top line
President Joe Biden, members of the British royal family, world leaders and government dignitaries arrived at Westminster Abbey in London on Monday morning for the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, a historic event expected to be watched by billions of people around the world. The United Kingdom is putting its longest-reigning monarch to rest.
key facts
Joining President and First Lady Jill Biden are several prominent world leaders including British Prime Minister Liz Truss, French President Emmanuel Macron, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Japanese Emperor Naruhito.
In total, 500 foreign leaders – including presidents, prime ministers and kings – are expected to attend the funeral service, according to the BBC, with the total attendance expected to be around 2,000.
What to watch
The funeral service will begin at 11.00 a.m. local time (6 a.m. ET). At 10.44am the Queen’s coffin will be removed from Westminster Hall, where she was lying in state to allow mourners around the world to pay their respects. The coffin will be accompanied by a procession featuring King Charles III, Prince of Wales Williams and Duke of Sussex Harry, along with other members of the royal family. The funeral service is expected to end at about 11.55am, followed by a funeral procession at 12:15am to escort the Queen’s casket to Wellington Arch, after which it will be carried to a funeral procession that will take her to Windsor Castle. The Queen will finally be buried at Windsor Castle next to her late husband, Prince Philip.
Huge number
4.1 billion. This is the total number of viewers expected to watch the Queen’s funeral broadcast.
in-depth reading
Queen Elizabeth, the longest-reigning United Kingdom, dies at 96 (Forbes)
In pictures: Biden and other world leaders pay respects to Queen Elizabeth (Forbes)
How rich is King Charles III? Inside the new king’s outrageous fortune (Forbes)
