In the early hours of Tuesday morning, thousands of soldiers in ceremonial uniform gathered at Buckingham Palace for the practice run of the Queen’s official procession, which will take place on Wednesday September 13. Many of central London's streets were closed off for the massive operation and there were only a few onlookers present on the streets to witness it.
At around 4am this morning, soldiers carried a black replacement coffin on a gun carriage and marched from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall, where the Queen's body will lie in state until her funeral on Monday. A horse-drawn carriage was also led by the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery along the route, with people standing in for the members of the royal family who are expected to walk behind the coffin tomorrow.
The horses that will accompany the Queen's coffin on Wednesday have been put through special training for the funeral procession, including how to handle loud noises, drums and people sobbing, as well as flowers and flags being thrown onto the procession. Today's practice will be followed by another rehearsal on Thursday morning for the funeral’s 4,500-strong military parade, according to the Guardian.
The Queen’s body will be flown from Edinburgh to London this evening and brought to the Bow Room at Buckingham Palace where it will remain overnight. The real procession will happen tomorrow, Wednesday 14 September, where the coffin will be carried from Buckingham Palace to lie in state at Westminster Hall until the morning of the Queen’s funeral on Monday.
It is planned that the coffin will leave Buckingham Palace at 2.22pm tomorrow and arrive at Westminster Hall at 3pm. The procession will travel via Queen’s Gardens, the Mall, Horse Guards and Horse Guards Arch, Whitehall, Parliament Street, Parliament Square and New Palace Yard.
Everything you need to know about seeing the Queen's body lying in state.
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