As the nation remains in an official mourning periodfollowing the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, the nation has reacted with an outpouring of emotion. Thousands have gathered at historical Royal landmarks to lay flowers and pay their respects to a much-adored and respected woman.
Many people are also wondering where exactly to go to pay tribute to Her Majesty. Buckingham Palace released an official statement on their websiteexplaining mourning and condolence arrangements at the many Royal residences.
The statement read, 'Following the death of Her Majesty The Queen, it is His Majesty The King's wish that a period of Royal mourning is observed from now until seven days after the Queen's funeral. The date of the Funeral will be confirmed in due course.' (The Queen's funeral has now been confirmed for Monday September 19.)
'Royal Mourning will be observed by Members of the Royal Family, Royal Household staff and Representatives of the Royal Household on official duties, together with troops committed to Ceremonial Duties.' The statement went on to detail all the Royal residences where the public can pay respect.
It has been reported that there has been a lot of over-crowding at many of these venues. London commuters have been told to expect 'unprecedented travel demand' as people travel into the city to pay their respects to the Queen, with some Tube stations already closed. So, we have also outlined alternative ways to pay respect virtually; we have also outlined where and how to watch the proceedings. Here is everything you need to know.
Places to pay respect to The Queen
The Queen lying in state at Westminster Hall
The Queen’s coffin will lie in state in Westminster Hall from Wednesday until the day of her funeral next Monday 19 September. Westminster Hall is open to the public to pay respects to the Queen. The government has set out guidelines on how people should behave when they are paying their respects to the Queen, including what to wear inside the Palace of Westminster.
Mourners are asked to 'dress appropriately for the occasion to pay your respects.' Clothes with any kind of 'political or offensive slogans' are banned. 'Please respect the dignity of this event and behave appropriately. You should remain silent while inside the Palace of Westminster,' it said.
There are airport-style security checks for those who want to pay their respects. Flowers, candles, flags, photos, blankets, folding chairs and camping equipment are all banned, authorities have said. It has also been reported that no liquids are permitted inside, so leave your lipglosses and aerosols at home. Only one small bag is permitted per person.
The starting point for the queue for mourners was a park next to Tower Bridge. The queue then moves the length of the South Bank of the Thames, passing London Bridge, Blackfriars Bridge, the Globe Theatre, Tate Modern and the London Eye. The government has said in its guidance that 'the queue is expected to be very long. You will need to stand for many hours, possibly overnight, with very little opportunity to sit down, as the queue will keep moving.' It added, 'Please consider this before you decide to attend or bring children with you.'
As of the morning of Friday September 16, entrance to the queue had been paused; find more details via the official tracker here.
When does the Queen's lying in state end?
The Queen's lying in state ends at 6:30 am on Monday, the day of her funeral. So, this is the last weekend to pay your respects to the Queen inside Westminster Hall. After this she will be escorted to Westminster Abbey for the funeral.
Buckingham Palace
At Buckingham Palace members of the public are guided to lay floral tributes at dedicated sites in Green Park or Hyde Park. Flowers left outside the gates of Buckingham Palace will be moved to the Green Park Floral Tribute Garden by The Royal Parks.
Windsor Castle
At Windsor Castle, floral tributes can be left at Cambridge Gate on the Long Walk. These flowers are brought inside the Castle every evening, and placed on the Castle Chapter grass on the south side of St George's Chapel and Cambridge Drive.
The Queen's main residence was Windsor Castle, which is where Her Majesty lived with her late husband Prince Philip before his passing in 2021.
Sandringham Estate
At the Sandringham Estate, members of the public are encouraged to leave floral tributes at the Norwich Gates.
Sandringham House has been the Christmas home of the British Royal Family for decades. The Queen used to reside at Sandringham House from mid-December until February 6, the anniversary of her father's death, every year.
Balmoral Castle
At Balmoral Castle, where the Queen sadly passed, floral tributes can left at the Main Gate.
Balmoral Castle in Scotland was known as the holiday home of Queen Elizabeth II.
The Palace of Holyroodhouse
At the Palace of Holyroodhouse, members of the public are encouraged to give floral tributes to the Wardens at the entrance to The Queen's Gallery. Those flowers will be laid on the Forecourt grass in front of the North Turret of the Palace.
The Palace of Holyroodhouse was the official residence of the Queen in Scotland.
Hillsborough Castle
At Hillsborough Castle, floral tributes may be laid on the Castle Forecourt, in front of the main gates.
Hillsborough Castle is Northern Ireland's only Royal residence.
Can I sign Queen Elizabeth II's official condolences book?
To avoid the large crowds, signing this online condolences book is another alternative. While there is no physical book the public can go and sign, there is a virtual one. Those wishing to offer their condolences can do so at the official Royal Family website here, clicking the burgundy tab on the right-hand side of the page that reads 'Book of Condolence.' On the website the public can share memories and thoughts of what the Queen meant to them.
How can I watch the Queen's funeral?
On Monday 19 September, the Queen's funeralwill be held. The date will be marked as an official bank holiday by request of King Charles III. Being a state funeral, both services at Westminster Abbey and St George's Chapel in Windsor will be aired. So, the event can be followed on TV, radio and even on public screens around the country.
Can I go to the Queen's funeral?
No. While the public will be permitted to follow the funeral procession, only invited guests will be actually allowed into the private service. Therefore, watching the funeral on TV is the next best thing to pay your final respects.
What time will the Queen's funeral air on TV?
The duties will start from 6:30am, with the actual service at Westminster Abbey starting at 11am. The second service is a committal service at St George's Chapel in Windsor from 4pm. This will also be broadcast on TV.
What is a committal service?
The committal is the moment in which you say your final goodbye to your loved one before they are buried or cremated. An officiant will lead the ceremony, and many committal services include poems, prayers, readings or music to create a more personal moment.
What channels can I watch the Queen's funeral on?
The BBC's special programming will air from 8am until 5pm. This will be shown across BBC One, BBC News and iPlayer, with BSL coverage on BBC Two.
Sky News will broadcast their live coverage of the proceedings throughout the day on Sky News and the Sky News app, Youtube and Freeview.
Finally, on ITV, special programming will begin at 9:30am following the funeral service at Westminster Abbey and the mile-long military procession where they escort Her majesty through the streets of London. They will also air the Queen's final journey to Windsor and the second committal service.
Who will be presenting the funeral coverage on TV?
BBC have announced their roster includes presenters Huw Edwards, Fergal Kane, Kirsty Edwards and David Dimbleby among other leading the coverage.
ITV's coverage will be headed by Tom Bradby and Julie Etchingham, alongside evening news presenter Mary Nightingale taking the reins from Westminster Abbey. Royal Editor Chris Sharp will also divide his time between London and Windsor.
Where are the showing the Queen's funeral on big screens in London?
Hyde Park
There will be a big screen to watch the Queen's funeral from in the Royal park next to Buckingham Palace. Entrance to the viewing area will open from 11am. People are admitted in order of arrival time. It is expected to get very busy. So, do travel early to avoid disappointment.
So far, Hyde Park is the only park confirmed to have a screening site in London. More screen sites could become available closer to the day of the funeral.
Cinemas
Cinema chains Curzon, The Arc and Vue have said they will be screening the event for free. Cinemas including Odeon, Cineworld, Picturehouse, The Light and Showcase, however, will all be closed on Monday out of respect to the Queen.
This is a free event but pre-booking your seat is essential. There will be no other shows taking place while the funeral is broadcast.
Where can I watch the Queen's funeral in Windsor?
The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead council said there would be public viewing areas on The Long Walk in Windsor for the committal, along with viewing screens to watch the service in Westminster Abbey.
Transport disruptions
Transport bosses from Network Rail and TFL have advised commuters that planning journeys will be 'essential' due to the exceptionally busy capital in the wake of Queen Elizabeth's passing.
The organisations said, 'As Her Majesty's coffin travels to London to lie in state at the Palace of Westminster, it is expected that we will see unprecedented travel demand in the capital, especially from Wednesday 14 September. Transport providers have well-developed plans with extra staff and services coming on-stream to help people get to where they need to be.'
London Underground passengers are urged to avoid Green Park station 'if possible' due to 'high numbers of customers passing through. It is the nearest station to Buckingham Palace, but other nearby options include Victoria, Piccadilly Circus and St James' Park. A special service will run on the Elizabeth line railway between London's Paddington and Abbey Wood on Sunday to ease the pressure on other parts of the transport network.'
Extra transport services
A number of rail providers have announced they'll be laying on extra services for mourners returning home after paying their respects in London. South Western, Southeastern and Greater Anglia are among the operators who are providing extra trains out of the city late at night during the 12 days of mourning. It has also been confirmed that instead of the normal reduced bank holiday services, trains next Monday will run to a normal timetable.
A spokesperson for Network Rail said, 'The rail industry is doing all it can to ensure people can travel to pay their respects during the period of mourning.
'Where possible, we will be running some extra services, including a very limited service operating through the night on some routes, and postponing engineering work. Customers should check journey planners for the most up-to-date information.'