The state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II on Monday is expected to draw many world leaders and a television audience of millions of viewers.
The funeral has been planned well before the queen’s death last week. She was Britain’s longest-serving monarch and the line to view her coffin reached 5 miles on Friday. Viewing of her casket will end early Monday morning, ahead of her state funeral.
The U.K. government has declared Monday a bank holiday, and many businesses will close. Other commonwealth nations, including Canada, have declared Monday a federal holiday.
While hundreds of thousands of mourners could visit her coffin at Westminster Hall, only 2,000 will be on hand at her state funeral. Among those expected to attend is U.S. President Joe Biden.
The Archbishop of Canterbury will deliver the sermon.
BBC News reported that 200 front-line workers who helped the response to the COVID-19 pandemic will be among those invited to Monday’s funeral.
Before her funeral gets underway, a procession will lead the queen’s coffin from Westminster Hall to Westminster Abbey around 5:30 a.m. ET Monday. Her funeral will then get underway at 6 a.m. ET (11 a.m. local). The funeral is expected to last an hour.
At the end of Monday’s funeral service, a two-minute national moment of silence will be held.
Her body will then be escorted to Wellington Arch. Her coffin will then be taken to Windsor where her family and closest friends will join together for a private ceremony.
