The funeral of Queen Elizabeth II: this is how the royal family will say goodbye to its matriarch

London (CNN) — The death of Queen Elizabeth II has set in motion an intricate period of mourning that will culminate in a grand state funeral on September 19 in honor of her life of devotion and constant service. Codenamed “Operation London Bridge”, the arrangements for Britain’s longest-serving monarch have been carefully scrutinized for years by the many agencies involved, with the queen herself signing off on every detail before her death. she. However, the details were kept secret until the acting sovereign, King Charles III, gave his final stamp of approval. The queen will finally rest in St George’s Chapel, on the grounds of Windsor Castle, alongside her 73-year-old “strength and permanence,” Prince Philip. We’ve put together a day-by-day guide to what’s going on between now and Queen Elizabeth II’s state funeral. September 11 After the queen’s death, her oak coffin, draped with the royal banner of Scotland and a wreath of flowers, was placed in the Balmoral ballroom, where the estate’s staff were given the opportunity to say your last regards. On Sunday morning, six of her rangers carried the coffin to a waiting hearse. At 10 am (5 am ET), the monarch’s casket began its journey to the nation’s capital. However, she did not go there directly. She first made a six-hour trip to Edinburgh and the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the British monarch’s official residence in Scotland. The road trip normally takes around three hours, however it will be driven slowly to allow people to see the hearse along the route and bow their heads as they pass. An honor guard drawn from the Royal Regiment of Scotland will greet the hearse arriving in Edinburgh with a royal salute before it is carried into the Throne Room by a group of military bearers. Meanwhile, in London, King Charles III met with the Commonwealth Secretary-General before receiving High Commissioners from the realms of which he is now head of state in the Bow Room of Buckingham Palace. September 12 On Monday morning, the King will begin the day with a trip to Westminster Hall where both Houses of Parliament will offer their condolences. He and his wife Camilla then fly to Edinburgh, arriving at 12:45 pm (7:45 am ET), where they will head directly to the Palace of Holyroodhouse. At 2:35 p.m. (9:35 a.m. ET), the queen’s coffin will make its way to St. Giles Cathedral for a service of prayer and reflection attended by the king and queen consort and members of the royal family. , as well as a congregation made up of “from all walks of Scottish society”, according to a senior Palace official. The coffin will then rest there for 24 hours to allow the Scottish public to view it, in a tradition known as a site. After the service, the King will return to Holyrood where he will have an audience with Scotland’s First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, followed by a meeting with the Speaker of the Scottish Parliament. Charles III, accompanied by the queen consort, will later go to the Scottish Parliament to receive a motion of condolence. That night, at 7:20 p.m. (2:20 p.m. ET), the king and members of the royal family will mount their own watch, or vigil, for the queen’s coffin. The then Prince Charles and his brother Edward, left, during the royal vigil at the coffin of their grandmother, the queen mother, at the Palace of Westminster in 2002. September 13 On Tuesday, the king and Camilla will hold a trip to Belfast, Northern Ireland. The couple will visit Hillsborough Castle and see an exhibition about the queen’s long association with Northern Ireland. The King will then meet the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, as well as other party leaders, and will receive a message of condolence from the Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly. Back in Scotland, the Queen’s only daughter, Princess Anne, will prepare to accompany her mother’s body on her flight back to London. At 5 pm (12 pm ET), the coffin will travel 13.2 kilometers by hearse to Edinburgh Airport, from where it will depart for RAF Northolt. A state hearse will carry the monarch’s remains to Buckingham Palace, where the King, Queen Consort and other members of the Windsor clan will be awaiting the arrival of the coffin around 8 pm (3 pm ET). The Dean of the Chapels Royal will conduct prayers and a group of bearers found by The Queen’s Company, 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards will place the coffin on trestles in the center of the Fore Room to rest for the night. This was the romance between Elizabeth II and Prince Philip 2:25 September 14 Wednesday will see an extraordinary silent procession that will carry the coffin in a carriage of arms from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall, the oldest part of the Palace of Westminster, where the queen will rest until the morning of the day of the funeral. For this trip, the coffin will be adorned with the Imperial State Crown and a wreath. The procession route will start at 2:22 pm (9:22 am ET) along The Mall, across Horse Guards Parade, past Downing Street towards Westminster. In what is likely to be a heartwarming moment, members of the royal family will walk behind their beloved matriarch. They will be followed by senior staff from the royal houses, as well as close staff and members of the Household Division. As crowds watch the procession, which will last around 40 minutes, Big Ben will ring and fire cannon fire from the King’s Royal Troop of Horse Artillery in Hyde Park echoing across the capital. The queen’s coffin will be placed on a raised platform, or catafalque, in the middle of the room and will be guarded 24 hours a day by officers from the Household Division, the King’s Royal Guard or the Royal Company of Archers. Upon his arrival at Westminster Hall, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, will conduct a short service, after which the hall will be opened to the public to pay his respects. The funeral procession of the queen’s father, King George VI at Marble Arch in London on February 16, 1952. September 15 Members of the public will be able to file past the queen’s coffin for its first full day at Westminster Hall on Thursday . Brass plaques in the 11th-century hall mark where Edward VII lay in 1910, George V in 1936, George VI in 1952, and Queen Mary a year later. The 900-year-old room is also where British Prime Minister Winston Churchill lay in wartime in 1965. September 16 On Friday, the site will continue for a second full day. Large numbers of people are expected to line up in central London for the chance to visit the coffin and be a part of this historic moment. The government will release details of how the public can participate in the coming days. Separately, King Charles and Camilla will visit Wales on Friday, closing their tour of the four nations that make up the UK. September 17 Public access to the Queen’s funeral continues over the weekend. September 18 Public access to the Queen’s funeral continues over the weekend. September 19 On the morning of Monday September 19, declared a public holiday throughout the United Kingdom, the Queen’s adorning ceremony will end. The coffin will then travel in procession once more to Westminster Abbey for her state funeral, details of which are likely to be known in the coming days. Westminster Abbey, founded in 960 AD by Benedictine monks, is one of London’s most recognizable landmarks. The historic church has been the scene of every coronation since 1066, and was where then-Princess Elizabeth married Prince Philip in 1947. But there hasn’t been a monarch’s funeral there since George II’s in 1760. It is expected that there heads of state, state dignitaries from around the world arrive in the british capital to join members of the royal family to celebrate the life of the queen and her unwavering service to the nation and the commonwealth. While a guest list has not yet been announced, US President Joe Biden plans to attend her funeral. Other familiar faces on the televised service will be some of the 15 prime ministers who have served during the queen’s reign. At its conclusion, the coffin will travel in procession to Wellington Arch, before making its final journey from London to Windsor. The George VI Memorial Chapel in St George’s Chapel, Windsor, where the Queen’s father and mother were buried. A coffin containing the ashes of the queen’s sister, Princess Margaret, is also in the vault. Her destination is the now familiar St George’s Chapel within the grounds of Windsor Castle. It is where Prince Philip’s memorial service was held, as well as more jubilant occasions such as the nuptials of the queen’s grandchildren. After the service for the Duke of Edinburgh in 2021, her coffin was lowered into the Royal Vault, located below the chapel, where many members of the royal family rest. However, it is expected that he will be relocated to rest alongside the queen in the King George VI Memorial Chapel, located elsewhere within St. George’s Chapel.