Queen Elizabeth II to lie in state for four days before state funeral

Queen Elizabeth II on February 29, 2011 when she opened the refurbished East Wing of Somerset House, in London, England. [Eddie Mulholland, Getty Images]

The Queen will lie in state for four days before her funeral at Westminster Abbey on Monday, 19 September.

The public will be allowed to view the coffin during that time.

Before this the Queen will be at rest in St Giles Cathedral Edinburgh, for 24 hours from Monday 12 September, with people able to pay their respects.

Her family, politicians and world leaders will attend her state funeral at 11:00 BST on the day, which will be a bank holiday.

From Balmoral, Aberdeenshire, where she died, the Queen's oak coffin will move this Sunday to Edinburgh, making its way slowly to the Palace of Holyroodhouse for 16:00 BST.

On Monday afternoon, it will process to St Giles' Cathedral, Edinburgh, with members of the Royal Family. There will be a service and the coffin will rest here for 24 hours for people to pay their respects.

The following day Princess Anne will accompany her mother's body as it is flown back to London. The Queen's coffin will be taken from Edinburgh Airport to Buckingham Palace.

On Wednesday afternoon, it will be taken to Westminster Hall, arriving at 15:00 BST. Four clear days of lying in state will happen from Thursday, before the funeral.

The state funeral is at 11:00 on the 19th, with a procession up to Windsor Castle, including up Long Walk. The Queen will be laid to rest at King George VI Memorial Chapel at Windsor.

Ahead of the funeral the new King will visit Scotland Northern Ireland and Wales.

A period of national mourning will last until the day of the state funeral, the government has announced. The royal family will observe a further period of mourning for seven days afterwards.

Westminster Abbey is the historic church where Britain's kings and queens are crowned - but there has not been a monarch's funeral service there since the 18th Century. Funerals for the Queen's father, grandfather and great-grandmother, Queen Victoria, in the 1900s, were all held at St George's Chapel, Windsor.

Heads of state from across the world will be invited to join members of the Royal Family to remember the life and service of the Queen.

Senior UK politicians and current and former prime ministers are also expected at the televised service.

There is no obligation for organisers to cancel planned events on the day of the funeral but government guidance suggests organisers of sporting fixtures or pre-planned events may wish to adjust timings to avoid clashing with the service or processions.