The funeral of Queen Elizabeth II will take place monday september 19 at Westminster Abbey, in the heart of London, and will mark the culmination of decades of meticulous preparation.

That’s what we know today.

On the morning of the state funeral, Monday, September 19, the wake will end at 6:30 a.m. (12:30 a.m. Ecuadorian time) when the last members of the public are admitted.

The BBC announced extensive and permanent coverage via its YouTube channel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsWW-9vWiaU

08:00 Funeral service

The doors to Westminster Abbey will open at 8 a.m. (02 a.m. Ecuador) when the congregation of 2,000 prominent figures begin to take their places, three hours before the 11 a.m. service begins.

At 10.35 a.m., Her Majesty will be transported in the carriage from Westminster Hall, arriving at 10.52 a.m. Her son, the new King, will lead the procession behind.

The last time a monarch’s funeral was held at Westminster Abbey was in 1760, for King George II.

The British royal family has since preferred to use the more intimate St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle, about 30km west of London.

However, Elizabeth II wanted to return to a place that could accommodate more people.

10:30 a.m. at the Abbey

Around 10:30 a.m. local time (4:30 a.m. Ecuadorian time), pallbearers will transport the coffin from Westminster Hall to the nearby Abbey of the same name, in an open artillery cart, drawn, not by horses, but by young sailors. with ropes, as is customary at state funerals.

Members of the royal family – first the four children of Elizabeth II and then Princes William and Harry – will walk behind the coffin to the western door of the temple.

It will then be placed on a plinth in the choir. The funeral service will begin at 11:00 a.m. (05:00 a.m. Ecuador).

The Dean of Westminster, David Hoyle, will lead the service and the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, spiritual leader of the Church of England, of which the monarch is head, will deliver the sermon.

security challenge

Westminster Abbey can accommodate 2,200 people. On the British side, of course, the royal family, Prime Minister Liz Truss, former prime ministers and other personalities will be present.

Many foreign leaders are expected, including US President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

Several monarchs have also confirmed their attendance, such as Prince Albert of Monaco and his wife Charlene, King Felipe of Belgium and his wife Queen Mathilde, King Felipe VI of Spain and Queen Letizia.

Japanese Emperor Naruhito and his wife will also be there, on their first trip abroad since he took the throne in 2019. It is not yet known whether Chinese President Xi Jinping or Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman will be there. present.

Among the countries not invited are Russia, Burma, North Korea, Venezuela and Nicaragua.

12:15 Drive to Windsor

After the funeral, the coffin will be returned to the artillery car at 12:15 p.m. (6:15 a.m. in Ecuador) and parade through the British capital to Wellington’s Arch at Hyde Park Corner. There it will be loaded into a hearse for its journey to Windsor.

The Queen’s children and members of the Royal Family will walk behind her coffin to Wellington’s Arch as she leaves Westminster Abbey and Her Majesty begins her journey to Windsor.

Arriving in Windsor, some 30 miles away, the hearse will travel to St George’s Chapel via a dramatic avenue through the castle grounds, before a televised ceremony.

King Carlos III will once again lead his family walking behind the queen’s coffin, he will walk with Ana, Andrés and Eduardo, and behind will be the monarch’s grandchildren, Peter Phillips; Henry, the Duke of Sussex and William the Prince of Wales.

She will be accompanied on her final journey by a host of pipers and drummers from the Scottish and Irish regiments, the Gurkha Brigade and the Royal Air Force, totaling 200 musicians.

7:30 p.m. Last resting place

After a religious service at 4:00 p.m. (10:00 a.m. in Ecuador) with 800 guests, a final private ceremony will take place at which only the closest members of the royal family will be present, after which the Queen will be buried, at 7:30 p.m. Ecuador).

The Queen’s coffin will be interred in the King George VI Chapel, where her father and mother rest, along with the ashes of her sister, Princess Margaret.

The remains of Prince Felipe, who currently rests in the royal pantheon, will be transferred to the chapel to join that of his wife.

The Queen’s state funeral will end with a two-minute nationwide silence in a “appropriate tribute to an extraordinary reign” before she is laid to rest next to her late husband. (YO)