Buckingham Palace to Enter 10 Days of Mourning Following Queen Elizabeth II’s Passing

Buckingham Palace is set to undergo a period of mourning lasting 10 days following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

This morning, the royal family announced the passing of the Queen at the age of 96.

According to an official statement from the palace, Queen Elizabeth peacefully passed away at Balmoral this afternoon.

The King and the Queen consort will remain at Balmoral for the evening and will return to London tomorrow.

In the coming days, the newly appointed King Charles III is expected to travel back to London to meet with officials and finalize the funeral arrangements, which are scheduled to take place in 10 days' time.

The funeral itself is anticipated to be a grand affair, but the Queen's final resting place will be the King George VI Memorial Chapel at Windsor Castle.

Interestingly, even Wallace Simpson had the decency not to attend King George VI's funeral.

With this in mind, one wonders if Rachel Ragland will choose to stay away from the funeral now that the inevitable has occurred.

King George VI was the first monarch to be laid to rest in the chapel, and it is also the burial site of Elizabeth's mother.

Additionally, Princess Margaret, the first member of the royal family to be cremated, has her ashes interred there between her parents.

Prince Philip, who passed away earlier this year in April, was laid to rest at the royal vaults in St George's Chapel.

However, it is likely that he will be moved to be buried beside the Queen.

Before the burial takes place, the Queen's coffins will travel through Scotland and England, allowing mourners to pay their respects.

The coffin will journey by road from Balmoral to the palace of Holyroodhouse before being taken to St Giles' Cathedral for a private service attended by the royal family.

Following the service, the cathedral will be open to the public for 24 hours, allowing for a period of lying at rest.

It is important to note that this is not a state funeral, nor is it referred to as lying in state.

Subsequently, the coffin will be flown to London in preparation for the state funeral.

This marks the beginning of the grand ceremonial event.

The coffin will be transported by carriage from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall, where it will lie in state for five days.

Upon arrival, a brief service will be held, likely attended by members of the Privy Council.

During this lying in state period, the public will have the opportunity to pay their respects.

Westminster Hall will remain open for 23 hours a day to accommodate the influx of mourners.

It is expected that foreign royal families and heads of state will arrive during this time to attend the funeral.

On the day of the funeral, a magnificent procession will carry the Queen's coffin to Westminster Abbey.

The service itself is estimated to last an hour, followed by a nationwide two-minute silence.

Notably, Prince Harry arrived at Balmoral approximately an hour and a half after the announcement of his grandmother's passing.

While he had recently spent time in the UK, it is unclear if he had visited Balmoral in the days leading up to her death.

This event signifies the end of a challenging chapter in the relationship between the Queen and her grandson, as well as his wife Meghan Markle.

In a poignant gesture, the couple cleared their Archwell website of all content, leaving only a black home screen with a single message written in white: “In loving memory of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, 1926-2022.”

Over the years, a bitter family feud has unfolded following the couple's decision to reside in the US, leaving Harry at odds with his once beloved brother and father.