Prince George and Princess Charlotte to attend queen's funeral

The young royals will walk through Westminster Abbey behind their great-grandmother's coffin

Prince William and his wife Kate with their children Prince Louis, Princess Charlotte and Prince George on the balcony of Buckingham Palace at the queen's platinum jubilee celebrations. AFP
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Queen Elizabeth II dies — follow the latest news as the world mourns

Prince George and Princess Charlotte will attend the queen’s state funeral, the order of service has shown.

The future king, 9, and his sister, 7, will gather with 2,000 people in Westminster Abbey to remember their late great-grandmother on Monday, as millions watch the televised service around the globe.

The young royals will walk through the Gothic church with the royal family, in procession behind the queen’s coffin as it is carried by the military bearer party.

Their grandfather, the king with the queen consort will process immediately behind the coffin, followed by the Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, then the Duke of York, followed by the Earl and Countess of Wessex, then the Prince and Princess of Wales.

Prince George and Princess Charlotte, who called the queen “Gan Gan”, will be together, behind their parents, walking side-by-side in formation, followed by their uncle and aunt the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, and other members of the royal family.

The second and third in line to the throne are also expected to be at the committal service in St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle.

The prince and princess’s four-year-old brother Prince Louis is not set to be there. His playful antics on the balcony for the platinum jubilee delighted royal fans and he is likely to be considered too young to attend.

Rehearsal at dawn for Queen Elizabeth's funeral - in pictures

At the end of the service, after The Last Post, two minutes’ silence, the Reveille, and the national anthem, the Queen’s Piper, Warrant Officer Class 1 (Pipe Major) Paul Burns, will play the traditional lament Sleep, Dearie, Sleep.

Before the service, the tenor bell will be tolled every minute for 96 minutes, reflecting the years of the queen’s life.

The Dean of Westminster, the Very Rev Dr David Hoyle, will say in the bidding: “Here, where Queen Elizabeth was married and crowned, we gather from across the nation, from the Commonwealth, and from the nations of the world, to mourn our loss, to remember her long life of selfless service.”

Dr Hoyle will speak of the Queen’s “unswerving commitment to a high calling over so many years” as queen and head of the Commonwealth.

Queen Elizabeth II's coffin procession from Buckingham Palace - in pictures

“With affection we recall her love for her family and her commitment to the causes she held dear,” he will say.

One of the hymns — The Lord’s My Shepherd — was sung at the queen’s wedding, when she married the Duke of Edinburgh in the same abbey, as a 21-year-old bride in 1947.

It was also sung at the funeral of the queen’s father, George VI, in St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, in 1952, but with slightly different wording.

The others hymns are: The Day Thou Gavest, Lord, Is Ended; and Love Divine, All Loves Excelling.

The latter has often featured at royal weddings including William and Kate’s, Charles and Camilla’s wedding blessing, and Princess Eugenie’s.

Queen Elizabeth II's funeral: five facts you may not know - video

Queen Elizabeth II's funeral: five facts you may not know

Queen Elizabeth II's funeral: five facts you may not know

Prayers will be said by the Rev Dr Iain Greenshields, moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, for “Queen Elizabeth’s long life and reign, recalling with gratitude her gifts of wisdom, diligence, and service”.

The Bishop of London, Dame Sarah Mullally, will say a prayer for “our most gracious sovereign lord King Charles, Camilla the Queen Consort, William Prince of Wales, and all the royal family”.

Rev Canon Helen Cameron, moderator of the Free Churches Group, will praise the queen’s “unstinting devotion to duty, her compassion for her subjects and her counsel to her ministers”.

Updated: September 18, 2022, 10:28 PM