The Queen’s state funeral will take place at Westminster Abbey at 11am today Monday 19 September, Buckingham Palace has announced, on a day of mourning that the King has declared will be a bank holiday.
Also, world leaders have already converged in London to grace today’s funeral service for Queen Elizabeth II.
About 500 guests including presidents, heads of government and monarchies representing nearly 200 countries and territories are expected to make it to the event.
They include US President Joe Biden, Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, French President Emmanuel Macron, New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Nigeria’s Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
Also on the guests’ list are Japanese Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, Belgium’s King Philippe and Queen Mathilde, Spain’s King Felipe and Queen Letizia, Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia and the Netherlands’ King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima.
Security has been tightened across the country especially in the capital London where a security scare interrupted the Queen’s sombre lying-in-state late Friday.
A man unexpectedly breached security, bursting out of queue during the lying-in-state in parliament’s Westminster Hall and approached the coffin, which sits topped with the Imperial State Crown.
