Queen Elizabeth II's funeral on Sept 19 at Westminster Abbey
Elizabeth, the nation's longest-reigning sovereign, died Thursday at her summer retreat in the Scottish Highlands.
It will then likely travel in procession to Edinburgh's St Giles' Cathedral where the Queen will lie in rest before being moved down to London. We don't yet know exactly how the coffin will travel south; routes are available by both rail and air.Prior to the funeral, the Queen will Lie-in-State in Westminster Hall for four days, to allow the public to pay their respects, according to a release from the royal family.
The Queen Mother was the most recent member of the royal family to lie in state in the hall in 2002. On that occasion, her grandsons -- Prince Charles, Prince Andrew, Prince Edward and Viscount Linley -- took part in the guard, in what is unofficially called "The Vigil of the Princes." We're still a few days away from a guest list, but heads of state and dignitaries from around the world will likely make their way to the British capital to celebrate the Queen's life and 70-year service to the nation. Other familiar faces will be some of the Queen's 15 former prime ministers and senior lawmakers.
The tradition of the sailors began at Queen Victoria's state funeral in January 1901. According to the royal family's official website: "The horses that were supposed to pull the gun-carriage became restless standing in the cold and were behaving in a dangerous manner, so ... a team of sailors took over the task of pulling the gun carriage to St. George's Chapel."
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