Queen Elizabeth II funeral: when did the lying-in-state end, and what happens after

Queen Elizabeth II’s lying in state has officially ended this morning.
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Queen Elizabeth II’s lying in state officially ended at 6.30am on Monday 19 September.

The period saw thousands of people flock from around the world to Westminster Hall in the Palace of Westminster in order to pay their respects to the Queen.

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Members of the public were able to file past the catafalque, which is a raised platform, that The Queen’s coffin rested on.

Members of the public file past the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped in the Royal Standard with the Imperial State Crown and the Sovereign's orb and sceptre, lying in state on the catafalque in Westminster Hall, at the Palace of Westminster, London, ahead of her funeral on Monday. Picture: Yui Mok/PA WireMembers of the public file past the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped in the Royal Standard with the Imperial State Crown and the Sovereign's orb and sceptre, lying in state on the catafalque in Westminster Hall, at the Palace of Westminster, London, ahead of her funeral on Monday. Picture: Yui Mok/PA Wire
Members of the public file past the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped in the Royal Standard with the Imperial State Crown and the Sovereign's orb and sceptre, lying in state on the catafalque in Westminster Hall, at the Palace of Westminster, London, ahead of her funeral on Monday. Picture: Yui Mok/PA Wire

However, at 6:30am this morning this period officially came to end after it first opened on Wednesday, September 14 at 5pm. Just less than a week after she died.

The thousands of people who took to the city to pay their respects saw a huge queue form around London with wait times sometimes reaching 24 hours. David Beckham was one of the people who endured the wait to pay his respects to Her Majesty.

So, what is expected to happen following the end of The Queen’s lying in state? Here’s everything you need to know.

When did the queue close?

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The queue officially closed to new entrants at 10:30pm on Sunday, September 18.

The department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport announced its closure with a statement that read: “The queue to attend Her Majesty The Queen’s Lying-in-State is at final capacity and is now closed to new entrants. Please do not attempt to join the queue

“Stewards will manage those already nearby. Thank you for your understanding”

What will happen after The Queen’s lying in state has ended?

Following the end of The Queen’s lying in state the doors to Westminster Abbey will open at 8am to welcome the 2,000 invitees.

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10.44am Her Majesty’s coffin will be moved from the Palace of Westminster to Westminster Abbey for the state funeral. The service is expected to begin at 11am and will be followed by a national two-minute silence at 11:55am.

According to the Government website, A public procession will begin at 12.15pm as Her Majesty’s coffin travels from Westminster Abbey to Wellington Arch in London.

Her Majesty’s coffin will then be carried from Wellington Arch by the State Hearse to Windsor where The Queen will be laid to rest.

The Government’s website states The Queen’s hearse is due to arrive in Albert Road and at 3.10pm.

When is The Queen’s funeral?

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A spokesperson for the Royal family said: “The State Funeral of Her Majesty The Queen will take place at Westminster Abbey on Monday 19th September 2022 at 1100hrs.”

What will happened at The Queen’s funeral?

The official statement continued: “The Service will pay tribute to The Queen’s remarkable reign and lifetime of service as Head of State, Nation and Commonwealth.

“The State Funeral will be led by the Dean of Westminster, the Very Reverend Dr David Hoyle, and the Sermon will be given by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend and Right Honourable Justin Welby.

“The Choirs of Westminster Abbey and His Majesty’s Chapel Royal, St James’s Palace, under the direction of James O’Donnell, Organist and Master of the Choristers of Westminster Abbey will sing.

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“Before the Service, the Abbey’s Tenor Bell will be tolled once a minute for 96 minutes, one toll for each year of The Queen’s life. Holders of The George Cross, Victoria Cross, and Representatives of the Orders of Chivalry will Process through the Abbey before the Service.

“A Procession of representatives from faith communities across the United Kingdom, as well as representatives from the Churches of Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and England, will Process ahead of the Service. Also present will be the Sub-Dean of the Chapels Royal and the Dean of Windsor.

“At the start of the Service, as The Queen’s Coffin is carried into the Abbey, the Sentences will be sung by The Choir of Westminster Abbey from the Nave. The five Sentences, which are lines of scripture set to music, have been used at every State Funeral since the early part of the 18th century.

“The Choir of Westminster Abbey will be joined by the Choir of the Chapel Royal, St James’s Palace, for the final two Sentences. The Dean of Westminster will give The Bidding, before the first hymn. The Right Honourable Baroness Scotland, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, will read the first Lesson.

An unseen image of the Queen has been released on the eve of her funeralAn unseen image of the Queen has been released on the eve of her funeral
An unseen image of the Queen has been released on the eve of her funeral
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“A specially commissioned choral piece, composed by the Master of The King’s Music, Judith Weir, ‘Like as the hart’, will be sung by the Choir. The piece, inspired by Her Majesty’s unwavering Christian faith, is a setting of Psalm 42 to music and will be sung unaccompanied.

“The Second Lesson, read by the Right Honourable Elizabeth Truss MP, Prime Minister, will be followed by the hymn, ‘The Lord’s my shepherd’. The hymn was also sung at the wedding of the then Princess Elizabeth and Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten, in 1947. Following the Sermon, the Choir will sing the Anthem, ‘My soul, there is a country’, set by Hubert Parry; an Anthem of great hope.

“Prayers will be said from the High Altar, before the Choir sings a short anthem, ‘O Taste and see how gracious the Lord is’, which was composed by Ralph Vaughan Williams for The Queen’s Coronation in 1953. The Archbishop of Canterbury will give the Commendation.

“The Dean of Westminster will pronounce the Blessing. The Last Post will be sounded by the State Trumpeters of the Household Cavalry from the steps of the Lady Chapel. Two minutes’ silence will then be observed across the United Kingdom. The Reveille will be sounded by the State Trumpeters, before the Congregation sings the National Anthem, ‘God Save The King’.

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“At the conclusion of the State Funeral, The Sovereign’s Piper of the Royal Regiment of Scotland will play the traditional Lament, ‘Sleep, dearie, sleep’.

“The Queen’s Coffin will be borne in Procession out of Westminster Abbey, returning to the Gun Carriage for the Procession to Wellington Arch, Hyde Park Corner, before travelling to Windsor for the Committal Service in St George’s Chapel.

“Afterwards, the bells of Westminster Abbey will be rung, fully muffled, as is the tradition following the Funeral of the Sovereign.”