Codenamed Operation London Bridge, the arrangements for Britain’s longest-serving monarch have been carefully considered for years by the many agencies involved, with the Queen herself signing off on every detail before her death. However, these details were kept under wraps until the sitting monarch, King Charles III, gave all his final stamp of approval. The Queen will finally be laid to rest in St George’s Chapel, in the grounds of Windsor Castle, alongside her ‘strength and stay’ of 73 years, Prince Philip. Here, we’ve put together a day-by-day guide to what’s happening between now and the state funeral. On Sunday morning, gamekeepers transferred it to a waiting hearse and then the beloved monarch left Balmoral for the last time. The first leg of the Queen’s latest trip saw the royal motorcade make a six-hour journey 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 was driven slowly to allow people to watch the procession and bow their heads as it passed. A guard of honor made up of the Royal Regiment of Scotland welcomed the hearse into Edinburgh with a royal salute before the coffin was carried into the Throne Room by a military party. Meanwhile, back in London, the King met with the Commonwealth Secretary General before hosting a reception for the High Commissioners from the realms of which he is now head of state in the Bow Room of Buckingham Palace. On Monday morning, the King began his day with a trip to Westminster Hall where both Houses of Parliament offered their condolences. He and his wife Camilla then flew to Edinburgh, where they headed straight to the Palace of Holyroodhouse. In the afternoon, the King led a procession that carried the Queen’s coffin to the Cathedral of St. Giles for a service of prayer and reflection attended by members of the Royal Family, as well as a congregation made up “from all sectors of Scottish society”. according to a senior palace official. The coffin then rests there for 24 hours for the Scottish public to view. After the service, the King had an audience with First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon and a meeting with the Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament. Charles, accompanied by the Queen Consort, also went to the Scottish Parliament to receive a condolence offer. In the evening, the king and members of the royal family were expected to stand their own guard – or vigil – at the queen’s coffin. 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 the guns fired by The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery in Hyde Park will echo 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 open from 5pm. 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. The hall will be open 24 hours a day until 6:30 am. (01:30 a.m.) on the day of the Queen’s funeral. The UK government has warned that those wishing to pay their respects “will need to queue for many hours, possibly overnight”. All those attending the lying-in-state will go through airport-style security with only small bags allowed. 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. 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. The UK public has also been invited to observe a minute’s silence at 8pm. (3 p.m. ET) in a national moment of reflection. On the morning of Monday, September 19 – a bank holiday across the UK – the Queen’s state stay 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 within St George’s Chapel.
