King Tupou VI to attend State Funeral for Queen Elizabeth II [1]
Monday, September 12, 2022 - 15:04. Updated on Monday, September 12, 2022 - 15:42.
HM King Tupou VI will attend the State Funeral for Queen Elizabeth II to be held in London, United Kingdom, on Monday, 19 September.
The King's Private Secretary Sione Fifita confirmed this afternoon, that the King is scheduled to depart Tonga on Thursday, 15 September and represent Tonga at the State Funeral.
The King conveyed his message of condolence to the Royal Family on Friday 9 September, via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he confirmed.
State funeral arrangements
Meanwhile, Buckingham Palace has over the weekend, released the state funeral arrangements.
The State Funeral of Her Majesty The Queen will take place at Westminster Abbey on Monday, 19 September.
Prior to the funeral, the Queen will Lie-in-State in Westminster Hall for four days, to allow the public to pay their respects.
The Queen's coffin has left Balmoral Castle and arrived in Edinburgh after travelling by road, to the Palace of Holyroodhouse, where she will rest in the Throne Room until the afternoon of Monday 12 September.
A Procession will be formed on the forecourt of the Palace of Holyroodhouse to convey the coffin to St Giles' Cathedral, Edinburgh.
The King and Members of the Royal Family will take part in the Procession and attend a Service in St Giles’ Cathedral to receive the coffin, where it will be guarded by Vigils from The Royal Company of Archers, to allow the people of Scotland to pay their respects.
On the afternoon of Tuesday 13 September, the Queen's Coffin will travel from Scotland by Royal Air Force aircraft from Edinburgh Airport, arriving at RAF Northolt later that evening. The Coffin will be accompanied on the journey by the Princess Royal.
The Queen's Coffin will then be conveyed to Buckingham Palace by road, to rest in the Bow Room. On the afternoon of Wednesday 14 September, the Coffin will be borne in Procession on a Gun Carriage of The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery from Buckingham Palace to the Palace of Westminster, where the Queen will Lie-in-State in Westminster Hall until the morning of the State Funeral.
In London, the procession will travel via Queen’s Gardens, The Mall, Horse Guards and Horse Guards Arch, Whitehall, Parliament Street, Parliament Square and New Palace Yard. After the Coffin arrives at Westminster Hall, the Archbishop of Canterbury will conduct a short service assisted by the Very Reverend Dr David Hoyle, Dean of Westminster, and attended by the King and Members of the Royal Family, after which the Lying-in-State will begin.
During the Lying-in-State, members of the public will have the opportunity to visit Westminster Hall to pay their respects to The Queen. On the morning of Monday 19th September, the Lying-in-State will end and the Coffin will be taken in Procession from the Palace of Westminster to Westminster Abbey, where the State Funeral Service will take place.
Following the State Funeral, the coffin will travel in Procession from Westminster Abbey to Wellington Arch.
From Wellington Arch, the Coffin will travel to Windsor and once there, the State Hearse will travel in Procession to St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle via the Long Walk. A Committal Service will then take place in St George's Chapel.