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Saturday, February 8, 2025

Likely timetable of events following the death of Her Majesty the Queen

People across the UK and the world are saddened by the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

A timetable of official events will unfold separately – details are to be confirmed, but here is what to expect.

The Queen’s state funeral is expected to take place at Westminster Abbey in less than two weeks. The exact day will be confirmed by Buckingham Palace.

 

After her coffin returns to London, the Queen will then lie in state in Westminster Hall for about four days before her funeral, allowing members of the public to file past.

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The last member of the Royal Family to lie in state in the hall was the Queen Mother in 2002, when more than 200,000 people queued to view her coffin.

The funeral is expected to be held at Westminster Abbey in about 10 or 11 days’ time, with the date to be confirmed by Buckingham Palace. It is likely to be declared a bank holiday, but this will be confirmed by the palace and government.

If a bank holiday is declared, schools will be closed.
The Department for Education and devolved administrations are expected to issue advice.

Sporting fixtures scheduled on Friday have mostly been cancelled, including football matches in the English Football League and Northern Ireland Football League.

Stage six of the Tour of Britain cycling race, set to take place on Friday, will not go ahead. And the second day of the Test cricket match between England and South Africa on Friday has been postponed, with no confirmation on whether the rest of the five-day game will take place.

The Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union has announced that planned strikes on 15 and 17 September will be cancelled as a mark of respect. The Transport Salaried Staffs Association has also called off planned strikes in September.

Postal strikes on Friday have also been cancelled by the Communication Workers Union (CWU).

There will be a remembrance service at St Paul’s Cathedral on Friday, attended by the prime minister and other senior ministers.

Because the Queen died in Scotland, her coffin will lie at rest at St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh. The public may be allowed to file past after a few days.

The coffin will then be flown to London, where people will be allowed to file past over a period of four days’ lying in state at Westminster Hall.

The union flag will be flown at half mast on government buildings until the morning after the funeral. Flags will return to full mast for a 24-hour period beginning at 13:00 BST on Saturday to mark the proclamation of Charles as King, before returning to half mast.

On Friday, bells will toll in tribute to the Queen at Westminster Abbey, St Paul’s Cathedral and Windsor Castle. Gun salutes of 96 rounds to mark each year of her life will be fired in Hyde Park and elsewhere.

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