen’s coffin is taken from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to nearby St Giles’ Cathedral for a service of thanksgiving. Members of the public will be able to view the coffin in the cathedral and pay their respects from 5pm for a 24-hour period. The King will then hold an audience with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Alison Johnstone, the presiding officer of the Scottish Parliament. Later in the evening, the king and other members of the royal family will hold a vigil at the cathedral in honor of their mother. Tuesday 13 September The King and Queen Consort will fly to Northern Ireland on Tuesday to visit Hillsborough Castle, where they will see an exhibition about the late Queen’s long association with the province. The King will then meet Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris and party leaders and receive a message of condolence led by the Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly. After a short reception in Hillsborough, the King and Queen Consort will travel to St Anne’s Cathedral for a service of prayer and reflection. Before the event Charles will meet leaders from all the major faiths in Northern Ireland and then the royal couple will return to London. Meanwhile, the Queen’s coffin is expected to be flown to London and laid to rest at Buckingham Palace. A rehearsal is also expected to take place for the procession of the coffin from Buckingham Palace to the Palace of Westminster. Details of the route for the stay queue in the state will be provided late on Tuesday 13th September. Wednesday September 14 In a tribute to his late mother, the King will lead Wednesday’s procession behind her hearse to Westminster Hall, where the Queen will lie in state ahead of the state funeral on September 19. The Archbishop of Canterbury will conduct a short service after the coffin arrives. Those wishing to pay their respects will be able to solemnly approach the Queen’s coffin 24 hours a day from 5pm on Wednesday 14 September until 6.30am. on the day of the funeral – Monday 19 September. Senior members of the royal family are also expected to pay their own moving tributes, at some stage standing guard around the coffin – the tradition known as the Princes’ Vigil. Thursday September 15 Lying in state continues and a rehearsal for the state funeral is likely. Friday September 16 The King and Queen Consort are expected to travel to Wales while they remain stateside. Saturday September 17 – Sunday September 18 The lie continues and heads of state will begin to arrive for the funeral. Monday 19 September will be a national bank holiday to enable as many people as possible to attend the Queen’s funeral. The stay in the situation will continue till 6.30 am. The coffin will be carried in a large military procession from the Palace of Westminster to Westminster Abbey for the state funeral. Senior members of the family are expected to follow behind – just as they did for the funerals of Diana, Princess of Wales and the Duke of Edinburgh. The army will line the streets and also participate in the march. Heads of state, prime ministers and presidents, European royals and dignitaries will be invited to gather at the abbey, which can accommodate a congregation of 2,000. The service will be televised and a national two-minute silence is expected. After the service, the coffin will be taken in procession from Westminster Abbey to Wellington Arch and then travel to Windsor. Once there, the hearse will travel in procession to St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle via the Long Walk, after which a televised ceremony will take place in St George’s Chapel. Later in the evening there will be a private burial service with senior members of the royal family. The Queen’s final resting place will be the King George VI Memorial, an annexe to the main chapel – where her mother and father are buried, along with the ashes of her sister, Princess Margaret. Philip’s coffin will be moved from the Royal Vault to the memorial to join the Queen’s coffin. Updated at 05.14 BST
King Charles will lead the family procession as the coffin travels to Edinburgh Cathedral today
Good morning and welcome to today’s liveblog, bringing you the latest developments since the Queen’s death. King Charles III will lead the royal family in a poignant procession behind his mother’s coffin when it travels to an Edinburgh cathedral to allow the public to pay their respects. The Queen’s coffin will be taken from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to nearby St Giles’ Cathedral, where her family, and a congregation from all walks of Scottish society, will attend a service of thanksgiving for her life. Full details of the royal mourners have yet to be released, but there is speculation that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and the new Prince and Princess of Wales, who on Saturday appeared together during an appearance at Windsor Castle, will he is part of the team. Charles will lead some of the Royal Family on foot, with the Duke of York, the Earl of Wessex, the Princess Royal and her husband, Rear-Admiral Sir Tim Laurence expected to be – while the Queen Consort and other members of the monarchy will follow in cars. People cheer as they stand in tribute as the hearse carrying the coffin of the late Queen Elizabeth II passes through Ballater. Photo: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images Members of the public will be able to view the coffin to pay their respects for 24 hours before it is taken to London for a period of repose. Later in the evening, the King and other members of his family, most likely his siblings, will hold a vigil in the cathedral in honor of their mother. Charles and Camilla are in London but before they leave for the Scottish capital they will visit Westminster Hall where both Houses of Parliament will offer their condolences to the new monarch and his wife and the King will give his response . During his day in Edinburgh, the king will inspect the guard of honor at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, before attending the Keys ceremony in the forecourt. At the Palace, the King will hold an audience with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, followed by an audience with Alison Johnstone, the Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament. Condolences will be offered by the Scottish Parliament when Charles and Camilla attend to receive an offer of condolence, with the King responding.
