All the details of Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral
As the world prepares to farewell the Queen, it has been revealed Prince George and Princess Charlotte will walk behind their great-grandmother’s coffin.
Prince George and Princess Charlotte will walk behind their great-grandmother’s coffin at the Queen’s state funeral today.
According to the Order of Service just released, George, 9, and Charlotte, 7, now second and third in line to the throne, will walk behind parents William and Kate after the ceremony for Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey.
The Queen’s coffin will be carried through the abbey ahead of a congregation of 2000, which will include leaders from around the world, in what police have described as the biggest British security operation in history.
George and Charlotte will be among 18 members of the Queen’s family at the funeral. Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will walk behind them.
Who walks behind the coffin at a funeral?
The procession will be led by the King and Queen Consort, followed by the Queen’s second child Princess Anne and her husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence.
Prince Andrew will follow with Prince Edward and his wife Sophie the Countess of Wessex behind him.
Then will come the new Prince and Princess of Wales and their children George and Charlotte, followed by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Princess Margaret’s son David Armstrong-Jones and Princess Anne’s son, Peter Phillips.
Prince Louis is not expected to be at the funeral, being deemed too young to attend the sombre occasion.
While they are expected to be in attendance, the Queen’s other grandchildren Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, Zara Tindall, Lady Louise Windsor and James Viscount Severn are not included in the procession.
What time is Queen Elizabeth’s funeral on?
The state funeral for Queen Elizabeth II will take place at 11am on Monday, September 19, local time, which is 8pm Monday, AEST.
The funeral coverage will be livestreamed on news.com.au, and you can sign up for live text updates from our royal reporting team.
The Queen has been lying-in-state at the Throne Room at Westminster Hall for the four days before the ceremony, allowing the public to pay their respects.
Her death on September 8 at Balmoral Castle in Scotland triggered a series of intricately planned events, allowing her subjects to farewell the much-loved ruler who was the longest-reigning British monarch since she ascended the throne 70 years ago.
The Queen’s procession
On Sunday, September 11, the monarch’s coffin travelled by road to the Scottish capital, Edinburgh, where it rested in the Throne Room at the Palace of Holyroodhouse until Monday, September 12.
A procession, attended by King Charles III and other members of the royal family, saw the coffin then transported to the St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh, where the body stayed until Tuesday, September 13 and the public were allowed to pay their respects.
Later that day, the coffin was transported to the Royal Air Force’s Northolt posting in London, in a journey that was accompanied by the Queen’s daughter, Princess Anne.
The coffin was then taken to Buckingham Palace, where it remained until the afternoon of Wednesday, September 14.
It then travelled on top of a gun carriage of the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery, where the Queen was lying-in-state at Westminster Hall. Over four days, members of the public were able to pay their respects, many queuing for hours for the opportunity to farewell their Queen.
The state funeral is at Westminster Abbey — the same location where the Queen had her coronation in 1953 and her wedding in 1947.
Where will the Queen be buried?
At the end of the funeral, the coffin will once again travel in procession from Westminster Abbey to Wellington Arch in Hyde Park, and then Windsor, just outside London.
Finally, a committal service will take place at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle, where the Queen will be buried next to late husband, Prince Phillip.
Philip, who died in April last year aged 99, awaits her 4.8m down in the burial chamber which is normally hidden by black and white diamond-shaped tiles.
It will be open tonight for the committal when the Queen’s oak coffin will be gently lowered into the tomb.
After his death, the Queen made Windsor Castle her main residence so she could be near him. Behind the altar in the ancient fortress’s chapel is a passageway with steps into the vault from which the Queen could have been closer still.
The chamber, which contains the coffins of 25 royals, will not be the final resting place of Queen Elizabeth II and her husband.
After all the film crews have left there will be a private ceremony at 7.30pm attended by senior royals when the couple will be laid to rest in the tiny King George VI memorial chapel which adjoins the main building.
Her Majesty’s wish was to lay side-by-side with her husband there, where her father George VI and her mother Elizabeth, The Queen Mother, and sister Princess Margaret are interred.
Who will be at Queen funeral?
World leaders, including Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his partner Jodie Haydon will be in attendance. Other Australians attending include the Governor-General David Hurley and his wife Linda, the acting high commissioner to the United Kingdom Lynette Wood and her partner, Australian of the Year Dylan Alcott, Sydney father Danny Abdallah, Victoria Cross recipients Ben Roberts-Smith and Mark Donaldson, and horse identities Gai and Robbie Waterhouse.
National Day of Mourning and a public holiday
In Australia, the national flag will continue to be flown at half-mast until the day after the funeral.
A national day of mourning will also be held once Mr Albanese returns from London, while an official one-off public holiday will take place on September 22.
“On September 22 there will be a public holiday for the National Day of Mourning for Her Majesty The Queen,” Mr Albanese confirmed.
A yet-to-be-confirmed national memorial service will be held in Canberra.
States and territories will also be offered defence force personnel in any events which will pay tribute to the Queen’s passing.
While Australians will not observe an official mourning period, politicians have been given a 15-day break from parliamentary duties, which extends beyond the 10 days given to their UK counterparts.
Appearing on ABC radio, Mr Albanese said this was “out of respect” for the Queen.
“This is a moment in our history. Of course, for the whole of my life, I’ve only known one monarch, which is quite extraordinary,” he said.
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