Queen Elizabeth II is to be reunited with her husband the duke of Edinburgh as she is laid to rest in a historic state funeral.
Crowds of mourners have flocked to London, Windsor and royal sites throughout Britain on the national bank holiday, with the service set to draw millions of TV viewers across the globe.
The royal family, including Prince George and Princess Charlotte, will be among the 2,000 people gathered at Westminster Abbey to remember the late monarch on Monday morning, before a committal service at Windsor Castle.
The day marks the climax of what is being regarded as the biggest security operation Britain has ever seen, surpassing the operation for the Platinum Jubilee weekend and the London 2012 Olympics, which saw up to 10,000 police officers on duty per day.
The royal family will walk in procession behind the queen’s coffin as it is carried through the Gothic church by the military bearer party.
King Charles III and his wife Camilla will walk immediately behind the coffin, followed by Princess Anne and her husband Vice Admiral Tim Laurence, Prince Andrew, Prince Edward and his wife Sophie, and Prince William and his wife Kate.
George and Charlotte will walk with their parents side-by-side in formation, followed by their uncle and aunt, Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, and other members of the royal family.
The service follows the queen’s lying in state period at Westminster Hall, which ended at 6.:30 am (0530 GMT).
Chrissy Heerey, who was the last member of the public to leave the Hall, said: “It’s one of the highlights of my life and I feel very privileged to be here.”
The queen’s coffin will be taken in a grand military procession from the Palace of Westminster to Westminster Abbey for the funeral at 11 am.
Before the service, conducted by the Very Reverend David Hoyle, the dean of Westminster, the tenor bell will be tolled every minute for 96 minutes, reflecting the years of the queen’s life.
Heads of state, prime ministers and presidents, members of European royal families and key figures from public life will gather at the abbey.
Hoyle will say in The Bidding: “Here, where Queen Elizabeth was married and crowned, we gather from across the nation, from the Commonwealth, and from the nations of the world, to mourn our loss, to remember her long life of selfless service.”
Source: The Nationonline
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