Buckingham Palace reveals Queen's funeral details: Her Majesty will be laid to rest at 4 pm on September 19
LONDON, ENGLAND: Buckingham Palace has revealed that King Charles and the Queen's three other children will hold a 15-minute vigil at her coffin on the night of Friday, September 16, before her funeral on Monday, September 19. The ceremonies will end with a two-minute national silence in a "fitting tribute to an extraordinary reign."
The man in charge of the Queen's state funeral is The Earl Marshal Edward Fitzalan-Howard, 18th Duke of Norfolk, who said the historic occasion on Monday will "unite people across the globe and resonate with people of all faiths." He noted that it was "both humbling and daunting" to have the "honor and great responsibility" to run the solemn event that will be telecasted to billions around the globe. "The events of recent days are a reminder of the strength of our Constitution, a system of government, which in so many ways is the envy of the world," he added, according to The Daily Mail.
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The Duke laid out his plans and revealed that the King, the Princess Royal, the Duke of York, and the Earl of Wessex will hold a 15-minute vigil around the Queen's coffin as it lies in state at 7.30 pm local time on Friday.
The doors of Westminster Abbey will open at 8 am on Monday morning to allow a congregation of nearly 2,000 VIPs to take their seats. The service will begin three hours later, at 11 am. Arriving at 10.52 am, the Queen will be carried on the same gun carriage that conveyed her mother and father to their funerals from Westminster Hall. Among moving elements of the funeral is the sounding of the Last Post at 11.55 am near the end of the service, followed by a two-minute national silence that will be observed by the congregation and millions across the UK. The Reveille and then the National Anthem will take place, before a Lament played by the Queen's Piper will bring the service to a close at noon.
At 12.15 pm, the late monarch's children and members of the Royal Family will walk behind her coffin to Wellington Arch as it leaves Westminster Abbey. The coffin will be transported through the historic heart of London on a horse-drawn gun carriage, before being driven to Windsor to be laid to rest next to her late husband Prince Philip. The Queen's hearse will arrive at the Long Walk at 3.15 pm, where the public will be able to give their final respects. A televised ceremony will take place at St George's Chapel in Windsor at 4 pm on Monday, and the King will scatter earth on his mother's coffin at 7.30 pm at a private family service.
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“The Queen held a unique and timeless position in all our lives. This has been felt more keenly over the past few days as the world comes to terms with her demise," the Earl Marshal said, "Her Majesty’s passing has left many people across many continents with a profound sense of loss. The respect, admiration, and affection in which the Queen was held make our task both humbling and daunting. An honor and a great responsibility." He added, "It is our aim and belief that the state funeral and events of the next few days will unite people across the globe and resonate with people of all faiths, whilst fulfilling Her Majesty and her family's wishes to pay a fitting tribute to an extraordinary reign."