Thousands more mourners will be able to pay their respects to the Queen as hearse carrying her casket from London to Windsor will travel on A-roads and avoid M4, sources say
- Revealed last night that she will be driven on A30 and is likely also to go on A4
- Post-funeral route could be published as early as Friday so mourners can plan
- The funeral at Westminster Abbey will finish around midday next Monday
- Warnings 350,000 mourners will miss opportunity to visit Queen lying-in-state
- The Queen’s funeral: All the latest Royal Family news and coverage
The Queen’s final journey after the funeral will avoid motorways and stick to slower A-roads – giving thousands more Britons the chance to pay their last respects as her coffin passes.
The Daily Mail understands the hearse carrying her from Westminster to Windsor will not travel on the M4, which would be the quickest route.
Sources revealed last night that it will be driven on the A30 and is likely also to go on the A4. The full post-funeral route could be published as early as today so mourners can make plans.
One insider said: ‘All the other royals will be going on the M4.’
Travelling along A-roads west out of London to Berkshire means it will be easier for mourners to line up and pay respects. The choice of route comes after warnings that up to 350,000 mourners are going to miss out on the opportunity to visit her lying-in-state in Westminster due to massive waits in the queue.
People watch the hearse carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, following her death last Thursday, after leaving RAF Northolt in London on Tuesday. The Queen’s final journey after the funeral on Monday will avoid motorways and stick to slower A-roads – giving thousands more Britons the chance to pay their last respects as her coffin passes
The coffin of Queen Elizabeth II leaving RAF Northolt in London and being taken to Buckingham Palace on Tuesday. The Daily Mail understands the hearse carrying the Queen from Westminster to Windsor after her funeral on Monday will not travel on the M4, which would be the quickest route
People gather near Marble Arch as the hearse carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II drives from RAF Northolt to Buckingham Palace in London on Tuesday. Sources revealed last night that the Queen’s coffin will be driven on the A30 and is likely also to go on the A4 after her fneral on Monday
Former Tory Cabinet minister David Jones, who called for an extended post-funeral route, said last night: ‘I think it’s very important that as many people as possible have the opportunity to pay their last respects while in sight of the coffin. So it’s sensible that it’s not going all the way along the motorway, as people would not be able to do that there.
‘It’s very difficult as there are so many people who want to pay their last respects, so to maximise the amount of people who can is a good thing.’ Earlier this week, the Mail’s Robert Hardman outlined the case for extending the post-funeral route so more Britons could say farewell. The funeral at Westminster Abbey will finish around midday next Monday.
At 12.15pm the Queen’s children and other members of the Royal Family will walk behind her coffin to Wellington Arch. It is understood that after the hearse sets off it will travel along roads to Hyde Park to give mourners an additional chance to pay respects. Large screens will be set up in the park for people to watch the service. The hearse will arrive at the Long Walk, Windsor, at 3.15pm, where the public will also be able to say goodbye before the Queen is laid to rest next to her beloved husband Prince Philip.
The blueprint for the procession is based on the one used for the Queen Mother who was buried in Windsor in 2002. The route taken from London to Northamptonshire after Princess Diana’s funeral in 1997 was lengthened at the 11th hour due to the huge outpouring of grief over her death.
The night before the service at Westminster Abbey her coffin was moved from St James’s Palace to her old home at Kensington Palace, adding an extra mile.
It meant thousands more mourners could line the roads of London as the hearse began the trip to her Northamptonshire family home.
The Queen will lie in state in Westminster Hall until Monday’s funeral, with 400,000 mourners expected to file past her coffin. But 350,000 may miss out as the queue could be closed on Saturday night if there is not enough time for those at the back to reach the front.
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