Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II to be held on September 19 in London
The ceremony, which will take place at Westminster Abbey, is expected to be attended by world leaders
The funeral of British Queen Elizabeth II , who died this week after 70 years of reign, will take place on Monday, September 19, at 10 am local time (6 am GMT), an official said on Saturday (10). English senior who is in charge of State occasions.
The coffin will be taken from Balmoral Castle to Edinburgh next Sunday (11), before being transported to London on Tuesday (12). Afterwards, it will be on display in Westminster Hall from Wednesday (15) until the morning of the funeral, which will take place at Westminster Abbey in London.
"We will carry out our duty in the coming days with a broken heart, but also with the firmest determination to ensure a proper farewell to one of the defining figures of our times," said Earl Marshal Edward Fitzalan-Howard, the Duke of Norfolk.
The ceremony is expected to be attended by world leaders and King Charles III declared the date to be a national holiday.
Elizabeth II's body currently lies in an oak coffin covered with the Royal Standard of Scotland and a wreath in the ballroom of Balmoral Castle.
The UK prepares for the "biggest police and protection operation" in its history on the occasion of the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.
Police are preparing to ensure the safety of those present, including kings and world political leaders. Millions of people are expected in London for the first state funeral since 1965, when Winston Churchill, the British prime minister who ruled the country during World War II, died.
Officially scheduled for September 19, the ceremony will take place at Westminster Abbey, in the heart of the capital, at 11:00 am (07:00 GMT).
A sign of the importance of this historic moment, Japanese Emperor Naruhito will be able to make his first trip abroad since his arrival on the Chrysanthemum throne in 2019, according to the press.
"This will probably be the biggest police and protection operation the UK has ever mounted," Nick Aldworth, former national coordinator of the anti-terror police, told The Independent newspaper.
"It only takes one car, one person who does something abominable and not only will it stop a constitutional event, but there will be injuries and deaths," he added.
Aldworth noted that the next few days after the Queen's death will take place in a "very different world of threats" compared to previous royal funerals, such as the Queen Mother's in 2002 and Princess Diana's five years earlier.
The UK has been the target of several terrorist attacks over the past decade, including a series of jihadist attacks in London, Manchester and other cities.
MI5's security services place the current national threat level at 'substantial', at the center of a five-tier rating that ranges from 'low' to 'critical'.
London's Metropolitan Police said on Friday that it had already begun drawing up "well-rehearsed" plans for the period of national mourning, which will culminate in the funeral of the longest-serving monarch.
"We will keep people safe with highly visible patrols across London" in "key places" such as transport hubs, parks and around royal residences, he said.
Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Stuart Cundy said "the comprehensive police plan" would be most visible in Westminster, where Parliament, Abbey and Buckingham Palace are located.
British police already have experience in managing major events such as the COP26 climate conference held in 2021 in Glasglow and the 2012 London Olympics.
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