The ceremonial processions taking Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin to London’s Westminster Abbey and then towards her burial place at Windsor reflects the ancient traditions of the British monarch.
This dates back to Queen Victoria’s funeral which took place on January 22, 1901.
The Royal Navy sailors will use ropes to pull the queen’s lead-lined coffin mounted on a gun carriage from Westminster Hall to Westminster Abbey.
Their comrades, who are in a team of 142 sailors, will walk alongside to act as a brake if need be.
Eight soldiers from the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards have a role of carrying the late Queen’s coffin from Westminster Hall to the gun carriage outside, and then into Westminster Abbey.
One of the most ancient in the British army, the regiment is among five infantry regiments that make up the Queen’s Life Guard.
The regiment’s soldiers normally wear tall bearskin hats .They copied this uniform from the grenadiers of Napoleon’s Imperial Guard.
The soldiers will be escorted to the Queen by the attendants who assist the royals in carrying out the public duties.
Additionally, there will be three regiments who will play an important role in the procession as they will be marching very close to the queen’s coffin.
The two former royal bodyguard units; Yeomen of the Guard and the Honorable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms now perform only a ceremonial role.
One of the Yeomen of the Guard’s known activities is searching the Palace of Westminster for gunpowder before the State Opening of Parliament. This annual ritual memorializes the Gunpowder Plot, which was a failed attempt led by Guy Fawkes to blow up King James I and the parliament in 1605.
The next in line will be members of the Royal Company of Archers, who acted as Elizabeth II’s bodyguards whenever she was in Scotland.
Some detachments from other regiments in Britain and the armed forces of the Commonwealth, will rejoin the funeral procession from Westminster Abbey to Wellington Arch at Hyde Park Corner near Buckingham Palace.
The royal family led by the new King Charles III will follow the queen’s casket. Those who will be following them closely behind will be members of the queen’s royal household, including the most senior officer of the royal household, the lord chamberlain.
The pipers and drummers of the Scottish and Irish regiments, and the Brigade of Gurkhas made up of soldiers from Nepal Will be in front of them. There will also be 200 Royal Air Force musicians.
The Chief of the Defense Staff Admiral, Tony Radakin, told BBC on Sunday that around 6,000 soldiers, sailors and air crew from the British armed forces will take part in the procession.
He added that they will perform a royal salute at various points along the route and that this was the last duty they were performing for the Queen and also their first remarkable duty for King Charles.
BY STACY EDITH