Queen’s funeral: Full guide to the gun carriage and the main procession

Thousands of members of the armed forces from the UK and abroad are preparing to take part in the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II – one of the grandest ceremonial events in living memory.

A procession involving the military, the Royal Family and those who have dedicated their lives to service of the Queen, will give the late monarch a final farewell full of pomp and pageantry ahead of her burial in Windsor.

Here’s everything you need to know about the main funeral cortege as reported by BBC

Military personnel from the UK and the Commonwealth will be marching through London and Windsor. They’ll be taking part in the processions, lining the route, providing guards of honour or undertaking other ceremonial duties.

The Queen, who was head of the armed forces and served as their commander-in-chief, had a close personal relationship with the military and they will accompany her coffin in three processions on its journey through London to Windsor Castle – its final resting place.

Hour-by-hour: How the day of the funeral will unfold
The first, and shortest, will take her coffin to Westminster Abbey for the funeral service, the second will transport her from the Abbey to Wellington Arch ready for her road journey to Windsor. Once in Windsor, her coffin will join a third procession to St George’s Chapel in the castle’s grounds.

But the main focus will be the second, the journey through central London after her funeral, when the cortege, led by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, will be made up of seven groups, each with its own band. Members of the armed services from the UK and the Commonwealth, the police and the NHS will also be involved. It is expected to leave the Abbey just after midday and last about 45 minutes.

The Queen’s coffin, topped with the Royal Standard and Imperial State Crown, will be at the centre of the procession carried on the State Gun Carriage of the Royal Navy. The carriage was last seen in 1979 for the funeral of Prince Philip’s uncle, Lord Mountbatten, and was used for the Queen’s father, George VI, in 1952.

She will be accompanied by the bearer party of the Grenadier Guards, the King’s Body Guards of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms, the Yeomen of the Guard and the Royal Company of Archers.

Senior members of the Royal Family, including the new King and his sons Prince William and Prince Harry, will follow behind.

They will be joined by members of the Royal Household.

Camilla, the Queen Consort, the Princess of Wales, the Countess of Wessex and the Duchess of Sussex will join the procession in cars.

The procession in full
Forward of the gun carriage 
Mounted Metropolitan Police • Royal Canadian Mounted Police • Bands of The Rifles and Brigade of Gurkhas • Representatives of the George Cross from Malta, the Royal Ulster Constabulary and the UK National Health Service

Representative detachments of Commonwealth forces: Territorial Air Force of New Zealand • Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment • The Corps of Royal New Zealand Engineers • Royal New Zealand Armoured Corps • Royal Regiment of New Zealand Artillery • Royal New Zealand Navy • Royal Australian Air Force Reserve • Royal Australian Army Nursing Corps • Royal Australian Army Ordnance Corps • Royal Australian Infantry Corps • Royal Australian Engineers • Royal Regiment of Australian Artillery • Royal Australian Navy • The Canadian Armed Forces Legal Branch • The Royal Canadian Air Force (Reserve) • The Calgary Highlanders • The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada • The 48th Highlanders of Canada • The North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment • The Royal New Brunswick Regiment • Le Regiment de Ia Chaudière • The Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders (Princess Louise’s) • The Canadian Grenadier Guards • Governor General’s Foot Guards • Royal 22e Regiment • The King’s Own Calgary Regiment (RCAC) The Governor General’s Horse Guards • The Royal Canadian Engineers • The Canadian Armed Forces Military Engineering Branch • The Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery

Representatives of the Royal Air Force: 603 (City of Edinburgh) Squadron Royal Auxiliary Air Force • Royal Auxiliary Air Force • Royal Air Force Marham • The Combined Bands of the Royal Air Force • Royal Air Force College, Cranwell • Royal Air Force Regiment

Representatives of the Army: The Honourable Artillery Company • Adjutant General’s Corps • British Army Bands Sandhurst and Colchester • The Queen’s Gurkha Engineers • The Royal Welsh • The Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment • The Royal Regiment of Scotland • Welsh Guards • Irish Guards • Scots Guards • Coldstream Guards • Grenadier Guards • Bands of the Irish Guards and Welsh Guards • Corps of Royal Engineers • Royal Regiment of Artillery • Royal Tank Regiment • The Royal Lancers • The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers and Greys)

Representatives of the Royal Navy: Royal Navy • Royal Marines • The Combined Bands of the Royal Marines

Defence advisers and staff of Her Majesty’s realms: Jamaica • New Zealand • Australia • Canada

Representative colonels of Commonwealth forces of which Her Majesty was Colonel-in-Chief

Chaplains of the armed forces: Principal Church of Scotland & Free Church Chaplain Royal Air Force • Principal Roman Catholic Chaplain Royal Air Force • Chaplain-in-Chief Royal Air Force • Deputy Chaplain General (Army) • Principal Roman Catholic Chaplain (Army) • Chaplain General (Army) • Principal Church of Scotland and Free Churches Chaplain (Royal Navy) • Principal Roman Catholic Chaplain (Royal Navy) • Chaplain of the Fleet

Representatives of forces of which the Queen was air commodore-in-chief • Representative Colonels Commandant, Colonels and Honorary Colonels of Her Majesty’s Regiments and Corps • Commandant General, Royal Marines • Representatives of Her Majesty’s ships • Commander Strategic Command • Vice Chief of the Defence Staff • Chief of the Air Staff • Chief of the General Staff • Chief of the Naval Staff • Chief of the Defence Staff • Drum Horse and State Trumpeter • 1st Division of the Sovereign’s Escort • ADC to the Major General Commanding the Household Division • Brigade Major Household Division • Major General Commanding the Household Division • Combined Bands of the Scots Guards and Coldstream Guards

Pursuivants and Heralds of Arms of Scotland: March • Linlithgow • Ormond • Rothesay • Falkland • Unicorn • Carrick • Marchmont

Pursuivants and Heralds of Arms of England: Portcullis • Rouge Dragon • Norfolk • Windsor • York • Bluemantle • Wales • Maltravers • Chester • Richmond

Kings of Arms: Norroy and Ulster King of Arms • Lord Lyon King of Arms • Clarenceux King of Arms • Lady Usher of the Black Rod • Garter King of Arms

The Earl Marshal • Bands of the Scots Guards and Coldstream Guards • Captain, the King’s Body Guard of the Yeoman of the Guard • Captain general, the King’s Body Guard for Scotland (Royal Company of Archers) (Gold Stick for Scotland) • Captain, His Majesty’s Body Guard of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms

Royal Household; Vice Chamberlain of the Household • Comptroller of the Household • Treasurer of the Household • Queen’s Gurkha Orderly Officer (x2) • Royal Waterman (x2) • Director of the Royal Collection • Comptroller Lord Chamberlain’s Office • Master of the Household • Keeper of the Privy Purse • Private secretary to the Queen • Master of the Horse • Lord Steward • Her Majesty’s Page (x2) • Her Majesty’s Palace Steward.

Behind the gun carriage:

Escort Party of the Household Cavalry

Royal Family: The Earl of Wessex and Forfar • The Duke of York • The Princess Royal • The King • Peter Phillips • The Duke of Sussex • The Prince of Wales • Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence • The Duke of Gloucester • The Earl of Snowdon

Royal Car 1: The Queen Consort • The Princess of Wales

Royal Car 2: The Duchess of Sussex • The Countess of Wessex and Forfar

Field officer in Brigade Waiting • Silver Stick in Waiting • Colonel Coldstream Guards • Gold Stick in Waiting • Adjutant in Brigade Waiting • Silver Stick Adjutant • Crown Equerry

Household of the King: Master of the Household • Equerry • Principal Private Secretary • Treasurer

Second division of the Sovereign’s escort

Representatives of Civilian Services: Merchant Navy • Royal Fleet Auxiliary • The Maritime Coastguard Agency • Police Services • Fire and Rescue Services • His Majesty’s Prison Services • Ambulance Service • British Red Cross • St John Ambulance • Royal Voluntary Service • Cadet forces

Rear: Mounted Metropolitan Police

Source: Buckingham Palace, the armed forces

Once the procession reaches Wellington Arch at Hyde Park Corner, at about 13:00 BST, the coffin will be transferred to the new State Hearse for its final journey to Windsor Castle.

Just after 15:00 BST, the hearse is expected to arrive for a walking procession up Windsor Castle’s Long Walk. The three-mile (5km) avenue will be lined with members of the armed forces.

The King and senior members of the Royal Family are expected to join the cortege in the Quadrangle in Windsor Castle a little later ready for the committal service and later burial at St George’s Chapel.

Culled from BBC