The official notification of Queen Elizabeth II‘s death, the longest reigning monarch in British history, has been made in a public statement from Buckingham Palace after the prime minister was informed personally by the Queen’s private secretary, the cabinet secretary, and privy council office. King Charles III made the following statement following the death of his beloved mother:
The death of my beloved Mother, Her Majesty The Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family.
We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished Sovereign and a much-loved Mother. I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world.
During this period of mourning and change, my family and I will be comforted and sustained by our knowledge of the respect and deep affection in which The Queen was so widely held.
The codename for the funeral plans has been named ‘London Bridge.’ Flags across the royal residences and other government buildings have been lowered to half-mast. St. Paul’s Cathedral Westminster Abbey will toll their bells at a set time.
The state funeral is expected to take place in ten days’ time. On Friday, September 9, the Queen’s coffin will be moved to the ballroom at Balmoral, covered in a wreath of flowers that is changed daily. Her coffin will also be draped in the royal standard of Scotland.
Gun salutes are also planned to be fired at Hyde Park in London, one every 10 seconds for each year of Elizabeth’s life. According to The Guardian, plans could change for the funeral at any time, but it is expected that on Saturday, September 10, the Queen’s body will then be moved to Holyrood, her residence in Scotland’s capital Edinburgh.
On Sunday, September 11, the Queen’s children and grandchildren are expected to join a procession from Holyrood to Edinburgh’s St. Giles Cathedral. Then, a service will be held at St. Giles, where the queen’s coffin will rest for 24 hours. Members of the public will be allowed to pay their respects.
Monday, September 12, the Queen will leave St. Giles Cathedral by car before it is transferred to a royal train where it will then travel to London. On Tuesday, September 13, the coffin will arrive at London’s St. Pancras Station and will then travel by car to Westminster. Millions of people are expected to line the streets to pay their respects.
On Wednesday, September 14, the coffin will be taken to Westminster Hall. After a brief service, Queen Elizabeth will lie in state under armed guard for the next five days. Ten days after her passing the Queen will be given her farewell at Westminster Abbey, with members of her family and heads of state from across the world in attendance. There will be two minutes of silence across the nation during the service.
On the day of the funeral, beginning at 10:35 a.m. (5:35 ET) the coffin will be lifted from the catafalque where it will have been resting and carried from Westminster Hall to the State Gun Carriage of the Royal Navy. From there, the coffin will be carted over from New Palace Yard to Westminster Abbey.
As the procession is led by a massed Pipes & Drums of Scottish and Irish Regiments, the Brigade of Gurkhas, and the Royal Air Force, the path will be lined by the Royal Navy and Royal Marines. The King, royal family members, and members of both households of the monarch and Prince of Wales will follow directly behind the coffin.
The services conducted by Reverend David Hoyle, the Dean of Westminster, will proceed beginning at 11 a.m. (6 a.m. ET). Prime Minister Liz Truss and Commonwealth Secretary General, Patricia Scotland will read lessons, while Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury will deliver the sermon.
As the service comes to a close around 11:55 a.m. (6:55 a.m. ET), the Last Post will sound before the two-minute silence is observed. The funeral will conclude with the Queen’s Piper, who will begin playing a Reveille, the National Anthem, and a Lament at noon (7 a.m. ET).
Following the service, the coffin will be transported from the hall to Wellington Arch, with King Charles II leading some members of the royal family on foot behind, while Queen Consort Camilla and others follow by car, before making its final journey out of London to Windsor.
The destination of St. George’s Chapel, within the grounds of Windsor Castle, will hold a committal service at 4 p.m. (11 a.m. ET), conducted by the Dean of Windsor. Once the Crown Jeweller removes the Imperial State Crown, the Orb, and the Sceptre upon the service’s conclusion, the Queen’s coffin will be lowered into the Royal Vault below the chapel.