The funeral of Queen Elizabeth II will take place on Monday, September 19, it has been confirmed. The long-reigning monarch, who died aged 96 at her Balmoral estate on Thursday, will have a state funeral in central London. You can follow all the latest updates and tributes here. The day will be a bank holiday, which was confirmed by King Charles III earlier on Saturday.
The ceremony will take place at Westminster Abbey. The original plans were for the Queen’s coffin to process on a gun carriage to the abbey pulled by naval ratings – sailors – using ropes rather than horses.
A statement from the royal family confirmed: "The state funeral of Her Majesty the Queen will take place at Westminster Abbey on Monday 19 September. Prior to the state funeral, the Queen will lie in state in Westminster Hall for four days, to allow the public to pay their respects."
Read more: What happens next after Queen's death: a day-by-day guide
Senior members of the family are expected to follow behind as they did for the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales and the Duke of Edinburgh. The military will line the streets and also join the procession.
Heads of state, prime ministers and presidents, European royals and key figures from public life will be invited to gather in the abbey, which can hold a congregation of 2,000. The service will be televised and a national two minutes’ silence is expected to be held.
The same day, the Queen’s coffin will be taken to St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle for a televised committal service. Later in the evening there will be a private interment service with senior members of the royal family.
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The Queen’s final resting place will be the King George VI memorial chapel, an annex to the main chapel, where her mother and father were buried. It also contains the ashes of her sister Princess Margaret. Philip’s coffin will move from the royal vault to the memorial chapel to join the Queen’s.
Meanwhile the Prime Minister will attend a service of prayer and reflection on the death of the Queen at St Paul’s Cathedral on Friday. Members of the royal family are not expected to attend the 6pm service which will be open to the public and broadcast live by the BBC. Audio of the King’s televised address to the nation will be played inside the cathedral if it coincides with the service.
The cathedral said a total of 2,000 seats will be allocated to the public on a first-come-first-served basis. A spokeswoman for the cathedral said Liz Truss, who will deliver a reading at the service, is expected to be joined by Lord Mayor Vincent Keaveny.
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