Queen Elizabeth II's death: What happens next?
What happens between now and the funeral?
Last updated 12th Sep 2022
The death of Queen Elizabeth II was announced by Buckingham Palace yesterday, but what happens next?
The country is in a period of mourning for its former monarch, but operations will already have started to ensure a carefully organised mourning period and funeral.
Tributes
To pay tribute to Her Majesty, 96-round gun salutes were fired in London on 9th September, and bells tolled across the country, with churches, chapels and cathedrals encouraged by the Church of England to open for prayers or a special service for mourners.
The Prime Minister and senior ministers also attended a public service of remembrance at St Paul’s in central London.
What happens now?
The new King and Queen – Charles and Camilla – returned to London on 9th September, having stayed at Balmoral overnight on Thursday 8th September, and the new monarch addressed the nation in the evening.
Despite his grief, duty calls for new sovereign Charles and his first audience as monarch with Prime Minister Liz Truss happened on Friday afternoon.
Charles will also have met with the Earl Marshal – the Duke of Norfolk – who is in charge of the accession and the Queen’s funeral.
How long is the official mourning period?
An official mourning period of around 12-13 days follows the Queen's death, during which time preparations will be made for her state funeral, the government will confirm the official time.
There is a separate royal mourning period for members of the royal family and royal households which will be observed from now until seven days after the Queen’s funeral, the date of which will be confirmed in due course, Buckingham Palace said.
When will the Queen's funeral take place?
Queen Elizabeth's funeral has been confirmed as Monday 19th September, which will also be a UK Bank Holiday.
The Royal family, heads of state, prime ministers and presidents, European royals and key figures from public life will be invited to gather in Westminster Abbey, which can hold a congregation of 2,000.
The service will be televised, and a national two minutes’ silence is expected to be held.
The same day as the funeral, the Queen’s coffin will be taken to St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle for a televised committal service.
Later in the evening, there will be a private interment service with senior members of the royal family.
What is a state funeral?
The Queen will have a state funeral, a ceremony which is held for figures of great national importance and which is usually reserved for monarchs.
Despite this, in the past Queen Elizabeth did alter the rules to allow a state funeral for former Prime Minister Winston Churchill.
Such funerals need parliamentary funding and approval, which ceremonial funerals, like that of Duke of Edinburgh in 2021, do not require.
Will the day of the funeral be a national holiday?
It has now been confirmed that the day of the Queen's funeral will be a Bank Holiday in the UK, even the London Stock Exchange will close on the day of the funeral. The date of the funeral has been confirmed as Monday 19th September.
It is also believed that King Charles' coronation will be a national holiday, although this is yet to be confirmed by the government and the Palace.
Will the Queen's coffin lie in state?
The Queen’s coffin is due to lie in state to allow the public to pay their last respects.
Lying in state is usually reserved for sovereigns, current or past queen consorts, and sometimes former prime ministers.
During the formal occasion, the closed coffin is placed on view in the vast, medieval Westminster Hall in the Palace of Westminster.
The historic spectacle is expected to attract hundreds of thousands of people.
The Queen’s death in Scotland means there could possibly be a second mini lying in state, most likely in St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh, which would allow the public to honour the monarch.
When will King Charles' coronation take place?
Charles became King immediately after Queen Elizabeth's death, but his coronation won't happen for while.
It's unknown at this point when Charles' coronation will be but is likely to be many months until it takes place.
A coronation is such a large state event that it's normally months in the planning.
Queen Elizabeth II's coronation took place on the 2nd June 1953, 16 months after she had become Queen.
Where will Queen Elizabeth be buried?
The Queen’s final resting place will be the King George VI memorial chapel at Windsor Castle, an annex to the main chapel – where her mother and father were buried, along with the ashes of her sister, Princess Margaret.
Philip’s coffin will move from the Royal Vault to the memorial chapel to join the Queen’s.
Elizabeth II - A life in pictures
The Queen was born in 1926
Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor was born on 21 April 1926 to Their Royal Highnesses Duke and Duchess of York. Although this is her actual birthday, the Queen also celebrates her official public birthday on the second Saturday in June.
Royal sisters
In 1930 Princess Elizabeth's younger sister, Princess Margaret, was born. The two girls were educated at home rather than attending school. The family did not live at Buckingham Palace, because the Queen's father was not first in line to the throne. Instead, they resided in a town house in Piccadilly near the Ritz.
Princess Elizabeth becomes first in line to the throne
In 1936, the Queen's grandfather, King George V died, meaning his oldest son Edward, who was the Queen's uncle, would become King. However, Edward abdicated before he was even crowned, after the British government condemned his decision to marry Wallis Simpson, who had been divorced. As a result, the Queen's father Albert became King. He adopted his father's name in an attempt to restore faith in the monarchy which had been shaken by the abdication, and was crowned King George VI in 1937, making Princess Elizabeth first in line to the throne.
War time service
In 1940 at the age of 14, Princess Elizabeth made her first broadcasted speech on the radio, in which she encouraged evacuees to have hope. Five years later when she turned 19, Princess Elizabeth signed up to the Auxiliary Territorial Service, the female branch of the British Army, where she trained as a driver and mechanic.
The Royal engagement
Princess Elizabeth's engagement to Prince Philip was announced on 9 July 1946, when Princess Elizabeth was 21-years-old.
The Royal Wedding
Princess Elizabeth married Prince Philip on 20 November 1947 in Westminster Abbey. It is estimated around 200 million people tuned into the radio broadcast of the marriage of the future monarch.
The young Royal family
Princess Elizabeth gave birth to Prince Charles in 1948, while Princess Anne was born two years later.
Queen Elizabeth's coronation
King George VI died on 6 February 1952, making his oldest daughter Princess Elizabeth, Queen. One year later, on 2 June 1953, the official coronation took place and Princess Elizabeth was made Queen at the age of 27. Over 20 million people tuned in to watch the coronation on the TV.
First tour of the Commonwealth as Queen
Five months after the coronation, Queen Elizabeth II embarked on her first tour of the Commonwealth as reigning monarch. Over the course of the trip, she visited 15 countries, including Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Libya and Fiji.
The Queen relationships with the Prime Minister
To date, 15 Prime Ministers have served under the Queen in the UK. As Head of State, the Queen has the right to appoint and dismiss the Prime Minister, however she must remain strictly neutral on political matters, and therefore does not vote in elections. When a party wins a general election, the outgoing Prime Minister offers the Queen their resignation before the incoming Prime Minister is officially invited by the Queen to form a Government in her name. The Queen meets weekly with her Prime Minister, and these meetings take place one-to-one in complete privacy.
Royal walkabout
The Queen came up with the famous Royal walkabout, which see's members of the Royal family greeting the locals who line the streets to meet them during visits. This tradition has now been passed down to the next generation of Royals.
A family of six
In 1960 Prince Andrew was born, followed by Prince Edward in 1964, completing the Queen's immediate family.
An animal lover
It is well known that the Queen is an animal lover, particularly of horses and dogs- she has owned more than 30 corgis throughout her time on the throne! Her love for horses has been passed down through the family, with Princess Anne riding in the 1976 Olympics, and her daughter, Zara Phillips, winning a Silver medal at London 2012 in the team event.
Diana's funeral
In August 1997, Diana, Princess of Wales was killed in a car accident in Paris. In the aftermath of her death, the Queen and the Royal family were criticized by the press and the public for their response. The Queen's refusal to lower the Royal Standard to half mast angered some of the British public. This was again due to Royal protocol; the Royal Standard only flies when the Queen is in residence at Buckingham Palace, but at the time of Diana's death the Queen was at Balmoral. The Queen broadcast a live televised statement in tribute to Diana, where she said that she "admired and respected" her former daughter-in-law. The statement was viewed as important as it was only the second time in the Queen's reign that she had delivered a special address to the public.
Meeting state dignitaries
Over the years, the Queen has met thousands of dignitaries from around the world. The Queen hosts state visits in order to help strengthen bonds and relationships with other countries. People invited to visit the Queen include Presidents, Prime Ministers and other Monarchs. State banquets are often held to welcome the visiting guest, where a member of the Royal family, often the Queen, is likely to make a speech in their honour.
Christmas message
Every year the Queen records a special Christmas message, often referred to as the Queen's speech, reflecting on the events of the past 12 months. It's a tradition that was initiated by her father in 1932 and a duty she has fulfilled every year of her reign bar one. In 1969, the Queen issued a statement instead of the usual Christmas broadcast due to concerns the Royal family had been in the spotlight too much following the documentary, entitled 'Royal Family', which had aired earlier in the year.
Diamond Wedding anniversary
The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh celebrated their Diamond Wedding anniversary in 2007. In a speech to mark their Golden Wedding celebrations in 1997, The Queen credited Philip with being her "strength and stay all these years."
Stamps and money
A portrait of the Queen features on British stamps, coins and English bank notes. The image of the Queen which features on the stamps and money has remained unchanged since 1967. Her profile faces left on postage stamps but to the right on coins. This is due to a tradition introduced by Charles II which means that the portraits on coins alternate the way they face with each Monarch. This means that when a new Monarch is coronated in Britain, their portrait will face left on coins, rather than right like Queen Elizabeth II.
The Queen's honours
The Queen has the right to give titles of honour to people in public recognition of their achievements or services. The general public can nominate people they believe are worthy of an honour, and recipients receive their awards from the Queen or a member of the Royal family during special ceremonies. There are two honours lists each year, the Queen's birthday honours list and the New Year's honours list. The lists are usually composed of well known figures as well as members of the general public.
Prince Philip dies aged 99
The Queen's husband Prince Philip died on the 9th April 2021. Due to social distancing rules at the time, The Queen had to sit on her own at the funeral in St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle. The Queen described the death of the Duke of Edinburgh as leaving "a huge void" in her life.
Longest reigning Monarch
The Queen is the UK's longest reigning monarch, but is the longest reigning female monarch in world history, surpassing Queen Victoria's 63-year reign in 2015.
The Platinum Jubilee
In 2022 the Queen celebrated the Platinum Jubilee, marking 70 years on the throne. Long weekends, events at the palace and street parties like the one pictured from 2012 were all part of the celebrations.
The Queen at Balmoral
Queen Elizabeth II posed in the waiting room at Balmoral, Scotland where she later greeted new Prime Minister Liz Truss. The photo was taken just two days before The Queen sadly passed away.
Now read:
The Queen's 73-year marriage to Prince Philip
Balmoral - The Queen's beloved Scottish summer holiday home
The Queen's lifelong love of horses