What is lying in state? How and when to visit the Queen’s coffin following her passing

Her coffin arrived at Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh on Sunday evening following a 6-hour hearse journey from Balmoral.

The slow journey allowed mourners across the route to come out and pay their respects to the deceased monarch.

The Queen will lie in state at Edinburgh’s St Giles Cathedral to allow the public to pay their respects, before lying in state for 4 days in Westminster Hall.

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When can you visit the Queen lying in state?

The Queen will lie in state in Edinburgh on Monday, September 12.

A queuing system will be in place with security checks and restrictions on mobile phones.

Photography and recording are strictly prohibited.

Members of the public who wish to pay their respects have been warned they face long waits due to the anticipated demand.

On Tuesday, September 13 the Queen’s coffin will be flown from Edinburgh to RAF Northolt. From Wednesday, she will lie in state for “four clear days” in Westminster Hall until the morning of Monday, September 19.

More information on how to visit Her Majesty as she lies in state is to follow.

However, Sky News reports it is expected that people will have a chance to see the Queen lying in state for 23 hours of the four days she is there.

The Archbishop of Canterbury will conduct a short service following the coffin’s arrival and thousands of people are expected to file past the coffin on its catafalque and pay their respects.

Senior royals are also expected to pay their own moving tribute, standing guard at some stage around the coffin – the tradition known as the Vigil of the Princes.

Information on how to visit the Queen as she lies in state will be available on the UK Parliament website here. 

Queen Elizabeth II's coffin as it leaves Balmoral (PA) (Image: PA)

What does lying in state mean?

Lying in state refers to the formal occasion when a coffin is placed on view to allow the public to pay their respects before a funeral service.

Lying in state is given to the Sovereign, as Head of State, the current or past Queen Consort and sometimes former Prime Ministers.

The last lying in state was the Queen Mother in 2002. An estimated 200,000 people visited the Queen Mother during this time.

What happens during a lying in state?

In the lying in state period, the deceased’s coffin will rest on a raised platform in the middle of Westminster Hall.

Each corner of the platform will be guarded around the clock by units from the Sovereign's Bodyguard, Foot Guards or the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment.

Members of the public are free to file past the platform and pay their respects.

The Queen's life in pictures

When is the Queen’s funeral?

It has officially been announced that the Queen’s funeral will take place at Westminster Abbey on Monday, September 19 at 11am.

The Earl Marshal, the Duke of Norfolk confirmed the news on Saturday.

Prior to the funeral, the Queen will lie in state for “four clear days” in Westminster Hall from Wednesday, September 14, a senior palace official said.