The funeral for Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away on September 8, 2022, at the age of 96 will be held at Westminster Abbey on September 19.
According to the Book of Condolences, the queen will Lie-in-State in Westminster Hall for four days, to allow the public to pay their respects. The queen’s coffin currently “rests in the Ballroom at Balmoral Castle.”
The coffin will travel by road to Edinburgh on Sunday, September 11. It will rest in the Throne Room of the Palace of Holyroodhouse until the afternoon of Monday, September 12. A procession will then be formed to convey the Coffin to St Giles’ Cathedral, where a service will be held to receive it.
King Charles III and Members of the Royal Family are expected to be part of the ceremony.
It will lie at rest in the cathedral, guarded by Vigils from The Royal Company of Archers, as the people of Scotland pay their respects.
On Tuesday afternoon, the coffin — accompanied by The Princess Royal — will be moved to Scotland by Royal Air Force aircraft from Edinburgh Airport.
The coffin will then travel by road to Buckingham Palace to rest in the Bow Room.
On Wednesday afternoon, the coffin will be part of a procession on a gun carriage of The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery — from Buckingham Palace to the Palace of Westminster — where the queen will Lie-in-State in Westminster Hall until the morning of the State Funeral.
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According to the Book of Condolences, “The Procession will travel via Queen’s Gardens, The Mall, Horse Guards and Horse Guards Arch, Whitehall, Parliament Street, Parliament Square and New Palace Yard.”
“After the Coffin arrives at Westminster Hall, The Archbishop of Canterbury will conduct a short service assisted by The Very Reverend Dr. David Hoyle, Dean of Westminster, and attended by The King and Members of the Royal Family, after which the Lying-in-State will begin.”
When Prince Philip passed away on April 9, 2021, the number of mourners for the Duke of Edinburgh and husband to the Queen was limited to 30 due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the ceremony had to be observed with health protocols in mind. Philip was 99 years old at the time of his death.
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Similar protocols are unlikely to be followed for the queen. Instead, the U.K. government is anticipating large crowds in central London in the coming days as mourners visit Buckingham Palace and the royal residences.
On Friday, the Cabinet Office even issued a statement warning the public of potential “risks to public safety” and “delays on some public transport” as large numbers gather for ceremonial and commemorative events.
The longest reigning monarch in history, Queen Elizabeth was born on April 21, 1926, in Bruton Street, central London. She ascended the throne in 1952 at the age of 25 and surpassed her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria as Britain’s longest-reigning monarch in September 2015.
Elizabeth was also queen of 15 former British colonies including Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
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