Prince George and Princess Charlotte will attend the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II tomorrow and walk to Westminster Abbey with their parents. The two brothers, second and third in line to the throne, will enter the church behind the coffin of Her Majesty.
The nine- and seven-year-olds will travel to church with their mother Kate, the Princess of Wales, and Camilla, the Queen Consort, by car. Later they will join their parents when they head to church for the hour-long service in memory of his great-grandmother.
The details were revealed on the eve of Her Majesty’s funeral, which millions of people across the country are expected to see and billions around the world.
Comes the same night that the King Carlos III thanked the public for their support after the death of his motherwhile Buckingham Palace released a new portrait showing Her Majesty.
The new monarch said that he and the queen consort are “deeply moved” while preparing the country to say the “last goodbye” to his mother.
Carlos will lead the funeral as two thousand world leaders, royals and foreign dignitaries throng the gothic church in central London.
In a heartfelt message issued by Buckingham Palace tonight, the King said he was moved by public response and the support they have given him since the death of his mother on Thursday, September 8.
Children will not walk along the processionin which William, Harry and their cousin Peter Phillips will walk side by side to Westminster Abbey.
However, when they arrive at the church, the two eldest children of the Prince and Princess of Wales will join their parents to follow the queen’s coffin inside. The Daily Mail understands that William and Kate thought “long and hard” about whether their two eldest children should join them.
But after George and Charlotte attended their great-grandfather’s funeral in March, William and Kate decided they could handle the solemnity of the occasion. Louis, the youngest of the couple, is only four years old and will not join.
“As parents, of course, you have thought a lot about whether your children should accompany you. Of course little Louis is too young, but they think George and Charlotte are up to the task,” a source said.
Tomorrow morning, the King’s Guard will begin their final vigil over the Queen’s coffin at 6am, with Westminster Hall closing at 8:30am. The gates to Westminster Abbey, just across the street, will open at 8 a.m. At 9 a.m.Big Ben will ring clearly before the bell’s hammer is covered with a thick leather pad to cushion the blows for the rest of the day.
At 10:35 a.m., the coffin will be transferred to a state carriage and taken to Westminster Abbey, where it will arrive at 10:52 a.m. Before the service, a bell will ring 96 times, reflecting the years of Queen Elizabeth’s life. The service, Buckingham Palace says, will pay tribute to the queen’s remarkable reign and lifelong service as head of state, nation and Commonwealth.
Queen Elizabeth II’s televised funeral will start at 11am (London time), led by the Dean of Westminster and the Archbishop of Canterbury. Hymns such as The Lord is my Shepherd and Divine Love will be sung. The lessons feature 1 Corinthians 15 20-26, 53-end and John 14 1-9a, with all aspects personally chosen by the queen.
ABC