George and Charlotte to walk behind the Queen’s coffin: William and Kate decided the two children were ‘up to’ going to their great-grandmother’s funeral – but Louis was ‘too young’
- Prince George, nine, and Princess Charlotte, seven, will both take part in the Queen’s funeral on Monday
- King Charles III has thanked ‘all those countless people’ who’ve offered support following the Queen’s death
- On the eve of her funeral he said he and the Queen Consort are ‘deeply touched’ by the nation’s well-wishes
- Tomorrow around 2,000 world leaders, heads of state and dignitaries are expected to arrive for the service
- Follow MailOnline’s LIVEBLOG for updates as state funeral is held for Queen Elizabeth II in London today
- The Queen’s funeral: All the latest Royal Family news and coverage
William and Kate decided George and Charlotte were ‘up to’ going to the Queen’s funeral but Louis was ‘too young’ – with the two great-grandchildren set to travel to the service in a car with their mother and Camilla.
The two young siblings, who are second and third in line to the throne, will take part in today’s procession with the likes of King Charles and Prince Harry, as the eyes of the world look towards central London.
It was confirmed last night that the Prince and Princess of Wales will bring George, nine, and Charlotte, seven, would take part, with sources calling it a ‘collective family decision’ to make them what is thought to be the youngest ever to take a central role in such a momentous occasion.
‘As parents they have, of course, thought long and hard about whether their children should accompany them,’ a source said. ‘Of course little Louis is too young, but they think George and Charlotte are up to it.’
It comes after they appeared at the funeral of Prince Philip, their great-grandfather last year, and will give them a chance to say goodbye to Her Majesty, who they affectionately called ‘Gan Gan’.
It is understood the pair will accompany their mother, Kate, and the Queen consort, Camilla, in a car to Westminster Abbey, rather than walk the entire length of the procession route.
They will then join the procession when it arrives, and will accompany their parents and other members of the royal family in following their great-grandmother’s coffin into the place of worship.
Millions of people in the UK and billions around the world are set to watch Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral later, with the service itself set to play host to many of the most powerful men and women on the planet in the form of presidents, prime ministers and royalty.
Tens of thousands of people will line the procession route between Westminster and Windsor, where Her Majesty will be laid to rest this evening.
Police forces from across the country have sent officers to London to help with security, while transport warnings have been issued warning people about road closures in the capital and potential standing room-only on trains to and from the city.
Last night officials stopped mourners from joining the miles-long queue of people wishing to pay their respects to the Queen, as they prepare to empty Westminster Hall before the funeral service starts.
It came on the same evening that King Charles thanked the public for their support following his mother’s death, while Buckingham Palace released a new portrait showing Her Majesty.
The new monarch said he and the Queen Consort have been ‘deeply touched’ as he prepares the country for a ‘last farewell’ to his mother on the eve of her funeral.
Here is what is set to happen today:
- The last members of the queue which has been present in London since Wednesday will pay their respects to the Queen at Westminster Hall early this morning;
- Her Majesty’s coffin will be moved to Westminster Abbey for an hour-long funeral service attended by world leaders, heads of state, royalty and foreign dignitaries;
- Her great-grandchildren Prince George and Princess Charlotte, who are second and third in line to the throne, will take part in the event;
- Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, will also take part in the procession and will be present for the funeral service;
- In the afternoon the late monarch’s coffin will be transported to St George’s Chapel in Windsor for a committal service. Both this and the morning’s funeral service will televised worldwide;
- At the end of the committal service Her Majesty’s coffin will be lowered into the Royal Vault at Windsor and her family will return in the evening for a private service, during which she will be laid to rest;
Prince George and Princess Charlotte are expected to attend their great-grandmother’s funeral at Westminster Abbey tomorrow. Pictured: The Queen stands on the balcony at Buckingham Palace with the Prince and Princess of Wales, along with their children Prince George (left), Princess Charlotte (centre) and Prince Louis (right)
Buckingham Palace has released a new portrait of Queen Elizabeth II on the eve of her funeral at Westminster Abbey
King Charles has released a heartfelt statement saying thank you for the well-wishes sent to the royal family following his mother’s death. Pictured: The King meets members of the public on South Bank on Saturday
Members of the public file past the Queen’s coffin at Westminster Hall on Sunday, September 18. Tens of thousands of people have paid their respects to Her Majesty over the last few days
The King and Queen Consort will lead other senior members of the Royal Family in the funeral procession into Westminster Abbey later today
While the King and Queen Consort will be leading the royal family behind Her Majesty’s coffin tomorrow, a lot of observers will be watching the youngest members of the procession.
The children will not walk the full length of the procession, which will see William, Harry and their cousin Peter Phillips walk alongside each other towards Westminster Abbey.
However, when they reach the church the Prince and Princess of Wales’ two eldest children will join their parents in following the Queen’s coffin inside.
The Daily Mail understands that William and Kate thought ‘long and hard’ about whether their two eldest children should join them.
But after George and Charlotte attended their great-grandfather’s memorial in March, William and Kate decided they could cope with the solemnity of the occasion. Louis, the couple’s youngest, is just four and will not be joining.
It is understood the children will also be in the congregation for the committal service at St George’s Chapel at Windsor this afternoon. A decision is to be taken about whether they feel up to taking part in the procession there, too.
The procession is set to see King Charles and his wife Camilla lead the most senior members of the Royal Family.
They will be followed by Princess Anne, the Queen’s second eldest child, and her husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence.
Behind them will be Prince Andrew, the Queen’s third child, and following him will be Prince Edward, the youngest of the siblings, and his wife Sophie, the Countess of Wessex.
The Prince and Princess of Wales, along with their two eldest children, will come behind, and they will be followed by Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, and his wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex.
After this will come the Earl of Snowden, son of the Queen’s late sister, Prince Margaret, and Peter Phillips – the son of Princess Anne.
Behind them will be Prince Richard, the Duke of Gloucester, as well as Prince Michael of Kent and the Duke of Kent.
King Charles and the Queen Consort Camilla view floral tributes in Hillsborough Castle last week. The King has visited all four nations since the death of his mother last week
The King will lead the nation in mourning the passing of his mother tomorrow, with her funeral expected to be watched by billions around the world. Pictured: The King speaks after receiving a message of condolence in the Northern Ireland Assembly
Members of the public queue through Shad Thames near Tower Bridge yesterday as they wait for up to 12 hours to pay their respects to the Queen
People in Windsor come out to Long Walk tonight to observe the national minute’s silence in honour of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
King Charles III has thanked the public for its support following the death of his mother. Pictured: The King looks on during a reception for local charities at Cardiff Castle in Wales on Friday, September 16
US President Joe Biden touched his hand to his heart and appeared to snap off a quick salute to the late monarch in a gesture of respect at Westminster Hall earlier today
Charles will lead the nation in mourning for its longest reigning monarch, while two thousand world leaders, royals and foreign dignitaries crowd into the gothic church in the centre of London.
In a heartfelt message put out by Buckingham Palace last night, the King said he was moved by the response of the public and the support they had given him since his mother’s death on Thursday, September 8.
King Charles thanked the public for their well-wishes following his mother’s death, saying he wanted, ‘as we all prepare to say our last farewell’, to offer his gratitude to ‘all those countless people who have been such a support and comfort to my Family and myself in this time of grief’.
The King said, in the written message issued by Buckingham Palace: ‘Over the last ten days, my wife and I have been so deeply touched by the many messages of condolence and support we have received from this country and across the world.
‘In London, Edinburgh, Hillsborough and Cardiff we were moved beyond measure by everyone who took the trouble to come and pay their respects to the lifelong service of my dear mother, the late Queen.
‘As we all prepare to say our last farewell, I wanted simply to take this opportunity to say thank you to all those countless people who have been such a support and comfort to my Family and myself in this time of grief.’
He made the statement on the eve of Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral at Westminster Abbey. Pictured: A King’s Body Guard of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms guards Her Majesty’s coffin at Westminster Hall today
Tens of thousands of people have spent hours queuing to see Her Majesty in Westminster Hall in recent days. Pictured: The queue to get in stretches past Tower Bridge
There have been suggestions that Prince George (bottom left) could play some role in the Queen’s funeral service. Here he is pictured with his parents, the Prince and Princess of Wales, along with his siblings Princess Charlotte (bottom centre) and Prince Louis (bottom right) on the balcony of Buckingham Palace in June this year
Royal guards stand by Queen Elizabeth II’s flag-draped coffin lying in state on the catafalque at Westminster Hall on September 18, 2022 in London, England
Since Wednesday tens of thousands of people have patiently stood in line as they wait to pay their respects to the Queen as she lies in state at Westminster Hall.
The queue has snaked its way through central London for more than four miles, taking mourners past numerous landmarks including the Tate Modern, the London Eye and Tower Bridge.
Those inside the hall were joined by multiple foreign heads of state yesterday, as world leaders arriving in London for Her Majesty’s funeral took the chance to pay their respects in the palace.
The likes of US President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron and Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan were all seen in Westminster Hall.
Later tonight officials will stop more people from joining the queue as they look to clear the line before the Queen’s coffin is moved in tomorrow’s funeral procession to Westminster Abbey, where her funeral is being held tomorrow morning.
Two of the late Queen’s other great-grandchildren, Mia and Lena Tindall, were at Westminster Hall on Friday for her lying-in-state. They were in the gallery with their parents Zara and Mike Tindall as their grandmother, Princess Anne, took her place alongside her three brothers for a silent vigil beside the Queen’s coffin.
There was no sign of George, Charlotte or Louis at a vigil by the Queen’s grandchildren – and the Prince of Wales might have good reason to consider whether courtiers’ suggestions to involve a nine-year-old in tomorrow’s funeral are wise.
Ahead of the service on Monday morning, the tenor bell will be tolled every minute for 96 minutes, reflecting the years of Queen Elizabeth’s incredible life.
At 10.44am sharp, the late monarch’s coffin will be moved the short distance to Westminster Abbey in time for the funeral service to start at 11am sharp.
The Queen’s most senior guardsmen, the Grenadier Guards, will form the bearer party carrying the coffin from the catafalque at Westminster Hall through the North Door to the waiting 123-year-old state gun carriage, which will be drawn by 142 Royal Naval ratings along the route to the Abbey.
Led by 200 musicians, the procession will go through Parliament Square, where it will be saluted by a guard of honour.
From here, the King, his siblings and children, as well as loyal members of Her Majesty’s household, will march behind the coffin.
Princess Charlotte and Prince George will be driven to the Abbey with the Princess of Wales and the Queen Consort, to join the family party outside.
Inside, the gothic splendour of the cathedral will be packed with more than 2,000 VIPs, including world leaders and foreign royals. Among them will be ‘everyday people’ who have served the country, including NHS heroes who worked tirelessly through the pandemic and Armed Forces veterans.
The hour-long service will conclude with the Last Post, followed by a two-minute silence observed across the nation and the national anthem – in which Abbey mourners will hail our new King.
A haunting lament played by the Queen’s Piper, Sleep, Dearie, Sleep, has been included at her personal request. Afterwards the coffin will embark on the last stage of its journey, travelling 25 miles to her beloved Windsor, where she will finally be laid to rest.
The committal service will be smaller and far more personal with the Instruments of State – the Imperial Crown, Orb and Sceptre –removed from the coffin and placed on the high altar, symbolically ending the Elizabethan reign.
The Lord Chamberlain, who is the most senior official of the Royal Household, will then symbolically ‘break’ his wand of office and place it on the coffin to signify him officially losing office.
The Queen’s coffin will be lowered into the Royal Vault, ready to be privately reunited later this evening with her beloved Philip, her parents and her sister in their family chapel.
‘Us four’ – as King George VI famously referred to his family – will become ‘us five’ in the afterlife.
William spoke movingly last week about how walking behind his grandmother’s coffin as it left Buckingham Palace for the last time on Wednesday had evoked poignant memories of his mother Princess Diana’s funeral 25 years ago.
William and Harry, then 15 and 12, found their grief thrust into the public gaze when they followed Diana’s coffin along the same route down the Mall and Whitehall. It became one of the defining images of the day and left a lasting impact.
William has previously said it was ‘one of the hardest things I’ve ever done’, while Harry said: ‘I don’t think any child should be asked to do that, under any circumstances.’
Tomorrow morning the King’s Guard will begin their final vigil over the Queen’s coffin at 6am, with Westminster Hall set to close at 8.30am. The doors of Westminster Abbey, just over the road, will open at 8am.
At 9am Big Ben will strike clearly before the bell’s hammer is covered with a thick leather pad to muffle it’s strikes for the rest of the day.
At 10.35am the coffin will be moved onto a state carriage and taken to Westminster Abbey, arriving at 10.52am.
Before the service, a bell will toll 96 times, reflecting the years of Queen Elizabeth’s life. The service will, Buckingham Palace says, pay tribute to the Queen’s remarkable reign and lifetime of service as head of state, nation and Commonwealth.
The televised funeral service will begin at 11am, led by the Dean of Westminster and the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Hymns including The Lord’s My Shepherd and Love Divine will be sung. Lessons feature 1 Corinthians 15 20-26, 53-end and John 14 1-9a, with all aspects personally chosen by the Queen.
A specially commissioned choral piece, Like As The Hart, composed by the Master of The King’s Music, Judith Weir, will be sung by the Choir of Westminster Abbey. The choir will also sing a short anthem, O Taste And See, which was composed by Ralph Vaughan Williams for the Queen’s coronation in 1953.
The Archbishop of Canterbury will give a reading, while Prime Minister Liz Truss will read the second lesson, with prayers from leading clerics including the Bishop of London and Archbishop of York.
Tears are sure to flow at The Last Post and Reveille, as well as the first major public rendition of the National Anthem.
A rendition of Sleep, Dearie, Sleep played by the Queen’s piper will have huge significance to her family.
The service, which will be shown live on the BBC and ITV, as well as 150 cinemas in the UK, is expected to be seen by as many as 4.1billion people worldwide.
At 11.55am the nation will observe a two minute silence followed by a rendition of the Last Post. The funeral will officially end at midday.
Following the service, the Queen’s coffin will be placed on the back of the state gun carriage at 12.15pm. A funeral procession will then move through Parliament Square, Whitehall, Constitution Hill and the Mall to arrive at Wellington Arch at 1pm.
The coffin will then travel to St George’s Chapel in Windsor, arriving at 3.15pm to allow the public to pay their respects.
At 4pm there will be a televised committal service conducted by the Dean of Windsor, during which the Imperial State Crown, sceptre and orb will be removed from the coffin by the crown jeweller.
A lone piper will then play a lament as Her Majesty is lowered into the Royal Vault.
At 7.30pm King Charles and the Queen’s relatives will return to St George’s Chapel for a private family burial service, where the new monarch will scatter earth on her coffin.
After being taken by gun carriage from Westminster Abbey to Wellington Arch, the State Hearse will carry the Queen’s coffin west along the south edge of Hyde Park in central London, before passing through Queens Gate and heading down Cromwell Road. It will then head down Talgarth Road via the Hammersmith Flyover, Great West Road (A4) and Great South West Road (A30). It will continue on the A30 and will then take the A308 to make the final part of the journey to Shaw Farm Gate outside Windsor Castle, where it will be met by the procession that will take it up the Long Walk to St George’s Chapel
The Lord’s My Shepherd, The Last Post, and a poignant National Anthem: Read the Order of Service for the Queen’s funeral
Westminster Abbey, 11am, Monday, September 19
Before the service, the tenor bell is tolled every minute for 96 minutes, reflecting each year of Queen Elizabeth II’s life.
MUSIC BEFORE THE SERVICE
Fantasia of Four Parts
Orlando Gibbons (1583–1625)
Romanza (Symphony No 5 in D)
Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872–1958)
Reliqui Domum Meum
Peter Maxwell Davies (1934–2016)
Meditation on ‘Brother James’s Air’
Harold Darke (1888–1976)
Prelude on ‘Ecce Jam Noctis’, Op 157 No 3
Healey Willan (1880–1968)
Psalm Prelude Set 1 no 2
Herbert Howells (1892–1983)
In The Country, Op 194 no 2
Charles Villiers Stanford (1852–1924)
Fantasy on ‘O Paradise’
Malcolm Williamson (1931–2003)
Elegy, Op 58
Sir Edward Elgar (1857–1934)
Andante espressivo (Sonata in G, Op 28) Elgar
Sospiri, Op 70 Elgar
The Procession of Religious Representatives (from the Churches in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and the leaders of Jewish, Hindu, Muslim and other faiths) moves to places in the Nave and the Sacrarium.
All remain seated.
ORDER OF SERVICE
All stand.
Her Majesty’s coffin enters the Abbey, surmounted by the Imperial State Crown and the Orb and Sceptre, borne by the bearer party including: The King, The Queen Consort, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, The Princess Royal, The Duke of York, Countess of Wessex, Earl of Wessex, Princess of Wales, Prince of Wales, Princess Charlotte, Prince George, Duchess of Sussex, Duke of Sussex, Earl Snowdon, Peter Phillips; Duke of Gloucester, Prince Michael of Kent, Duke of Kent.
The choir sings:
THE SENTENCES
John 11: 25–26; Job 19: 25–27; 1 Timothy 6: 7; Job 1: 21
The Choir of Westminster Abbey and the Choir of the Chapel Royal, St James’s Palace, sing:
Thou knowest, Lord, the secrets of our hearts; shut not thy merciful ears unto our prayer; but spare us, Lord most holy, O God most mighty, O holy and most merciful Saviour, thou most worthy Judge eternal, suffer us not, at our last hour, for any pains of death, to fall from thee. Amen.
The Book of Common Prayer, 1549
Heard a voice from heaven, saying unto me, Write, From henceforth blessed are the dead which die in the Lord: even so saith the Spirit; for they rest from their labours. Amen.
Revelation 14:13
THE BIDDING
By Dr David Hoyle MBE, Dean of Westminster (extract):
In grief and also in profound thanksgiving we come to this House of God, to a place of prayer, to a church where remembrance and hope are sacred duties. 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, and in sure confidence to commit her to the mercy of God our maker and redeemer. With gratitude we remember her unswerving commitment to a high calling over so many years as Queen and Head of the Commonwealth. With admiration we recall her life-long sense of duty and dedication to her people. With thanksgiving we praise God for her constant example of Christian faith and devotion. With affection we recall her love for her family and her commitment to the causes she held dear. Now, in silence, let us in our hearts and minds recall our many reasons for thanksgiving, pray for all members of her family, and commend Queen Elizabeth to the care and keeping of almighty God.
A brief silence is kept.
All sing:
THE DAY THOU GAVEST
The day thou gavest, Lord, is ended, the darkness falls at thy behest; to thee our morning hymns ascended, thy praise shall sanctify our rest.
We thank thee that thy Church unsleeping, while Earth rolls onward into light, through all the world her watch is keeping, and rests not now by day or night.
As o’er each continent and island the dawn leads on another day, the voice of prayer is never silent, nor dies the strain of praise away.
The sun that bids us rest is waking our brethren ‘neath the western sky, and hour by hour fresh lips are making thy wondrous doings heard on high.
So be it, Lord! thy throne shall never, like Earth’s proud empires, pass away; thy kingdom stands, and grows for ever, till all thy creatures own thy sway.
John Ellerton (1826–93); St. Clement Scholefield (1839–1904)
THE FIRST LESSON
1 Corinthians 15: 20–26, 53–end, read by Baroness Scotland, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth
All remain seated as the choir sings:
THE PSALM
Psalm 42: 1–7, composed for this service by Judith Weir CBE
Like as the hart desireth the water-brooks: so longeth my soul after thee, O God.
My soul is athirst for God, yea, even for the living God: when shall I come to appear before the presence of God?
My tears have been my meat day and night: while they daily say unto me, Where is now thy God?
Now when I think thereupon, I pour out my heart by myself: for I went with the multitude, and brought them forth into the house of God;
In the voice of praise and thanksgiving: among such as keep holy-day.
Why art thou so full of heaviness, O my soul: and why art thou so disquieted within me?
Put thy trust in God: for I will yet give him thanks for the help of his countenance.
The Queen’s funeral will take place at Westminster Abbey at 11am on Monday September 19, 2022
THE SECOND LESSON
John 14: 1–9a, read by Prime Minister Elizabeth Truss
All stand to sing:
THE LORD’S MY SHEPHERD
The Lord’s my shepherd, I’ll not want; he makes me down to lie
in pastures green; he leadeth me
the quiet waters by.
My soul he doth restore again,
and me to walk doth make
within the paths of righteousness,
e’en for his own name’s sake.
The choir sings:
Yea, though I walk through death’s dark vale, yet will I fear none ill; for thou art with me, and thy rod
and staff me comfort still.
All sing:
My table thou hast furnished in presence of my foes; my head thou dost with oil anoint, and my cup overflows.
Goodness and mercy all my life shall surely follow me; and in God’s house for evermore my dwelling place shall be.
Psalm 23 in Scottish Psalter 1650 Crimond attributed to Jessie Seymour Irvine (1836–87), harmony by David Grant (1833–93), descant by William Baird Ross (1871–1950)
THE SERMON
By the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby
All remain seated as the choir sings:
Queen Elizabeth waves from the balcony of Buckingham Palace during the Platinum Jubilee in June
THE ANTHEM
My soul, there is a country
Far beyond the stars,
Where stands a winged sentry
All skilful in the wars:
There above noise, and danger,
Sweet Peace sits crowned with smiles,
And One born in a manger
Commands the beauteous files.
He is thy gracious friend,
And (O my soul, awake!)
Did in pure love descend,
To die here for thy sake.
If thou canst get but thither,
There grows the flower of Peace,
The Rose that cannot wither,
Thy fortress, and thy ease.
Leave then thy foolish ranges,
For none can thee secure,
But One who never changes,
Thy God, thy Life, thy Cure.
Henry Vaughan (1621–95); from Songs of Farewell Hubert Parry (1848–1918)
THE PRAYERS
Led by Mark Birch, Minor Canon and Precentor, the Prayers are read by:
Dr Iain Greenshields, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland;
Shermara Fletcher, Principal Officer for Pentecostal and Charismatic Relations, Churches Together in England;
Dame Sarah Mullally, Bishop of London and Dean of His Majesty’s Chapels Royal;
Canon Helen Cameron, Moderator of the Free Churches Group;
Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster;
Stephen Cottrell, Archbishop of York
The choir sings Psalm 34:8 as composed for the Queen’s Coronation in 1953 by Ralph Vaughan Williams:
O taste and see how gracious the Lord is, blest is the man that trusteth in him.
The Queen pictured with her son the new monarch King Charles during the Platinum Jubilee
THE LORD’S PRAYER
All stand to sing:
LOVE DIVINE, ALL LOVES EXCELLING
Love divine, all loves excelling,
joy of heaven, to earth come down,
fix in us thy humble dwelling,
all thy faithful mercies crown.
Jesu, thou art all compassion,
pure unbounded love thou art;
visit us with thy salvation,
enter every trembling heart.
Come, almighty to deliver,
let us all thy life receive;
suddenly return, and never,
never more thy temples leave.
Thee we would be always blessing,
serve thee as thy hosts above,
pray, and praise thee, without ceasing, glory in thy perfect love.
Finish then thy new creation,
pure and spotless let us be;
let us see thy great salvation,
perfectly restored in thee,
changed from glory into glory
till in heaven we take our place,
till we cast our crowns before thee,
lost in wonder, love, and praise!
Charles Wesley (1707–88)
All remain standing for:
THE COMMENDATION
The Archbishop of Canterbury says:
Let us commend to the mercy of God, our maker and redeemer, the soul of Elizabeth, our late Queen.
Heavenly Father, King of kings, Lord and giver of life, who of thy grace in creation didst form mankind in thine own image, and in thy great love offerest us life eternal in Christ Jesus; claiming the promises of thy most blessed Son, we entrust the soul of Elizabeth, our sister here departed, to thy merciful keeping, in sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life, when Christ shall be all in all; who died and rose again to save us, and now liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, in glory for ever. Amen.
O forth, O Christian soul, from this world, in the name of God the Father almighty, who created thee; in the name of Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, who suffered for thee; in the name of the Holy Spirit, who was poured out upon thee and anointed thee. In communion with all the blessed saints, and aided by the angels and archangels and all the armies of the heavenly host, may thy portion this day be in peace, and thy dwelling in the heavenly Jerusalem. Amen.
All remain standing as the choir sings:
THE ANTHEM
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Alleluia! Amen.
Romans 8:35a, 38b–end, composed for this service by Sir James MacMillan
THE BLESSING
God grant to the living grace; to the departed rest; to the Church, The King, the Commonwealth, and all people, peace and concord, and to us sinners, life everlasting; and the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among you and remain with you always. Amen.
All remain standing for:
THE LAST POST
REVEILLE
All sing:
THE NATIONAL ANTHEM
The Queen’s Piper, Pipe Major Paul Burns, plays Sleep, dearie, Sleep. All remain standing as the coffin leaves the church while sub-organist plays Fantasia in C minor
MUSIC AFTER THE SERVICE
Allegro maestoso (Sonata in G, Op 28) Sir Edward Elgar
ST GEORGE’S CHAPEL, WINDSOR CASTLE, MONDAY SEPTEMBER 19, 2022, 4PM
Organ music before service includes works by Johann Sebastian Bach, Dame Ethel Smyth, Herbert Howells and Sir Edward Elgar.
4pm, coffin enters. Bearer party includes senior royals as earlier, but not including William’s children. Includes senior courtiers from both Queen’s and Charles’s households.
PSALM 121
All then sit as the Choir sings:
THE RUSSIAN CONTAKION OF THE DEPARTED
THE BIDDING
By the Dean of Windsor
Extract: We pray that God will give us grace to honour her memory by following her example, and that, with our sister Elizabeth, at the last, we shall know the joys of life eternal.
All remain standing.
ALL MY HOPE ON GOD IS FOUNDED
All my Hope on God is Founded, by Robert Bridges, based on the German of Joachim Neander (1650–80)
THE READING
Revelation 21.1–7, Read by the Dean of Windsor
Extract: I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
THE PRAYERS
Read by the Rector of Sandringham, the Minister of Crathie Kirk and the Chaplain of the Royal Chapel, Windsor Great Park.
All say together:
THE LORD’S PRAYER
All sit as the Choir sings:
THE MOTET
By John Donne (1572–1631) to music by Sir William Henry Harris, KCVO (1883–1973), sometime Organist, St George’s Chapel
All stand for the presentation, in silence, of the Instruments of State, to be received by the Dean of Windsor, from the Queen’s Bargemaster and a Serjeant of Arms, who places them on the High Altar.
CHRIST IS MADE THE SURE FOUNDATION
Christ is Made the Sure Foundation, from Latin 7th century translated by John M. Neale (1818-66)
At the end of the hymn, The Queen’s Company Camp Colour is placed on the coffin by The King having received it from the Regimental Lieutenant Colonel Grenadier Guards.
The Lord Chamberlain breaks his wand which is placed upon the coffin.
Queen Elizabeth II will be buried at St George’s Chapel (pictured) in the grounds of Windsor Castle
THE COMMITTAL
As the coffin is lowered, the Dean of Windsor says:
THE PSALM
Psalm 103, 13–17
Garter King of Arms proclaims:
THE STYLES AND TITLES OF QUEEN ELIZABETH II
THUS it hath pleased Almighty God to take out of this transitory life unto His Divine Mercy the late Most High, Most Mighty, and Most Excellent Monarch, Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith, and Sovereign of the Most Noble Order of the Garter.
The Queen’s Piper plays a lament
THE BLESSING
Pronounced by the Archbishop of Canterbury
THE NATIONAL ANTHEM
All remain standing.
THE VOLUNTARY
Prelude and Fugue in C Minor Johann Sebastian Bach
The Queen: All you need to know following her passing and a look back at her 70-year reign
- What happens on day of the Queen’s funeral?
- Who will be at the Queen’s funeral? From Joe Biden and Jacinda Ardern to European royalty and Her Majesty’s ladies-in-waiting
- Who becomes the Prince of Wales when Charles becomes King?
- How Princess ‘Lilibet’ became the UK’s longest-serving monarch
- What was the Queen really like?
- How the Queen’s family came to celebrate her Majesty’s historic reign during the Platinum Jubilee
- Trains to London for the Queen’s funeral: Which rail services are running?
- PICTURES: Queen’s iconic fashion sense over the last eight decades
- PICTURES: The Queen’s personal jewellery collection – including her engagement ring from Prince Philip
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