Horses, nighttime rehearsals and heads of state: The Queen’s funeral in numbers

On Monday 19 September, the folks of this nation will witness what is anticipated to be the most important funeral in nationwide historical past, and one which has been meticulously deliberate for over 50 years.

Preliminary plans for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II have been within the works because the Nineteen Sixties, when Her Majesty would have been in her thirties, lower than a decade after her coronation. King Charles III, then Prince Charles, would have been simply a young person.

And it’s not simply the Royal Household concerned in mapping out the preparations – many individuals have privately identified of those plans, and even helped in drawing them up, for over half a century.

The in depth planning includes consulting a number of authorities departments, the Church of England, Metropolitan Police Service, British Armed Forces, the media, the Royal Parks, London boroughs, the Better London Authority and Transport for London.

Including to that, the plans had been up to date 3 times a yr to account for each doable circumstance. There was even an in depth plan for proceedings if the Queen occurred to die in Scotland, as she finally did, codenamed “Operation Unicorn”.

And all of it culminates right this moment. The nation will come to a standstill out of respect for our longest reigning monarch, with hospitals cancelling appointments, colleges shutting their doorways and greater than 20,000 companies set to shut.

In comparison with the final royal funeral, that of Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, final April, Monday 19 September couldn’t be extra totally different. The nation’s heartstrings had been all collectively tugged as we noticed the Queen mourn her husband whereas sat alone because of the restrictions imposed by Covid. The visitor listing was capped at 30, as per the nationwide steering, and people attending had been required to social distance.

This time round, the mourning will probably be so substantial it can carry the entire nation to a halt. Occasions and companies who haven’t shut their doorways because the Coronavirus lockdowns will pack up store as soon as once more, out of respect.

An official state funeral will probably be held and folks will descend onto the capital en masse. However to correctly perceive the size, it is advisable to take a look at the numbers.

750,000 travellers

Transport For London is anticipating an additional 750,000 folks will use its community on the day of the funeral – an awesome quantity. Sure Tube stations have already seen unprecedented will increase in utilization, reminiscent of St James’ Park station, which had triple its regular variety of guests on Saturday, 10 September.

Inexperienced Park station has been so busy that TfL is advising folks to keep away from it totally and head to stations like Victoria and Piccadilly Circus as a substitute.

Travellers have been warned that whereas the Tube will function as regular on the day of the funeral, there may very well be “short-term security measures” put in place, reminiscent of queueing, closures, trains not stopping at sure stations, or adjustments to the way in which prospects enter or exit a station.

There will even be a particular Elizabeth line service, though the Tube line usually doesn’t function on Sundays. Trains will function between Paddington and Abbey Wooden, with a schedule of 12 trains per hour.

2,200 friends

That’s the capability of Westminster Abbey, the place the Queen’s funeral will probably be held. Fittingly, it is usually the place she married Prince Philip 75 years in the past, and the place she attended his personal memorial service final yr.

This would be the first state funeral since Sir Winston Churchill’s funeral in 1965, and the primary royal funeral to be held in Westminster Abbey at regular capability (i.e, not throughout Covid occasions) because the Queen mom’s in 2002.

On the Abbey’s exterior, hundreds of persons are set to encompass the perimeter and route of the procession to really feel a part of Queen’s funeral from exterior.

If the interval of mendacity in State is something to go by, the Queen’s funeral will seemingly dwarf the Queen mom’s by way of attendance. Throughout her interval mendacity in State, the Queen mom had an estimated 200,000 folks go to to go by her coffin. As compared, there has already been speak of Queen Elizabeth’s guests being capped at 350,000, as they might run out of time for everybody to see her earlier than the funeral.

It has even been estimated that as many as a million folks will flock to the capital in an try and see the Queen as she lies in State.

500 heads of state

And let’s not overlook the politicians. As many as 500 heads of state are anticipated to attend the funeral, together with Prime Minister Liz Truss and all six dwelling ex-Prime Ministers (out of the Queen’s complete 15) who served beneath her.

The one international locations not invited are Russia, Belarus, Syria, Venezuela, Afghanistan and Myanmar. That is both due to conflict, political unrest, or as a result of they aren’t thought of to have full “diplomatic relations” with the UK.

There are some limitations for these invited, too: Heads of state have been restricted to 1 chief and one associate per nation, because of the capability of Westminster Abbey. And leaders have been requested to try to restrict their carbon footprint when travelling to the funeral, to keep away from tons of of personal jet flights touchdown within the UK over a mere matter of days.

State leaders had been even initially inspired to take business flights and shuttle buses to the funeral, however Downing Avenue quietly backtracked on the steering, citing “particular person circumstances” because the decider. US President Joe Biden and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese have already made clear their plans to journey through personal jet this weekend.

400 secret service officers

Regardless of solely being allowed one visitor on the funeral, Joe Biden is claimed to be bringing his normal 400 secret service personnel to the occasion.

And although it was requested that leaders forego utilizing their private automobiles, Biden remains to be reportedly bringing “The Beast”, the US president’s 6,800kg bulletproof, hermetically sealed limousine which has doorways as heavy as these on an airplane, in addition to its personal built-in night time imaginative and prescient cameras.

10,000 law enforcement officials on responsibility

Not solely is that this the biggest policing occasion of the yr, forward of Notting Hill carnival, the place a mean of 6,000 law enforcement officials are on responsibility every day, it is usually set to be the most important policing operation “the nation has ever seen”. The added strain of hundreds of VIPs and politicians makes the safety operation much more complicated.

Talking to the BBC, former Met commander Bob Broadhurst, who led the policing operation for the 2012 Olympics, stated safety plans will even have to handle potential terrorist threats. “Clearly [concerns about] terrorism will probably be an element. Safety is a giant problem proper from the outset – not essentially the extra organised terrorist teams however lone people, that must be factored in as nicely.”

And so they’re watching from above, too. Armed law enforcement officials with binoculars have already been noticed upon rooftops in Westminster, and a army helicopter has made a number of flights overhead. Further CCTV cameras have been erected to fill any potential gaps in protection, and each manhole will probably be checked for hidden explosives, in addition to the insides of lamp posts.

500 portaloos

As areas of central London have develop into flooded with mourners wishing to pay respects and queuing to see the Queen’s coffin mendacity in state, as many as 500 portaloos have been positioned round key areas to assist guests relieve themselves within the queue and whereas visiting for the funeral.

It’s going to additionally hopefully relieve a few of the strain on close by buildings and companies, which have involuntarily develop into pop-up bogs for full bladdered mourners. St Thomas’ hospital, which is positioned near the queue, even needed to rent further safety after folks saved sneaking in to use the bathroom and sleep within the A&E ready room.

4,500 army personnel

The procession main the Queen’s coffin between places (beginning off at Buckingham Palace and travelling down The Mall to achieve Westminster Abbey) will contain a 4,500 sturdy army parade.

Navy personnel have been rehearsing nearly “continuous” for days to ensure not a single factor goes mistaken with the parade. They’ve staged rehearsals at 2am in sleepy central London, main the observe procession down closed roads, rehearsing every little thing from the bagpipes to the horse driving, all beneath the quilt of darkness.

18 years outdated

That is the age of Cassius, one of many horses that will probably be a part of the procession for the Queen’s funeral. He’s retiring after this closing outing, which his proprietor says could be a “becoming” option to finish his profession after his years of service in army parades.

Serving to out Cassius is Yogi – army identify Lord Firebrand – a 14-year-old stallion. Like Cassius, Yogi is usually chosen for army parades due to his expertise, temperament, and “good-looking” seems to be, in keeping with his army handler.

The horses have undergone in depth coaching for the funeral, together with rehearsals the place they’re pelted with flowers and flags, and surrounded by faux sobbing noises and loud, aggressive bangs.

142 sailors pulling the gun carriage

Versus the Queen’s coffin being led by horses, because it was through the procession on Wednesday 14 September, it can in actual fact be towed to the funeral in Westminster Abbey by 142 sailors. The coffin will probably be sat atop the Royal Navy State Funeral Gun Carriage, which is 123 years outdated and weighs 3,000kg.

The sailors will pull the carriage together with ropes in a ceremony which has develop into custom after it was improvised in a spot of dangerous luck over 100 years in the past. In the course of the funeral of Queen Victoria again in 1901, the horses which had been initially set to tug the gun carriage freaked out within the chilly climate and reared up, threatening to topple the coffin.

Fortunately Captain Prince Louis of Battenberg, the long run First Sea Lord of the Royal Navy, stepped in and provided some recommendation – let folks pull the carriage as a substitute. A century later, the custom continues.

21 members of the Royal household

A minimum of 21 members of the Royal Household are anticipated to attend, together with: King Charles III, the Queen Consort, the Princess Royal, the Duke of York, Prince Edward, the Countess of Wessex, Prince William and Harry, the Duchess of Cornwall, the Duchess of Sussex, Peter Phillips and Zara Tindall, Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, Girl Louise Windsor and James, Viscount Severn.

The Duke of Kent, Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, Princess Alexandra, and Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester – who’re the Queen’s cousins – are additionally more likely to be there.

9 bongs

In line with the London Bridge steering for funeral proceedings following the Queen’s loss of life, Huge Ben will ring out at 9am earlier than being muffled out of respect for the occasion – and doubtless so there aren’t loads of loud bongs through the procession.

The bell will probably be quietened with a leather-based muffler to suppress its noise following the 9am toll, forward of the Queen’s funeral, which begins at 11am.

Two minute silence

At 8pm on Sunday, 18 September, the day earlier than the funeral, the nation will fall quiet for one minute out of respect for Queen Elizabeth II. Authorities steering advises folks to look at the silence in no matter approach they need, stating: “The silence will be marked privately at house, with family and friends, out on doorsteps or the road with neighbours, or at domestically organized group occasions and vigils.”

Nevertheless, a particular two minute silence will even happen on the day of the funeral at 11.55am, because it involves a detailed.