What happens next? Day-by-day plans leading up to the funeral of Queen Elizabeth

Here is a day-by-day account of what is expected to happen next after the death of Queen Elizabeth, leading up to her funeral in around 11 days’ time.

Day of Death

Thursday would traditionally have been D-Day or D+0 in the plans for the aftermath of the queen’s death, codenamed London Bridge. But the announcement came late in the day – at around 6.30pm on Thursday, 8th September - meaning plans have been shifted a day to allow the complex arrangements to be put in place. D+0 will now be considered Friday.

King Charles was joined by the monarch’s other children the Princess Royal, the Duke of York and the Earl of Wessex, with the Duke of Cambridge, now heir to the throne, and the Duke of Sussex also travelling to Balmoral. Also there is Camilla – the new Queen – and the Countess of Wessex.

The king and Camilla – now the queen – remained at Balmoral overnight and will return to London on Friday.

The following is expected to take place on Friday – D+0 - althought concrete plans are yet to be confirmed by Buckingham Palace.

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D+0 – Friday, 9th September

Charles and Camilla stayed at Balmoral overnight on Thursday, but return to London on Friday. The new sovereign will have his first audience as monarch with prime minister Liz Truss.

Charles is likely to meet the Earl Marshal – the Duke of Norfolk – who is in charge of the accession and the Queen’s funeral, to approve the carefully choreographed schedule for the coming days. The London Bridge arrangements have long been planned in consultation with the Government.

They will incorporate Operation Unicorn, the contingency plans for the death of the Queen in Scotland.

Charles will decide on the length of court or royal mourning for members of the royal family and royal households. It is expected to last a month. The Government will confirm the length of national mourning, which is likely to be around 12 days, from now up to the day after the queen’s funeral. They will also announce that the funeral day will be a public holiday in the form of a Day of National Mourning.

Union flags on royal buildings are flying at half-mast. The Royal Standard, which represents the Sovereign and flys when he is in residence at a royal palace or castle, never flies half-mast.

Bells will toll at Westminster Abbey, St Paul’s Cathedral and Windsor Castle, and churches are being urged to toll their bells across England at noon. Gun salutes – one round for every year of the queen’s life – will be fired in Hyde Park and at other stations.

The public has already begun to leave flowers as tributes from around the world pour in.

The king will make a televised address to the nation, which he is due to pre-record, in the early evening. He will pay tribute to the queen and pledge his duty to his service as the new sovereign.

The prime minister and senior ministers will attend a public service of remembrance at St Paul’s in central London.

D+1 – Saturday, 10th September

The Accession Council meets, traditionally at 10am, at St James’s Palace in London to formally proclaim Charles as the new sovereign. First, the Privy Council gathers without the king to proclaim the new monarch and arrange business relating to the proclamation.

Then Charles holds his first Privy Council, accompanied by Camilla – the new queen – and William, who are also Privy Counsellors, and makes his personal declaration and oath.

The first public proclamation of the new sovereign is read in the open air from the Friary Court balcony at St James’s Palace by the Garter King of Arms. Proclamations are made around the city and across the country.

Union flags go back up to full-mast at 1pm and remain there for 24 hours to coincide with the proclamations before returning to half-mast. Charles will also hold audiences with the prime minister and the UK cabinet.

D+2 – Sunday, 11th September

The queen’s coffin is expected to be taken by road to the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh. Proclamations will be read in the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland devolved parliaments in Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast.

D+3 – Monday, 12th September

A procession is expected along Royal Mile in Edinburgh to St Giles’ Cathedral. Service and the Vigil of the Princes by members of the royal family. The public may get the chance to file past the queen’s coffin at a mini lying in state in St Giles’.

The House of Commons and the House of Lords are expected to come together in Westminster for a Motion of Condolence, which the king could attend.

After leaving England and visiting Scotland, Charles will at some stage travel to Wales and Northern Ireland – known as Operation Spring Tide.

D+4 – Tuesday, 13th September

The queen’s coffin is expected to be flown to London, where she is expected to be at rest at Buckingham Palace. A rehearsal for the procession of the coffin from Buckingham Palace to the Palace of Westminster will take place.

D+5 – Wednesday, 14th September

The queen’s lying in state – Operation Marquee – is expected to begin in Westminster Hall, following a ceremonial procession through London. It will last four full days. The Archbishop of Canterbury will conduct a short service following the coffin’s arrival.

Hundreds of thousands of people will file past the coffin on its catafalque and pay their respects, just as they did for the Queen Mother’s lying in state in 2002.

Senior royals are also expected to pay their own tribute, standing guard at some stage around the coffin – the tradition known as the Vigil of the Princes.

D+6 – Thursday, 15th September

Lying in state continues and a rehearsal is likely to take place for the state funeral procession.

D+7 – Friday, 16th to Sunday, 18th September

Lying in state continues, ending on Sunday. Heads of state from around the world begin to arrive for the funeral.

D+10 – Monday, 19th September

The queen’s state funeral is expected take place at Westminster Abbey in central London.

The original plans are for the Queen’s coffin to process on a gun carriage to the abbey, pulled by naval ratings – sailors – using ropes rather than horses.

Senior members of the family are expected to follow behind. The military will line the streets and also join the procession.

Heads of state, prime ministers and presidents, European royals and key figures from public life will be invited to gather in the abbey, which can hold a congregation of 2,000.

The service will be televised, and a national two minutes’ silence is expected to be held.

The same day as the funeral, the queen’s coffin will be taken to St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle for a televised committal service. Later in the evening, there will be a private interment service with senior members of the royal family.

The queen’s final resting place will be the King George VI memorial chapel, an annex to the main chapel – where her mother and father were buried, along with the ashes of her sister, Princess Margaret. Philip’s coffin will move from the Royal Vault to the memorial chapel to join the queen’s. — Press Association