Ready for Her Majesty's final parade: Troops stage dawn rehearsal as details of funeral route released
13 September 2022, 09:04 | Updated: 13 September 2022, 10:15
An early morning rehearsal has taken place for the procession of the Queen's coffin to Westminster Hall.
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The coffin will arrive in London from Scotland on Tuesday evening, and will remain in the Bow Room at Buckingham Palace overnight before being taken to lie in state at Westminster Hall from Wednesday.
Thousands of soldiers in ceremonial uniform gathered at Buckingham Palace in the early hours of Tuesday for the practice run.
Read more: Scotland's final goodbye: Mourners bid farewell to Queen before she leaves country for the last time
Read more: Live updates: Thousands file past Queen's coffin overnight before she travels to London on Tuesday
The early-morning rehearsal saw the horse-drawn carriage of the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery being led along the route.
A black coffin was placed on the gun carriage and, at around 4am, the procession was ordered to march.
Many of central London's streets were sealed off for the massive operation.
The real procession begins at 2.22pm on Wednesday, and it will last 38 minutes.
King Charles III, members of the royal family and senior staff of the Queen and King's households are expected to walk behind the coffin.
The rehearsal, which took place before the sun came up, saw people standing in for them.
Given the time, only a few onlookers were present for the military spectacular, with some finding themselves there by chance.
The Government confirmed the route this morning.
The coffin will proceed along The Mall, Horse Guards Road, across Horse Guards Parade and onto Whitehall to Parliament Square and into the Palace of Westminster.
Dedicated ceremonial viewing areas will be set up along the route to allow the public to pay their respects.
These will be at the Green Park side of The Mall; the St James’s Park side of The Mall and Horse Guards Road; Horse Guards Parade ground; Whitehall (West), Parliament Street (West), and Great George Street; Whitehall (East), Parliament Street (East), and Bridge Street.
A screening site is also being erected in Hyde Park, where the ceremonial procession will be shown on large screens. This also begins from 11am.
Recommended access to the screening site is from the north side of Hyde Park, from Marlborough Gate to Marble Arch.
A small group were camping outside Buckingham Palace and witnessed the rehearsal.
John Lowell, from Streatham, south London, said he was "devastated" by the news of the Queen's death, adding: "We are all broken-hearted.
"I can't take it in."
His friend, Sky London, said they have been camping since Thursday "so we can get a good view of things" and insisted they will not leave until after the funeral, so that they can pay their "respects".
He added: "Ten days (of camping) against a 70-year reign is only a fraction."
People have been warned not to wait or camp along the route where the Queen's coffin will be taken for the lying in state.
Viewing areas along the route with limited capacity will open at 11am on the day, with people admitted in order of arrival time amid expected long queues, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) said.
Read more: Army of volunteers descend on Green Park to clear plastic from floral tributes left for the Queen
The Queen's coffin will remain in Westminster Hall until Monday, when it will be taken in procession from the Palace of Westminster to Westminster Abbey for the state funeral service.
Members of the public will have the opportunity to visit Westminster Hall to pay their respects during the lying in state but security staff said the queue is likely to snake for miles, potentially all the way along the River Thames to Tower Bridge.
