Queen Elizabeth II's funeral to be held on September 19 after 4 days of lying in state

The state funeral for Queen Elizabeth II will take place on September 19 at Westminster Abbey in London after the public gets an opportunity to pay their last respects to the monarch, the Royal Family said in a tweet on Saturday. Elizabeth, the nation's longest-reigning sovereign, died Thursday at her summer retreat in the Scottish Highlands.

London: The State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II will take place at Westminster Abbey in London on September 19, at 11 am local time, Buckingham Palace announced on Saturday. Prior to the State Funeral, the late British monarch will lie-in-state at Westminster Hall nearby for four days, to allow the public to pay their respects.

"During the Lying-in-State, members of the public will have the opportunity to visit Westminster Hall to pay their respects to the Queen, the palace statement said. "On the morning of Monday 19th September, the Lying-in-State will end and the coffin will be taken in Procession from the Palace of Westminster to Westminster Abbey, where the State Funeral Service will take place, it said.

Following the State Funeral, the coffin will travel in procession from Westminster Abbey to Wellington Arch in London for its onward journey to Windsor. In Windsor, the State Hearse will travel in procession to St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, the monarch's final resting place with her late husband Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh. Queen Elizabeth II, the UK's longest-serving monarch, died on Thursday at Balmoral Castle in Scotland after reigning for 70 years. She was 96. PTI