Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom will be laid to rest on Monday in a historic state funeral in Westminster Abbey in London.
Around 500 world leaders, including heads of states and governments, and royals will attend the Queen's funeral. Some of the foreign leaders attending the funeral are Indian President Droupadi Murmu, US President Joe Biden, and French President Emmanuel Macron.
It will be the first state funeral at the Abbey since the funeral of former Prime Minister Winston Churchill in 1965, who led the United Kingdom through the World War II.
Here we explain the Queen's funeral arrangements, how people and leaders are participating, and what are the royal protocols.
Protocols for Queen Elizabeth II's funeral
Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom will be laid to rest in Westminster Abbey in London on Monday. She died on September 8. At 96, she was the longest reigning British monarch, having reigned for over 70 years.
For the past four days, the Queen had been lying in state at Westminster Hall in London. People, including commoners as well as world leaders, paid respects to the Queen during the period. Some well known people, such as former football star David Beckham, spent 13 hours in the line of commoners to pay respects to the Queen. He was visibly in tears.
Just after 6.30 am on Monday morning, the last mourners left Westminster Hall as the Queen’s lying-in-state ended. Her coffin will later be transported to Westminster Abbey for the funeral service at 11 am local time (3:30 IST).
The state funeral on Monday will take the form of an elaborate ceremony that will see the Queen's coffin transported from Westminster Hall to Westminster Abbey and finally to Windsor Castle.
Witnessing Queen Elizabeth II's state funeral
A congregation of around 2,000 people will attend the state funeral ceremony of Queen Elizabeth II, including 500 world leaders.
While 2,000 people will attend the ceremony, more than 1 million are expected the line the roads of London through which the coffin of the Queen would pass.
The funeral will be broadcast live at around 125 cinemas and several cathedrals across the United Kingdom, and on a big screen in Holyrood Park in front of the Palace of Holyroodhouse, Edinburgh.
Crowds of mourners are expected to flock to London, Windsor, and royal sites throughout the UK, with the service set to draw millions of TV viewers across the globe.
Who all are attending the Queen's funeral?
The British government and poltiical leaders, foreign world leaders, and a select group of people honoured by Queen Elizabeth II would attend her state funeral ceremony.
In all, there would be around 500 world leaders, including Indian President Murmu, US President Biden, Austrialian PM Anthony Albanese, New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern, Canada PM Justin Trudeau, French President Emmanuel Macron, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Besides them, hundreds of people who were recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list in June this year will also join the congregation, including those who made extraordinary contributions to the response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Queen Elizabeth II's funeral service
British Prime Minister Liz Truss and Commonwealth Secretary-General Baroness Patricia Scotland will be among those reading "lessons" during the service.
The Archbishop of York, the Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster, the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland and the Free Churches Moderator will say prayers and the sermon will be given by the Archbishop of Canterbury, who will also give the Commendation.
Around 4,000 military personnel have been rehearsing for days for one of the UK’s largest state events in decades, with the last state funeral at the Abbey held in 1965 for Britain’s war-time Prime Minister Winston Churchill.
"Elements of the state funeral service and the associated ceremonial arrangements will pay tribute to the Queen’s extraordinary reign, and Her Majesty’s remarkable life of service as head of state, nation and Commonwealth," Buckingham Palace said.
The coffin is draped with the Royal Standard, on which lie the "instruments of state" – the Imperial State Crown, the Orb and the Sceptre, where they will remain for the duration of the state funeral and a Committal Service at Windsor Castle later on Monday.
At 10:44 am local time, the coffin will be borne in procession on the state gun carriage of the Royal Navy from the Palace of Westminster to Westminster Abbey for the funeral. Immediately following the coffin will be King Charles and senior royals and members of the King’s household. The National Anthem, a rendition of ‘God Save the King’, will bring the state funeral service to a close around noon local time after a two-minute nationwide silence.
After the service, the world leaders are to be hosted by UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly at the Church House on the Abbey grounds and President Murmu is expected to join before leaving for New Delhi later on Monday.
Meanwhile, the coffin will return to the state gun carriage for a procession to Wellington Arch at Hyde Park Corner in London.
Minute Guns will be fired in Hyde Park by the King’s Troop, Royal Horse Artillery, and Big Ben –the largest bell in the Elizabeth Tower named after Queen Elizabeth II– will toll throughout the duration of the procession. According to officials, as a result of the recent conservation programme for the iconic London landmark, a muffler will be used which creates a quieter tone.
Private burial for Queen Elizabeth II
A state hearse will then take the coffin to Windsor, where a procession joined by members of the royal family will head for the Committal Ceremony at St. George’s Chapel.
A private burial will take place on Monday evening at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, a small enclave within the historic chapel which is to be the Queen's final resting place along with the coffin of her late husband, Prince Philip – the Duke of Edinburgh, who died on April 9, 2021 aged 99.
(With PTI inputs)
