Related Articles
It has officially been announced that the Queen’s funeral will take place at Westminster Abbey on Monday, September 19 at 11am.
The Earl Marshal, the Duke of Norfolk confirmed the news yesterday evening.
This will be the first time in over 260 years that a sovereign’s funeral has taken place in the Abbey.
The last was George II’s in 1760.
READ MORE: Prince Philip turned down title of Prince Consort – what is a consort?
READ MORE: Will schools close for the Queen’s funeral? Full plans revealed in lead up to the funeral
Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation (PA)
The Queen’s funeral will be held at Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey has been host to many significant events during the Queen’s life, with most of her milestones in both her personal life and public duty being held there.
The Queen was both married and crowned at Westminster Abbey.
Princess Elizabeth was 21 when, on Thursday, November 20, 1947, she married her prince in the surrounds of the central London church.
More than 2,000 guests gathered inside, waiting for the royal bride.
Just five years after her wedding, the princess became Queen Elizabeth II after the death of her father, George VI.
16 months later, on June 2, 1953, she had her coronation at the Abbey.
During the service, the Queen took the oath and was anointed, with the St Edward’s Crown placed on her head.
An estimated 27 million people in Britain watched the ceremony on TV after the Queen agreed it could be televised.
The Abbey has also been the site of romantic royal celebrations for the Queen.
She saw her daughter, Princess Anne, marry Captain Mark Phillips in the church in 1973, and her second son, the Duke of York, wed Sarah Ferguson in 1986.
Mourners pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II
In 2011, her grandson, the Duke of Cambridge, now the Prince of Wales, also exchanged vows with Kate Middleton as millions watched across the globe.
Many times, the Queen went to the Abbey with her family to attend thanksgivings or commemorative events such as a service to mark the 60th anniversary of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme in 2016.
The church was also a reminder of the loss of her mother, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, and former daughter-in-law, Diana, Princess of Wales.
The Queen Mother’s funeral was held at the Abbey in 2002, five years after Diana’s.
The Gothic church – whose official title is the Collegiate Church of St Peter, Westminster – has been the coronation church since 1066.
The Queen’s was the 38th.
It is also the final resting place of 17 monarchs, including Charles II and Elizabeth I.
When is the Queen’s funeral?
The Queen’s funeral will be held on September 19 at 11am.
This comes as it has been announced that the Queen’s coffin – which is lying in the Ballroom at Balmoral Castle – will be taken by road to the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh on Sunday, September 11, on a six-hour journey by hearse.
Prior to the funeral, the Queen will lie in state for “four clear days” in Westminster Hall from Wednesday, September 14, a senior palace official said.
