Queen’s death: Memorial service at St Paul’s this evening – as details emerge about other events taking place | UK News
Details of events held in the Queen’s memory and in honor of the King begin today with the convening of Parliament and a public memorial service at St Paul’s Cathedral.
Some aspects of what is happening in the days and weeks to come date back centuries, while some of the logistics have come under regular scrutiny, particularly in recent years due to the COVID pandemic.
The series of events following the Queen’s death is codenamed Operation London Bridge. Here’s what has been confirmed so far…
Queen to lie in state and a time of national and royal mourning
The Union Jack flies at half mast at Buckingham Palace
A period of national mourning has begun and will last until the end of the day of the funeral.
Buckingham Palace has announced a separate royal mourning period, to be observed by members of the royal family, their staff and soldiers, which will last up to seven days after the funeral.
The date of the funeral will be “confirmed in due course,” the palace said.
Major sporting events, cultural events and planned strikes are being postponed out of respect.
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Flags fly at half-mast at Buckingham Palace, the Houses of Parliament and buildings across the country and will remain so at all royal residences until 8am the day after royal mourning ends, the palace confirmed.
They will remain closed until after the funeral, the spokesman added.
Books of condolence are being laid out in town halls for people to pay their own tribute to the Queen, and large screens are also being set up in larger cities for people to follow the ongoing coverage.
A weeping mourner at the gates of Balmoral
Gun salute and memorial in St. Paul’s
For each of the Queen’s 96 years of life, a gun salute will be fired at 1pm on the day after her death in London – in Hyde Park and the Tower of London.
Later in the afternoon, King Charles will meet Prime Minister Liz Truss for the first time in his new role.
At 6pm, the King will address the nation during a prayer and reflection service at St Paul’s Cathedral, where Ms Truss will give a reading and 2,000 seats will be available to the public.
Anyone wishing to attend must collect a wristband from the City Information Center in Carter Lane Gardens, which will be available for purchase from 11am on September 9, St Paul’s Cathedral said in a statement.
Access to the service is only possible for wristband holders. One wristband will be issued per person on a first come, first served basis.
Queues form outside Buckingham Palace
The House of Commons meets on Friday, where MPs will have the opportunity to pay tribute to the Queen for around 10 hours.
The Government is not expected to announce any other deals unless they are urgent so that the focus can be fully on the Queen.
Meanwhile, foreign leaders and dignitaries will begin making arrangements to fly in for the funeral.
In the coming days, her body will be transferred from Balmoral to St Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh before returning to Buckingham Palace.
The Royal Family has launched an online condolence book – there will be no physical condolence book in royal residences – all details here.
Vehicles leave Balmoral after the Queen’s death
A new king
The Accession Council is the formal process of marking the accession of the new king. This will be the first time in history that it will be televised.
It is split into two parts, with the first taking place at 10am at St James’s Palace.
The King will not be present at this time as members of the Privy Council will formally announce the Queen’s death and instead make arrangements for the proclamation.
An hour later, the second part begins with the “Accession Proclamation”.
The king will arrive and read an oath promising to “take on the duties and responsibilities of sovereignty” and to follow in his mother’s footsteps.
The Proclamations will also be read at midday in the Royal Exchange in the City of London and at the same time the following day in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Camilla and Prince William will be at St James’s Palace as they are both members of the Privy Council.
Camilla has become Queen Consort, which the Queen confirmed in a statement at the start of her Platinum Jubilee celebrations, ending uncertainty about her new title.
William, ascending in line to the throne, will now become the Duke of Cornwall and his wife Kate, the Duchess of Cornwall.
Camilla becomes the Queen’s consort
The proclamation is often the first time a monarch has officially announced what name he will choose, but Clarence House has previously said the king will go after Charles III.
However, he didn’t have to choose Charles. He could have used any of his first names – Charles, Philip, Arthur or George.
For example, his grandfather King George VI was born Albert.
The first proclamation will take place on the balcony of St James’s Palace, the second an hour later at the Royal Exchange in the City of London.
The king’s coronation will not take place immediately. The Queen was not crowned until a year after her father’s death.
lying in the state
The Queen Mother’s coffin outside Westminster Hall before being taken to Westminster Abbey
Five days after her death, the Queen’s coffin is scheduled to make the mile-long journey from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall, where her body will be laid out before burial.
Huge crowds could gather to witness the procession.
Once the coffin reaches the hall, it will likely remain there until the morning of the funeral for the public to come by and pay their respects.
It will be open 23 hours a day.
When the Queen Mother died, thousands of mourners lined up and queues formed across Lambeth Bridge and along the causeway.
The government is believed to have a detailed security plan for large crowds arriving in London, similar to that for the 2012 Olympics.
Funeral and procession of King George VI. 1952. Image: AP
state funeral
The Queen is expected to hold a state funeral at Westminster Abbey 10 days after her death.
Government officials, former Prime Ministers and Heads of State from across the Commonwealth and the rest of the world will attend the service.
It will include a two-minute silence, which will also be observed by the rest of the nation.
The day of the funeral is the last day of national mourning.
Manchester United players bow their heads to pay tribute to the Queen at Old Trafford
Shops and offices may close, but it’s up to individual businesses – and schools – to decide whether or not to open.
Supermarkets and major retail outlets may opt for reduced opening hours on bank holidays.
Major events can be postponed but can still go ahead if organizers so wish, with the government suggesting they be preceded by a minute’s silence, the national anthem or the wearing of black armbands.
The Duke of Edinburgh was buried in St George’s Chapel
burial and final resting place
After the funeral, the Queen’s coffin is to be carried in a procession through central London before heading to Windsor Castle.
It will be taken to St George’s Chapel, where Prince Philip’s funeral was held due to coronavirus restrictions. A funeral service is expected to be held there.
After the service her body is taken to the King George VI Memorial Chapel where her mother and father are buried. This will be her final resting place.