The Duke and Duchess of Clarence

Chapter Five: Laying in State

14th of September 2022 - Buckingham Palace

That afternoon marked the final time that the Queen would be at her long-time home, her coffin adorned with the imperial state crown and flowers would travel in solemn procession to Westminster Hall. 

The symbolism and significance of the day could not be understated pulling together hundreds of years of tradition and pageantry; something that many had not seen in a lifetime, the world tuning in to watch the grieving royal family. 

For the second time that week, Charles would walk behind his mother's coffin and people were eager to see William and Harry together united in their grief in a scene that people hadn't seen in 25 years since their mother's passing. 

Thousands were already lining the procession route as well as gathering outside Westminster Hall, where the Queen would lay in state for four days with mourners already told they could be in line for up to thirty hours. 

It was essentially the handing over of the Queen's coffin from her family, the royal family, to the state which would see her coffin leave Buckingham Palace travel down the mall. 

The coffin would be drawn on a gun carriage, which would go down the Mall and then through Horse Guards which was the home for the Household Cavalry then it would move down Whitehall and finish up at around 3pm at the Palace of Westminster. 

There had been rehearsals carried out in advance late at night, nothing had been left to chance and the last state funeral that Westminster had held was that of Winston Churchill. 

The procession, as well as the other processions held later in London and in Windsor, marched at the funeral pace of 75 steps per minute and was accompanied by military bands playing marches by Johann Heinrich Walch, Felix Mendelssohn and Frédéric Chopin. 

The air inside Buckingham Palace was solemn with everyone preparing for them to leave the Palace, it would be the last time that the late Queen did so. 

The thirty-eight journey started promptly, the solemn music feeling like it was ringing out across London as the procession started to leave Buckingham Palace and Big Ben tolled each minute of the procession and minute guns were fired from Hyde Park by the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery.

Along the procession, members of the Queen's household could be seen walking to pay their respects to the late monarch that they had served loyally up until her dying breath and even now continued to serve her son. 

Passing under the arch below the balcony of Buckingham Palace, the Queen's coffin appeared under the cloudy skies of London; peace greeting her other than the solemn music that she had selected herself for the procession. 

The emotions of the crowd could be felt just stepping out of the palace; the sight of the royal family behind her coffin causing reports to take note of some surprise additions to the line-up. 

Charles, Anne, Andrew and Edward formed the first line behind their mother's coffin, the emotions of the day clear on each of their faces as they started to exit the palace gates. 

William, Harry, Adeline and Peter formed the line behind the children of the monarch; there had been much discussion behind the scenes but Adeline had wished to pay her respects this way to her grandmother. 

Anne and Adeline had both been unexpected additions, the procession usually for male relatives only but Charles had been quick to agree that his sister and his daughter could take part. 

In the third row were Anne's husband Tim Laurence, the Duke of Gloucester, and the Earl of Snowdon; with the Queen Consort, the Princess of Wales, the Duke of Clarence, the Duchess of Sussex and the Countess of Wessex were travelling to Westminster Hall by car.