The late Queen Elizabeth II has a long way to go before she is buried. Her Majesty’s farewell is well planned.
LONDON — The long road to the grand state funeral on September 19 follows a plan codenamed Operation London Bridge. Since Princess Anne (72) set off with the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II (96, † 2022) on Sunday, the farewell has followed, putting the nation in a phase of national mourning. Until the exceptional regent finds her final rest at the side of her husband Prince Philip (99, † 2021), the protocol regulates the days until the burial.
Operation Marquee on September 14: The Queen was laid out in Westminster Hall
The Queen’s remains will arrive in Parliament at 2:22 p.m. by horse-drawn carriage from Buckingham Palace . King Charles III (73) and his sons Prince William (40) and Prince Harry (37) as well as the royal family and employees will follow. The funeral procession descends London’s boulevard, The Mall, past the Horse Guards Parade parade ground and through White Hall and Parliament Street to the Palace of Westminster.
Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, 66, will hold a short service around 3pm . From 5 p.m. the Queen’s laying-in in Westminster Hall begins, which will last four days. Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to march past the coffin on the catafalque to pay their last respects to Queen Elizabeth II – as was the case at the funeral of Queen Mother Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (101, † 2002).
The Vigil of the Princes
The ‘princes’ vigil’ refers to three occasions when members of the British royal family ‘stand guard’ at the laying-in of one of their relatives during or as part of a British state funeral or burial ceremony.
Traditionally, only male members of the British royal family attended the vigil, but Princess Anne (72), the Princess Royal, attended the 2022 vigil for Queen Elizabeth II.
The Queen’s funeral closes at 6.30am on Monday 19 September
Westminster Hall can be visited 23 hours a day from Thursday 15 September to Sunday 18 September . A rehearsal for the state funeral procession will presumably be held. High-ranking members of the royal family will pay their respects to the great queen and take part in the wake. Charles III and Camilla, who should have died out of the excitement over a pen, will make her way to Wales ahead of a minute’s silence across the UK at 8pm on Sunday.
The Queen’s long farewell journey is coming to an end. The coffin is carried in a procession from Parliament to Westminster Abbey on the day of the burial. The funeral service begins at 12 p.m. in the cathedral. After the service, the coffin is taken in procession to Wellington Arch. The military will line the streets, and it is quite possible that the family will also follow the funeral procession. He is then taken in procession in the royal hearse to the King George VI Memorial Chapel in the grounds of Windsor Castle. There, the queen is finally laid to rest – televised – alongside her family and husband. Sources used: news.sky.com, Instagram @theroyalfamily
