journey of queen's coffin today

Queen Elizabeth II's coffin has arrived in Edinburgh. Here's the latest on Operation Unicorn

The hearse carrying Queen Elizabeth II's coffin has left Balmoral Castle, beginning a multi-day journey back to England.

The royal family has released details of the plan for the Queen's funeral, and it's full of tradition, protocol and logistics.

The plan for the Queen's death is code-named Operation London Bridge, but another plan called Operation Unicorn is taking place to transport her body from Balmoral Castle in Scotland.

Over the next 10 days, we will see the carefully choreographed plans swing into action.

A timeline of Operation Unicorn, and what comes next

September 8: Queen Elizabeth II dies at Balmoral

The Queen died at Balmoral Castle in north-east Scotland. It was her summer home and one of her favourite places .

Her coffin rested within the ballroom of the castle.

September 11: The Queen's body leaves Balmoral

The Queen's coffin has been driven to Edinburgh , and been placed in the throne room of the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

The cortege left Balmoral at 7pm AEST Sunday (10am local time) travelled through north-east Scotland with three main stops for dignitaries and the public to pay their respects.

The hearse first travelled east to nearby village Ballater, for a tribute attended by the Lord Lieutenants and senior dignitaries of Aberdeenshire.

An aerial view of a procession of seven black cars, including the hearse carrying the Queen.

The procession next arrived in the port city of Aberdeen about 9pm for another formal tribute.

It then travelled south to Dundee, arriving about 11.20pm.

After driving through Dundee's north, where the public stood along the Kingsway road to pay their respects, the cortege finally arrived in Edinburgh at 1.30am.

September 12: The Queen's body is taken to St Giles' Cathedral

On Monday afternoon a procession will take the Queen's coffin from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St Giles' Cathedral.

King Charles III and members of the royal family will take part in the procession, as well as a service at St Giles' to receive the coffin.

After the service, the people of Scotland will have the opportunity to come and pay their respects.

September 13: The Queen's coffin arrives in England

On Tuesday afternoon the Queen's coffin will fly from Edinburgh Airport on a Royal Air Force aircraft to RAF Northolt that evening.

The Queen's daughter, Princess Anne, will travel on the flight with her mother's coffin.

From Northolt, the coffin will be driven to Buckingham Palace to rest in the Bow Room.

September 14: The Queen's coffin arrives in Westminster

On Wednesday afternoon, a procession with the King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery, will take the coffin from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall.

The procession will pass The Mall, Horse Guards, Whitehall, Parliament Square and New Palace Yard before it arrives at Westminster Hall.

Once at Westminster, a service will be held by the Archbishop of Canterbury and the King and members of the royal family will attend.

The Queen's body will lie in state in Westminster Hall — where members of the public will be able to visit — for four days until the morning of the state funeral.

September 19: The Queen's funeral takes place

At 11am on Monday, September 19, the Queen's body will be taken from the Palace of Westminster to Westminster Abbey for the state funeral.

The Abbey is where the Queen had her coronation, and where she married Prince Philip.

The Queen's body will then be taken to St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle where she will be buried next to her husband, Prince Philip.

The pair will join the Queen's parents, King George VI and the Queen Mother, as well as the Queen's sister Princess Margaret.

Where are royal family members right now?

Earlier, King Charles and the Queen Consort were at St James's Palace in London where he was officially proclaimed as King.

His proclamation was witnessed by dignitaries and his son, Prince William .

King Charles III speaks as Camilla and Prince William look on at St James's Palace during his accession ceremony

The Queen's other three children — Anne , Edward and Andrew — and their families were still at Balmoral.

The group attended a short church service before walking back up to the gates of Balmoral Castle, thanking people who had gathered.

Members of the royal family wave next to floral tributes at castle gates.

Prince Andrew's appearance was notable because he had been largely excluded from royal duties after allegations of sexual assault.

Princes William and Harry , and their wives Catherine and Meghan , were earlier at Windsor Castle where they made a joint appearance to greet people at the gates.

Princess Catherine, Prince William, Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex wear black outside Windsor Castle.

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Queen's final journey - full route as coffin flown to London before 15-mile drive

Fans are expected to line the streets as the oak casket of Queen Elizabeth II continues its final journey towards London after flying 400 miles from Edinburgh Airport

21:35, 12 Sep 2022
Updated 07:39, 13 Sep 2022

Crowds of thousands will turn out on Tuesday as Queen Elizabeth II ’s coffin continues on its final journey to London.

The oak casket will land at RAF Northolt after flying 400 miles from Edinburgh Airport.

And fans will line the streets for the 15-mile journey to Buckingham Palace , where Her Late Majesty will rest for the evening as staff pay their respects.

At 2.22pm on Wednesday, the coffin will be taken on a gun carriage of The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery to the Palace of Westminster.

Accompanied by the sound of minute guns fired from Hyde Park by The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery, the cortege will make a trip past London landmarks.

It will travel via Queen’s Gardens, The Mall, Horse Guards and Horse Guards Arch, Whitehall, Parliament Street, Parliament Square and New Palace Yard.

The Queen will lie in state until 6.30am on the day of her state funeral on Monday.

Over a little less than five days, a million people are expected to visit Westminster Hall to pay their respects.

Queues could reach as long as five miles, while mourners are being warned to expect a wait of up to 30 hours.

Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan used a WhatsApp message to MPs to reveal the latest estimates.

Formal details of the queue – which will be open for 24 hours a day – will only be made public at 10pm tonight.

But some patriotic mourners dashed to London yesterday – more than two days before lines officially open at 5pm tomorrow.

Vanessa Nathakumaran, 56, from Harrow, arrived at noon yesterday.

The administrative assistant, who grew up in Sri Lanka before moving to the UK in the 1980s, said her great uncle, Sir Vaithilingam Duraiswamy, was knighted by King George VI.

Her daughter, Praveena, was an air cadet and once met the Queen.

Vanessa said she became interested in the Royal Family while working in London.

She added: “She was very devoted. She has done a service to our country, Britain, and also internationally and the Commonwealth.

“I respect her way of kindness, how she treats everyone equally, the religions and the communities. She sees everyone as equal.

“I really, really want to be part of it. I don’t want to miss it in case they control the crowds if (the queue) gets too long.”

Ms Nathakumaran is planning to have her daughters bring warm clothes and glucose bars to keep her energy up during the wait.

Her Late Majesty will be accompanied by the Princess Royal and her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, on her journey from Scotland this evening.

At Edinburgh Airport, her coffin will be conveyed on to an RAF C-17 by a bearer party, while The Royal Regiment of Scotland forms a guard of honour.

At RAF Northolt, The Queen’s Colour Squadron will convey the coffin to the state hearse, where it will travel to Buckingham Palace via the A40, Eastbourne Terrace, Lancaster Gate, Bayswater Road, Marble Arch, Park Lane, Hyde Park Corner and Constitution Hill.

Transport bosses warn London will experience “unprecedented travel demand”. Tube stations will have to temporarily close to avoid overcrowding and passengers are urged to avoid Green Park station.

Network Rail, Transport for London and the Rail Delivery Group said: “As Her Majesty’s coffin travels to London to lie in state, it is expected that we will see unprecedented travel demand in the capital, especially from Wednesday, September 14.”

A service will run on the Elizabeth line between Paddington and Abbey Wood on Sunday to ease pressure on the network.

That part of the line, which was opened by the Queen in May, is usually closed on Sundays.

Meanwhile, large numbers are expected to line the streets in Belfast and Royal Hillsborough as the King and Queen Consort visit Northern Ireland today.

MORE ON The Queen The Queen's funeral Buckingham Palace Anne, Princess Royal King George VI Marble Arch Commonwealth Edinburgh Airport Transport for London Royal Family Horses

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Queen's final journey explained as coffin's route revealed in full

Draped with the royal standard of scotland and with a wreath of flowers on top, the oak coffin has remained at rest in the balmoral ballroom until now.

09:45, 11 SEP 2022
Updated 12:29, 11 SEP 2022

The Queen’s coffin will begin its journey to its final resting place today when it travels from Balmoral to Edinburgh.

Draped with the Royal Standard of Scotland and with a wreath of flowers on top, the oak coffin has remained at rest in the Balmoral ballroom, where Her Majesty danced as a young girl , so the late monarch’s loyal Balmoral estate workers can say their last goodbyes.

Also in attendance have been three of the Queen's children and many of her grandchildren, who have taken the chance for a private goodbye before the very public spectacle of their mother's funeral.

Alluding to this, a tearful Prince Andrew told wellwishers after a prayer service on Sunday : "We've been allowed one day, now we start the process of handing her on. It's nice to see you, thank you for coming."

That "handing over" will follow a route years in the planning, giving the Queen's subjects the chance to pay their respects.

The Queen's coffin has until today remained at Balmoral where her closest family members have said their goodbyes - here are pictured Princess Anne, her children, Zara and Peter, Prince Andrew and his daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie

The cortege will leave Balmoral castle on Royal Deeside – where the Queen died on Thursday – at 10am this morning.

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the “poignant” journey, which will see the Queen’s coffin transported to the Palace of Holyroodhouse, would give the public a chance to come together to “mark our country’s shared loss”.

Wellwishers are expected to gather along the route the cortege will take as it travels from Balmoral to the Scottish capital.

It will first head to the nearby town on Ballater, where it is expected at approximately 10.12am.

It is then expected to arrive in Aberdeen about an hour later, with tributes expected to be paid in the city’s Duthie Park. Travelling south along the A90, it will then arrive in Dundee at about 2pm.

In Edinburgh, Ms Sturgeon and other party leaders in Scotland are expected to observe the coffin as it goes past the Scottish Parliament.

From there it will be taken into the Palace of Holyroodhouse, where it will remain for the night.

After the coffin arrives at the Palace of Holyroodhouse on Sunday, it will rest in the Throne Room until the afternoon of Monday.

It will then travel in a procession to St Giles’ Cathedral, Edinburgh, along the Royal Mile with the King and the late Queen’s other children the Princess Royal, the Duke of York and the Earl of Wessex following behind on foot, along with Anne’s husband Admiral Sir Tim Laurence.

Camilla, now Queen Consort, and the Countess of Wessex will follow by car and also attend the service in St Giles’.

The Crown of Scotland will be placed on the coffin as it is carried inside. There, she will lie at rest until Tuesday – the first opportunity for the public to pay their respects.

On Tuesday evening, Princess Anne will accompany her mother’s body on an RAF flight back to London and on to Buckingham Palace, to be greeted by Charles and Camilla.

On Wednesday at 2.22pm, adorned with the Imperial State Crown, the coffin will be taken in procession on a Gun Carriage of the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery to the Palace of Westminster, where she will lie in state in Westminster Hall for four days.

Hundreds of thousands of mourners are expected along the route of the silent procession, similar to the state funeral of the Queen's father, King George VI, in 1952.

Once at Westminster Hall the Queen will lie in state in a closed coffin and members of the public can file past, saying their final goodbyes.

The Queen will remain here until 6.30am on Monday September 19, when the coffin will be taken to Westminster Abbey for her state funeral.

After the funeral she will travel to Windsor Castle, where she will be laid to rest in St George’s Chapel alongside her beloved late husband, Prince Philip.

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Australia explorer laid to rest in village

A 19th Century explorer credited with mapping and naming Australia has been laid to rest in the village of his birth.

The final journey of Capt Matthew Flinders ended with his reburial in Donington, Lincolnshire, earlier.

His descendants were joined by the Bishop of Lincoln and dignitaries from Australia and Mauritius – where he was held captive during the Napoleonic wars – for a service at the Church of St Mary and the Holy Rood.

Capt Flinders died in 1814, but the exact location of his burial was lost in the mid-1800s. His remains were rediscovered in 2019 during work on the HS2 railway near Euston station in London.

Royal Navy pallbearers carried Capt Flinders' coffin and the occasion included an 18-gun salute.

Charles Flinders Lucas, a descendant, travelled from Australia to attend the ceremony.

He said: "It's a very overpowering experience. To have the church bells in the background and meet people that are part of my family is an extraordinary experience.

"We've been waiting for this moment for quite a few years."

Capt Flinders became the first known person to navigate around the entire coast of Australia, confirming it as a continent.

He is also credited with giving Australia its name. Though he was not the first to use the term, his work popularised its use.

On a return voyage to Britain in 1803, he was arrested by French authorities in Mauritius and held captive for six years.

Daryl Slater travelled to Lincolnshire from Perth, Western Australia, to witness the ceremony.

"I've had an interest in history and particularly Flinders since I was a boy," he said.

"Many years ago I was in Sydney with my father and saw the statue of Matthew Flinders' cat Trim on a windowsill in Macquarie Street. From there I grew and read and understood more."

Mr Slater said Donington had made an "outstanding" effort, including decorations representing Australia, Capt Flinders and exploration. "It's a credit to the village," he added.

The "grand send-off" for Capt Flinders took years to prepare after a "Bring Him Home" campaign led by villager Jane Pearson.

Church bells began ringing at 10:00 BST and villagers staged a party in Flinders Park. At 14:00, the coffin was carried through the village, passing by Navy standards and a guard of honour.

Following the reburial service, Capt Flinders' coffin was lowered into a grave prepared within the church. The events were due to end with a firework display at 22:30.

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Where you can see Queen's coffin as it travels through London

Tuesday 13 September 2022 20:00, UK

After lying at rest overnight, the Queen has left Scotland for the final time and her coffin has been flown to London.

Mourners paid their respects at St Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh until around 3.30pm on Tuesday.

Her journey to London began with the cortege making its way to Edinburgh Airport through the Scottish capital.

Read more: Guidance for Queen's lying in state All Queen's children together for first time behind coffin Former soldier is first in line to view Queen's coffin

Cammy Day, the leader of Edinburgh's council, said the city will "look back with immense pride at the role we've played in hosting these momentous events as the world looked on".

He added: "As we say farewell to Her Majesty, and welcome our new sovereign King Charles III, I want to pay tribute to the incredible support shown by the public and our communities over the past few days, truly capturing the spirit of the Queen and her connection to Scotland and Edinburgh."

The journey to London

The coffin received a guard of honour from the Royal Regiment of Scotland at Edinburgh Airport, as well as a royal salute from the regiment's band and a verse of the national anthem.

The flight to RAF Northolt in northwest London took off shortly after 5.30pm.

Upon arrival, the coffin was removed from the plane by a bearer party into the state hearse, with a guard of honour formed by the Queen's Colour Squadron.

Mourners have gathered to see the convoy head eastwards from Northolt along the A40 until Paddington.

From there, the hearse was set to travel to Bayswater Road, past Marble Arch and down Park Lane.

The cortege was then due to make its way down Constitution Hill and through the Centre Gate of Buckingham Palace.

The coffin will rest in the Bow Room overnight, and on Wednesday will be moved to Westminster Hall to lie in state, where hundreds of thousands of mourners are expected to file past until Monday morning - the day of the Queen's funeral.