London: Queen Elizabeth II is set to be buried with her late husband, Prince Philip, in a private service in Windsor after her state funeral, Buckingham Palace said as it announced new details of Monday’s events. “The service and burial will be entirely private, given it is a deeply personal family occasion,” Buckingham Palace said.
It has recently been revealed that the Duke of Edinburgh’s coffin has been held in a vault until the death of the Queen so the couple, who were married for over 70 years, could be buried together. According to reports, the protocol meant that whoever passed away first, their coffin would be temporarily stored in the rarely seen Royal Vault.
The state funeral at Westminster Abbey in central London is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. local time and last for about an hour, ending with a two-minute silence. The queen’s coffin will then be taken via a procession on a route lined by the armed forces that will pass through Whitehall and Constitution Hill to Wellington Arch. King Charles III will lead the royal family in the procession.
The state hearse will take the coffin to Windsor, west of London. After a committal service in St. George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle, the queen will be buried at 7:30 p.m. in a service attended by the king and members of the royal family.
The period of national mourning is moving toward its final denouement Monday, when the late monarch’s state funeral is expected to draw a million people and heads of state from around the world.
Officials have said the last guest will be let in at 6.30 a.m. on Monday Sept. 19.