‘The Queen didn’t want a boring funeral’: Ex-Archbishop of York says mourners can expect ‘glorious’ service honouring Her Majesty that will ‘warm’ nation’s hearts
- Lord Sentamu today said those in attendance ‘will not find boredom’ at funeral
- Instead, those watching will be ‘lifted to glory’ and ‘hearts and cockles warmed’
- Around a million people are expected to line the streets of London tomorrow
- King Charles and dignitaries from around the world will be present for service
- The Queen’s funeral: All the latest Royal Family news and coverage
The Queen did not want a ‘boring’ funeral, the former Archbishop of York has said, as he tells mourners to expect a ‘glorious’ service that will ‘warm’ their hearts.
Crossbench peer Lord Sentamu today said those in attendance ‘will not find boredom’ and will instead be ‘lifted to glory’ following the state service tomorrow.
Around a million people are expected to line the streets of central London as the monarch’s coffin is moved from Westminster Hall to Westminster Abbey.
King Charles, royals and dignitaries from around the world will then be present as a service takes place inside the abbey, before the coffin is moved to Wellington Arch at Hyde Park Corner and carried by State Hearse to Windsor.
Lord Sentamu today told the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme: ‘So what you’re going to expect is the best of funeral services, the prayer book service, the words which were an inspiration to Shakespeare.
‘So you’re going to hear this wonderful English at its best, also you’re going to hear angelic voices of the choir of the Abbey plus the Chapels Royal, you really hear voices that are singing to the glory of God.
‘The Queen does not and did not want what you call long, boring services, you’re not going to find boredom, but you’re going to be lifted to glory as you hear the service.’
He added: ‘The hearts and people’s cockles will be warmed and at the same time, there will be a moment of saying this is a funeral service that is glorious in its setting.’
The former archbishop also revealed that the Queen had written to him about her grief following the death of her beloved husband Prince Philip.
Lord John Sentamu speaks at a service of thanksgiving at York Minster last month. He today said the Queen did not want a ‘boring’ funeral
The guard is changed as members of the public file past the coffin of Queen Elizabeth inside Westminster Hall today
People queue to pay their respects to the fallen monarch outside the Palace of Westminster this morning
Around a million people will line the streets of London tomorrow to witness historic scenes of breathtaking pomp and splendour, punctuated by historic moments of sorrow and solemnity, as Her Majesty’s coffin is transported from Westminster Hall to Westminster Abbey
Operation London Bridge: The ‘ring of steel’ that will surround large parts of London including Westminster Abbey for the Queen’s funeral in the biggest security operation in Scotland Yard’s near 200-year history. All the roads and streets highlighted in red in the above graphic will be closed for most of Monday
King Charles III meeting members of the public as he leaves Cardiff Castle in Wales on Friday
He continued: ‘The Queen wrote me a most wonderful letter four weeks after the burial of Prince Philip, thanking me for the flowers, the prayers and then ended by saying “when you are grieving someone you deeply love, it isn’t easy when you have to do it in public”.
‘So my thought will be to the new King and the who royal family, they are grieving publicly.’
The funeral is expected to be the most-watched event ever televised, with tens of thousands set to line the streets to pay their final respects to the Queen, who reigned for more than 70 years.
Hundreds of thousands of people are thought the be on their way to London today, with trains, roads and airports all expected to be hit by high passenger numbers.
Hundreds are already camping out along the funeral route, including along The Mall and outside Westminster Palace, while tens of thousands remain in the queue to see the coffin lying in state.
The Queen’s eight grandchildren held a sombre 15-minute vigil around her coffin on Saturday evening
Tents line The Mall in the early hours of Sunday morning, with nearby British and Canadian flags, some featuring an image of Queen Elizabeth II
Dozens of tents sprang up overnight on Saturday as people camp along The Mall ahead of Monday’s funeral
Dozens of tents sprang up overnight on Saturday, complete with Union Jack flags, camping stools and mats to soften the ground.
Some began camping as early as 48 hours before the funeral, desperate to ensure they get a good view and a chance to say their final farewell to Her Majesty during the procession tomorrow.
The Queen’s coffin will leave Westminster Hall, where it is currently lying in state, at 10.44am on Monday, before the funeral service beings at 11am at Westminster Abbey in front of 2,000 people in the venue.
The front of Buckingham Palace has been closed off overnight, with visitors no longer able to access the main gates, even to lay tributes.
Meanwhile, senior palace advisers have asked the Prince and Princess of Wales to consider allowing Prince George to attend the state funeral because of the powerful symbolic message it would send.
At the tender age of nine, and having just overcome the daunting prospect of starting a new school, George is now the second in line to the throne.
With this in mind, aides have suggested it would be good for the public to see the young Prince – who affectionately called the Queen ‘Gan Gan’ – and is the future of the Monarchy.
One insider said: ‘Courtiers are keen for Prince George to be at the funeral in some capacity, if only to reassure the nation of the order of succession.’
Another palace source added: ‘It’s currently under discussion. No decision has been made yet.’
The procession route for the Queen’s final journey on Monday
– Westminster Hall to Westminster Abbey
The Queen’s Coffin will be carried from Westminster Hall shortly after 10.35am to the State Gun Carriage, which will be positioned outside the building’s North Door.
The procession will go from New Palace Yard through Parliament Square, Broad Sanctuary and the Sanctuary before arriving at Westminster Abbey just before 11am.
– Westminster Abbey to Wellington Arch
After the State Funeral Service finishes at around midday, the coffin will be placed on the State Gun Carriage outside the Abbey.
At 12.15pm, the procession will set off for Wellington Arch at Hyde Park Corner.
The route will go from the Abbey via Broad Sanctuary, Parliament Square (south and east sides), Parliament Street, Whitehall, Horse Guards including Horse Guards Arch, Horse Guards Road, The Mall, Queen’s Gardens (south and west sides), Constitution Hill and Apsley Way.
– Wellington Arch to Windsor
At Wellington Arch, the Queen’s coffin will be transferred from the State Gun Carriage to the State Hearse just after 1pm, ahead of the journey to Windsor.
It then will travel from central London to Windsor, on a route that has not been disclosed by the Palace. When the hearse arrives in Windsor, the procession will begin just after 3pm at Shaw Farm Gate on Albert Road.
– Shaw Farm Gate to St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle
The state hearse will join the procession, which will have been formed up and in position, at Shaw Farm Gate before travelling to St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.
The procession will follow the route of Albert Road, Long Walk, Cambridge Gate, Cambridge Drive, George IV Gate, Quadrangle (south and west sides), Engine Court, Norman Arch, Chapel Hill, Parade Ground and Horseshoe Cloister Arch.
Just before 4pm, the procession will halt at the bottom of the West Steps of St George’s Chapel in Horseshoe Cloister. Here, the bearer party will carry the coffin in procession up the steps into the chapel.
The Queen will be interred during a private burial at King George VI Memorial Chapel in St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle at 7.30pm.
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