The longest-living and longest-reigning British monarch, Elizabeth II, passed away at her home in Balmoral Castle in Scotland on September 8, at the age of 96. UK's new Prime Minister Liz Truss was informed of the Queen's passing and then later the official public announcement was made.


The Queen's passing prompted Operation London Bridge, a set of measures that included preparations for her funeral, and Operation Unicorn, which established procedures in case the Queen passed away in Scotland. The country of United Kingdom is currently in a 10-day period of national mourning.


Queen's Health


The Queen's health was a matter of concern throughout 2021 and 2022. The British press began reporting that Queen Elizabeth II had started using a walking stick in public in October 2021. The Queen tested positive for COVID-19 in February 2022, and her health began to deteriorate.


After standing through the military parade honouring her formal birthday on the first day of celebrations for her Platinum Jubilee in June 2022, the Queen reportedly felt "discomfort" and decided to skip the National Service of Thanksgiving among other events of importance throughout the year quite frequently. Additionally, the Queen was limited to making brief balcony appearances throughout the various festivities.


Queen's Funeral Proceedings


On Friday (September 9), the hearse bearing Elizabeth's oak casket left the gates of Balmoral Castle, where she had died the previous day, that is, Thursday. The journey from Balmoral was the first of a series of events leading up to the state funeral at Westminster Abbey in London on September 19.


A bouquet of flowers from the Balmoral estate was placed on top of the coffin, and it included sweet peas, one of Elizabeth's favourite flowers. The coffin was also draped in the honorary Royal Standard of Scotland.


The cortege, which included the queen's daughter Princess Anne, was greeted by a military guard of honour at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, and the city of Edinburgh turned out to see it off. After that, Soldiers from the Royal Regiment of Scotland then carried the coffin to the throne room of the palace where it remained overnight.


Queen Elizabeth II's coffin was taken from Edinburgh's Palace of Holyroodhouse to St. Giles' Cathedral on September 12, where King Charles III and other dignitaries attended a service of thanksgiving. Her body lay there in rest before being flown to London on Tuesday.


On September 13, the Queen's coffin was moved from St Giles' Cathedral to Edinburgh airport. Members of the public were able to pay their respects as the hearse drove along the route.


The coffin was later taken to RAF Northolt by plane with Princess Anne and Princess Royal, and it reached London. The coffin, afterwards, reached Buckingham Palace, where King Charles III, Camilla, Queen Consort, and other members of the Royal Family were waiting for it. 


Funeral Proceedings Event On Wednesday, September 14


The coffin will be moved from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall, where the Queen will lie in state for four days. Lying-in-state describes the formal occasion in which a coffin is placed on view before the funeral ceremony.


The Queen's coffin will leave Buckingham Palace at 14:22 local time. Crowds will be able to watch as the cortege makes the journey through central London - along Queen's Gardens, The Mall, Horse Guards and Horse Guards Arch, Whitehall, Parliament Street, Parliament Square and New Palace Yard.


The procession will include the King and members of the Royal Family, guns will be fired at Hyde Park and Big Ben will toll.


The coffin will be adorned with the Imperial State Crown and carried on a gun carriage of The King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery. The King and members of the royal family will walk behind in a journey taking 38 minutes.


The coffin will reach Westminster Hall at 15:00. Once there, it will rest on a raised platform. Each corner of the platform will be guarded 24 hours a day by soldiers from units that serve the Royal Household.


Members of the public will be able to pay their respects to the Queen's coffin from 17:00. Westminster Hall will remain open until 06:30 on Monday 19 September. 


Funeral Proceedings Event On Thursday, September 15


The day marks the first of four full days that the Queen's coffin will lie in state in Westminster Hall, where she will remain until the morning of the funeral.


It is expected that hundreds of thousands of mourners will pay their respects in the 11th-Century building, the oldest part of the Palace of Westminster and the heart of the British government.


Funeral Proceedings Event On Friday, September 16  


The Queen's coffin will lie in state for the second full day in Westminster Hall, where people will be able to pay their respects.


The King and Camilla will travel to Wales, marking the final of his visits to all four nations of the United Kingdom as king.


Funeral Proceedings Event On Saturday, September 17


The Queen's coffin will lie in state for the third full day in Westminster Hall.


Funeral Proceedings Event On Sunday, September 18


The Queen's coffin will lie in state for the fourth full day in Westminster Hall.


A one-minute silence will be held across the UK at 20:00. People can mark the silence privately in their own homes, on the street with neighbours or at community events and vigils.


Funeral On Monday, September 19 


Monday 19 September is the day of the Queen's state funeral, which will be a bank holiday in the UK. The Queen's “lying-in-state” will end at 06:30 am and at 10:44 am local time, the coffin will be taken in procession from the Palace of Westminster to Westminster Abbey. The state funeral is scheduled to begin at 11:00 am local time and further details about the funeral are still to be confirmed.


Among the guests will be members of her family, senior UK politicians and heads of state from across the world, and representatives from the charities she supported.


Following the funeral, the coffin will travel in procession from Westminster Abbey to Wellington Arch, from where it will travel to Windsor.


The state hearse will then take the coffin along the Long Walk to St George's Chapel in Windsor Chapel, where a committal service will take place.