Queen’s coffin at Westminster Hall in the House of Parliament Complex for final journey

London : King Charles III and his sons, Princes William and Harry, joined a sombre procession as the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II left Buckingham Palace in London on Wednesday, on its final journey to be conveyed to Westminster Hall in the Houses of Parliament complex for Lying-in-State until the state funeral at Westminster Abbey nearby on Monday.

At 2.22 pm local time, the coffin placed on a horse-drawn gun carriage of the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery began its ceremonial procession of under two kilometres to the Palace of Westminster.

Thousands lined the route of the procession, which went past the Mall towards the Palace of Westminster by the river Thames.

The coffin will be received at Westminster Hall by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Most Reverend Justin Welby, to conduct a short service assisted by the Very Revd Dr David Hoyle, the Dean of Westminster. This ceremony will be joined by other members of the royal family as well before the coffin is placed on a catafalque, or raised platform.

As the Lying-in-State stage of the ceremony begins, a continuous vigil will be mounted by officers of the Household Division, the King’s Bodyguards of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms, The King’s Bodyguard for Scotland, the Royal Company of Archers and the Yeomen of the Guard.

Westminster Hall will then open from 5 pm local time to the many thousands queuing since Monday evening to begin filing past the coffin to pay their respects to the late monarch.