How to watch and what to know about Queen Elizabeth’s funeral service
Following a week of memorials and mourning throughout the United Kingdom and beyond, Queen Elizabeth II will be laid to rest on Monday.
A state funeral service in London is expected to garner massive crowds around Westminster Abbey, with royals and world leaders among those in attendance inside the church.
FILE - Queen Elizabeth II 's grandchildren, clockwise from foreground centre, Prince William, the Prince of Wales, Peter Phillips, James, Viscount Severn, Princess Eugenie, Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, not seen, Princess Beatrice, Lady Louise Windsor and Zara Tindall take part in a vigil of the Queen's grandchildren, as they stand by the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, as it lies in state, in Westminster Hall, at the Palace of Westminster, London, Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022, ahead of her funeral on Monday. When Queen Elizabeth II’s grandfather, King George V, died in 1936, life in Britain is unrecognizable to people today. But despite almost a century of change, the images from the queen’s lying in state this week are almost exact copies of those from George V’s time. (Yui Mok/Pool Photo via AP, File) (Yui Mok/)
The funeral comes more than a week after the queen’s Sept. 8 death at age 96, which ended her record-setting 70-year monarchy.
Here’s everything you need to know before Monday’s services.
Where is it?
The funeral begins 11 a.m. local time — 6 a.m. EDT — at Westminster Abbey, a centuries-old church near Westminster Hall where the queen’s coffin is currently lying in state since Wednesday for members of the public to pay their respects.
The queen will then be laid to rest in St. George’s Chapel near Windsor Castle next to her longtime husband, Prince Philip, who died last year at age 99.
Who is attending?
About 2,000 guests are expected to attend the funeral service, including President Biden and other world leaders such as Canada’s Justin Trudeau, France’s Emmanuel Macron and New Zealand’s Jacinda Ardern.
U.S President Joe Biden in a convoy passes in front of Buckingham Palace in London, England, Sunday, Sept. 18, 2022, to attend the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II on Monday. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner) (Martin Meissner/)
About 500 royals have also been invited, while Pope Francis will send a representative from the Vatican on his behalf.
About a million people are expected to travel to London by Monday as the funeral takes place, while a queue to visit the queen’s coffin at Westminster Hall before Monday morning has featured wait times as long as 24 hours.
Biden paid his respects Sunday with a coffin visit, saying afterward that it was “an honor” to have met the queen and that she reminded him of his mother.
“The way she had that look, like, ‘are you okay?’” Biden said.
How to watch
Many of the top U.S. news networks will air live coverage of the funeral, including NBC and ABC. Coverage on both networks begins at 5:30 a.m. EDT.
In the U.K., about 125 movie theaters will air the funeral live, while many towns will host get togethers to watch.
The crowds near Buckingham Palace will be able to tune in to the funeral on screens being set up in Hyde Park, while viewing areas are also being set up along the procession route.
What events already happened?
The United Kingdom’s farewell to the queen began last Monday with a procession through Edinburgh that ended with a service at St. Giles’ Cathedral, where her coffin laid in state for 24 hours. All four of the queen’s children walked in that procession.
The procession from Buckingham Palace to the Palace of Westminster in London took place Wednesday, with Prince William and Prince Harry joining the queen’s kids. A short service followed, and her coffin has laid in state there since.
Mounted Household Cavalry ride along the route prior to the procession of the Gun Carriage which will carry the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall in London, Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) (Kirsty Wigglesworth/)
On Friday, King Charles III and siblings Prince Edward, Prince Andrew and Princess Anne stood vigil at the queen’s coffin, while Prince William and Prince Harry attended a vigil with her other grandchildren on Saturday.
What else is happening Monday?
A two-minute moment of silence will be observed throughout the U.K. at about 11:55 a.m. local time as part of the funeral service.
After the funeral, a coffin procession will take place from Westminster Abbey to Wellington Arch in London, with King Charles among those walking in it.
The queen’s coffin will then be lowered into the Royal Vault during a smaller service at St. George’s Chapel that’s expected to be attended by about 800 people.
With News Wire Services
