Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Britain’s longest serving monarch, passed away peacefully on September 8 in Balmoral. The last week has seen a vigil held inside Westminster Hall where members of the public have lined up for hours to pay their respects to the Queen. Tonight at 8pm AEST (or 11am local time) her state funeral will be held. The Queen’s body will be carried to Westminster Abbey before she is laid to rest with her late husband, Prince Phillip at Windsor Castle.
The funeral will bring an end to a 10-day mourning period in UK and is the first state funeral in the country since the passing of former UK Prime Minister Winston Churchill in 1965.
how Can I Watch The Funeral?
Australian viewers can watch the service on national broadcast television live on ABC TV and iView, Channel 9 and 9Now, Channel Seven and 7Plus, and Channel 10 and 10 Play. Arrivals will begin from 5pm AEST and the official service will continue from 8pm.
Who Is Attending The Funeral?
An estimate of 2,000 people are expected to attend the funeral including the royal family and world leaders such as US President Joe Biden, UK Prime Minister Liz Truss and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
What Will Happen during the Funeral?
After a nearly hour-long procession the funeral will finish with two-minutes of silence. The Queen’s coffin will then travel through London, down The Mall and past Buckingham Palace. The coffin will be transferred to a hearse at Wellington Arch before arriving at St. George Chapel.
According to the ABC, a smaller service with 800 people will occur inside the chapel as the coffin is lowered into the royal vault. From there a private burial service will occur with just the royal family in attendance. Queen Elizabeth II will be buried with her husband, father, mother and sister.
