Queen’s funeral – all we know from times and shop closures to royal guest list

The country is in a period of national mourning following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, with her funeral still to take place.

The late monarch passed away “peacefully” aged 96 last Thursday (September 8) in Balmoral, Aberdeenshire surrounded by close members of the royal family.

Her son King Charles III, who automatically became king upon his mother’s death, declared seven days of mourning, including the late monarch’s state funeral.

On Sunday, the Queen’s draped coffin travelled six hours from Balmoral Castle to the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh where it was laid to rest in the Throne Room for one day.

As the coffin entered the palace, Princess Anne was seen standing in line giving a heartbreaking curtsy to her late mother.

King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla arrived in the Scottish capital on Monday to join in a walking procession as the oak coffin is moved from the palace to St Giles’ Cathedral.

The Queen will remain there until Tuesday (September 13) when she will make her final journey, by RAF plane, to Buckingham Palace.

The UK’s longest-serving monarch will lie in state for four days at Westminster Hall in London from 5pm on Wednesday (September 14) until 6.30am the following Monday (September 19).

More then one million mourners are expected to queue up and see the coffin, with people being warned they may have wait overnight.

Below is everything you need to know about Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral.

When is it?

After the four days of the coffin lying in state ends, the funeral is due to be held on Monday (September 19) and expected to begin at 11am.

Confirmation of the service was announced over the weekend and it will include a procession through London as thousands of mourners will say their final goodbye to the much-loved head of state.

Where will the Queen’s funeral take place?

The Queen’s coffin will be taken from Westminster Hall to nearby Westminster Abbey, where the funeral service will be held.

The funeral is breaking hundreds of years of royal tradition as it will be the first time such a service will be held at Westminster Abbey for a British monarch.

George II’s funeral in 1760 was the last time it happened.

Funerals for the country’s kings and queens have normally been held at St George’s Chapel in Windsor.

Where will the Queen be buried?

Although the funeral service is at Westminster Abbey in London, the Queen will be buried about 20 miles away in the Royal Vault at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle in Berkshire.

She will be laid to rest next to her late husband Prince Philip as well as her sister Princess Margaret and parents King George VI and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother.

Will there be a Bank Holiday?

The funeral has been officially declared a Bank Holiday for the UK, meaning many people could have the day off work.

However, the government has advised employers that it is up to them to make the decision whether to allow staff to have the time off.

A post on gov.uk reads: “This is a matter for discussion between individuals and their employer.

“There is no statutory entitlement to time off for bank holidays, but employers may include bank holidays as part of a worker’s leave entitlement.

“The government cannot interfere in existing contractual arrangements between employers and workers.

“However, we would expect that many workers will be able to take the day off on the bank holiday.

“We also expect employers to respond sensitively to requests from workers who wish to take the day of the funeral off work.”

The government also said staff should speak to their bosses regarding any overtime and days in lieu.

Schools have also confirmed they will be closed for the day of the funeral, meaning many parents will need to look find a way to look after them if they cannot also have the day off.

Which royals will attend the service?

Many members of the extended and close royal family are expected to attend the funeral, including the late Queen’s four children and their respective partners.

These include King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla, Princess Anne and her husband Sir Timothy Laurence, and Prince Edward and the Countess of Wessex.

Prince Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson are also due to be there.

The Queen’s eight grandchildren and respective partners are expected, including the Prince and Princess of Wales, Prince Harry and the Duchess of Sussex, Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank, Zara and Mike Tindall and others.

The Queen’s cousins such as the Duke of Kent, Prince and Princess Michael of Kent and are also likely to attend.

It is not yet known if any of the Queen’s 12 great-grandchildren, including Princes George and Louis of Wales and Princess Charlotte of Wales, will be at the service.

It was reported that William and Harry could walk side-by-side behind their grandmother’s coffin during the service.

The brothers, who did not walk together behind Prince Philip’s coffin last year, have endured a rocky relationship in recent times and is not yet thought to be completely healed.

Members from foreign royal families, including Denmark, Sweden, Spain and Belgium, could also possibly also attend the funeral.

Politicians make the guest list

Political leaders across the UK as well as dozens from all around the world are expected to go the funeral.

At home, these include Prime Minister Liz Truss, Scotland’s first minister Nicola Sturgeon, Wales’s first minister Mark Drakeford.

Elsewhere, US President Joe Biden confirmed he and his wife would be attending.

According to official documents seen by Politico, all foreign leaders will be put into coaches togethers and driven to Westminster Abbey.

The heads of states have also been told to use commercial flights when arriving in the UK and have been banned from using their own vehicles and helicopters for security reasons.

This means that Biden may not use Air Force One, the president’s official means of air travel, when travelling to London.

The guidance also bans any flags from being displayed “at any airport for arrival or departure”.

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin does not appear to be going after a Kremlin spokesperson said on Friday the leader’s attendance was “not being considered”.

Celebrities pay tribute

Although an official list has yet to be released, a reported 2,000 guests are expected to attend Westminster Abbey for the funeral.

Many royals and heads of states, as well as their respective partners, are due to go but it is unclear if any specific celebrities will be there.

Since the Queen died last week stars from across the world have paid tribute to the late monarch, including Dame Helen Mirren, Piers Morgan, Paris Hilton and Victoria Beckham.

Dame Helen, who played the Queen in a 2006 film, wrote on her Instagram page: “I am proud to be an Elizabethan. We mourn a woman, who, with or without the crown, was the epitome of nobility.”

While Piers tweeted : “I can’t even imagine Britain without this Queen. Very unsettling day.”

Will Royal Mail still deliver post?

Out of respect for the late Queen, Royal Mail said that it will suspend its service on the day of the funeral.

Royal Mail chief executive Simon Thompson said: “We are proud that over the coming days Royal Mail will play an important role in delivering messages of condolence from all around the world to the Royal Family.

“We want to make our customers aware that services will be suspended on the day of the funeral as people come together to honour Her Majesty, after 70 years of exemplary service to the nation and the Commonwealth.”

Will the funeral be on TV?

The BBC will air the funeral live on BBC One as well as BBC News and iPlayer, although exact timings are yet to be announced.

Other channels such as ITV and Channel 4 as well as news channel Sky are likely to show the live service as well.

The committal service in St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle will also be shown live but the internment service will be private and not televised.

Will hospitals and GPs be closed?

GPs and surgeries can close on the day of the funeral, and are likely to, like any other Bank Holiday but hospitals will remain open.

Will shops and supermarkets be closed?

High street fashion outlet Primark confirmed that it will close all 191 stores on the funeral day as a mark of respect.

A Primark spokesperson said: “Our stores, depots and Head Office in the UK will be closed on Monday 19th September to give our colleagues the opportunity to pay their respects and watch the funeral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.”

All its shops will reopen as normal the day after on Tuesday (September 15).

Other big retailers such as John Lewis and Marks and Spencer are also reportedly looking at closing many of their branches for the funeral, although nothing has been confirmed yet.

While the UK’s five major supermarkets – Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Asda, Morrisons and Waitrose – are reportedly working on plans to close all of their respective larger stores for around four hours during the funeral.

It has been suggested that doors will shut between 10am and 2pm, although their small convenience stores will remain open.

How can I watch the funeral live?

Millions of people in the UK and across the world are expected to watch the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II on TV.

However, for those living in or able to travel to London, there is the opportunity to be there in the flesh while the service is taking place at Westminster Abbey.

Huge crowds of mourners are expected to line up between the Mall that leads up to Buckingham Palace and the abbey, which is a distance of around one mile.

It had been reported that Mall’s bollards will even be removed to allow extra space for people to gather together in unity.

The nearest London Underground stations include Green Park, Hyde Park Corner, St James’s Park and Charing Cross.

These locations are expected to be extremely busy on the day, though, and so it is worth checking for any travel updates or restrictions before setting off.

A government spokesperson said: “We recognise that many people will travel to Buckingham Palace and other royal residences as a mark of their respect.

“We expect large crowds, which can pose risks to public safety.

“Those who do travel are asked to follow any instructions given to them by stewards and the police. We expect significant crowding and delays on some public transport.

“The public should check ahead and plan accordingly.”

The government also advised that access to some central London areas will be restricted and road closures and diversions in place will also cause delays.

Will royals wear military uniform?

It was reported that only working members of the royal family will wear military uniform when present at five ceremonial events taking place during the mourning period.

These include the Service of Thanksgiving at St Giles’ Cathedral, Edinburgh, the procession to Westminster Hall and service of prayer and reflection as well as the Vigil at Westminster Hall, the state funeral at Westminster Abbey and finally the Committal Service at St George’s Chapel Windsor.

It it understood that Prince Harry will not wear a uniform for a final vigil to the Queen at Westminster Hall after stepping down from senior working royal duties in 2020.

However, it is believed that Prince Andrew will wear a military uniform for the final vigil around the Queen’s coffin during the lying in state in Westminster Hall.

Andrew had his honorary titles stripped after stepping down from public life caused by the furore surrounding his friendship with paedophile billionaire Jeffrey Epstein.

It is thought that Andrew is being allowed to do so as a special mark of respect on this occasion only for his late mother.