The death of Queen Elizabeth II has shaken the entire world. The queue to go pay your respects to the Queen as she lies in state at Westminster has now reached capacity and entry to the queue has been paused for some hours, as reported by The Guardian.
The funeral will take place on Monday, which has been declared a bank holiday in the UK. While they don’t strictly have to close, most shops will be closed for the days. Most cinemas will also be closed or screening the Queen’s funeral as previously reported.
ITV and BBC, among other channels, will dedicate most of their broadcasting time on the day to everything related to the Queen. Coverage will begin at 8am and finish around 5pm, while the funeral itself will take place at 11am.
London is expected to be very busy on the day, as mourners will line the streets to say one final goodbye to the longest-serving British monarch and some roads will be closed during the funeral.
Buckingham Palace has released the order for the day. People are able to visit the Queen’s coffin until 6.30am on Monday morning after which the doors to Westminster Hall will close for preparations to transfer the coffin to nearby Westminster Abbey for the funeral itself.
The coffin will be transported on a 123-year-old gun carriage at 10.44. The carriage will be pulled by 98 Royal Navy sailors and the route will also be lined with members of the Royal Marines and Royal Navy. The Queen’s children and grandchildren will walk behind.
Once inside the Westminster Abbey, the ceremony will begin at 11am. 2000 people are expected to attend the service as guests while millions will be watching at home and thousands will line the streets on the historic day. US president Joe Biden and French president Emmanuel Macron are among the guests inside Westminster Abbey.
LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 09: A police office places flowers at Buckingham Palace on September 09, 2022 in London, England. Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor was born in Bruton Street, Mayfair, London on 21 April 1926. She married Prince Philip in 1947 and acceded the throne of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth on 6 February 1952 after the death of her Father, King George VI. Queen Elizabeth II died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on September 8, 2022, and is succeeded by her eldest son, King Charles III. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
At the end of the service, there will be a two-minute silence, followed by the national anthem before the Queen’s coffin is transported to Wellington Arch, where it will be moved into a hearse and taken to Windsor by road.
Heathrow has suspended all arrivals and departures to minimise any disruption during the 2-minute silence.
At 4pm, a service at St. George’s Cathedral in Windsor will take place, led by the Dean of Windsor.
The Queen’s coffin will be lowered into the royal vault and the Archbishop of Canterbury will read out a blessing and Queen’s piper will play a lament. The Crown Jeweller will collect the Queen’s crown and return it to the Tower of London.
Several Paddington Bear soft toys have been left outside Buckingham Palace as a loving tribute to the late monarch. Credit: Carl Court/Getty Images
A private memorial service for the family will be held at 7.30pm. BBC One will also air Paddington 2 in the evening in order to offer some solace after an emotionally charged day. Paddington has somewhat become a national symbol for the Queen’s warmth and kindness after the two shared the screen and some marmalade sandwiches in a sketch during the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
