Queen's coffin is adorned with flowers from home

Queen’s flowers from her personal gardens: Coffin is adorned with lavender and rosemary from the gardens of Windsor and pine from Balmoral during funeral procession

  • The Queen’s coffin has been adorned with flowers from Windsor and Balmoral 
  • Wreath contains pine taken from her Scottish home where she died last week
  • Meanwhile it also features lavendar and rosemary from Windsor gardens 
  • Hundreds of mourners have gathered today today to watch the ceremony  
  • Full coverage: Click here to see all our coverage of the Queen’s passing

The Queen’s coffin was today adorned with lavender and rosemary from the gardens of Windsor and pine from her Scottish home of Balmoral.

The Queen’s final and saddest journey to Westminster Hall is underway today with King Charles, his three siblings and his sons Prince William and Prince Harry following her coffin as the Royal Family hands her coffin to the nation.

At 2.22pm Her Majesty was carried down The Mall on a gun carriage – a tradition dating back to the death of her great-grandmother Queen Victoria in 1901 – as her children, grandchildren and other senior royals marched behind.

Atop the coffin, there was a wreath of flowers which contained a selection of flowers including pine from the gardens of Balmoral and lavender and rosemary from the gardens of Windsor.

The Queen’s coffin was today adorned with lavender and rosemary from the gardens of Windsor and pine from her Scottish home of Balmoral

At 2.22pm Her Majesty was carried down The Mall on a gun carriage – a tradition dating back to the death of her great-grandmother Queen Victoria in 1901 – as her children, grandchildren and other senior royals marched behind

It is a mark of the significance of the two residences for the late monarch. 

The Queen had spent the majority of her time over the past few years at her home of Windsor Castle. 

Meanwhile it was her Scottish home of Balmoral where she passed away earlier this month.

It marks a change from yesterday’s wreath, which was made up of her favourite flowers and served as a touching tribute to her late husband, Prince Philip.

Atop the coffin, there was a wreath of flowers which contained a selection of flowers including pine from the gardens of Balmoral and lavendar and rosemary from the gardens of Windsor

The coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, adorned with a Royal Standard and the Imperial State Crown and pulled by a Gun Carriage of The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery

The wreath, which was prepared by Balmoral staff, included sweet peas, dahlias, phlox, white heather and pine fir – all gathered from the Aberdeenshire estate.

Sweet peas – which were among the Queen’s favourite flowers – were also in the wreath laid on the Duke of Edinburgh’s coffin after his death in April last year.

Sweet peas, which are associated with April birthdays, can symbolise departures and farewells while dahlias can represent a lasting commitment between two people.

The Queen personally selected the flowers for her late husband’s coffin with a wreath that included white lilies, roses and freesias.

The Queen’s children including the King and her grandchildren, including William, Harry and Peter Phillips make the mournful journey to Westminster Hall

Huge crowds turned out to witness history with viewing areas full before the procession began

Hundreds of thousands of people lined the route but there was a silent reverence as the coffin appeared. There were some muted cheers and clapping and cries of God Save the Queen as well as many tears shed as the late monarch left her London home for the final time. All viewing areas on The Mall, Whitehall and Parliament Square were full by 1pm – with people turned away.

The procession left the palace at 2.22pm and is expected to arrive at Westminster Hall at 3pm. A service lasting around 20 minutes will be led by the Archbishop of Canterbury accompanied by the Dean of Westminster.

Princess Anne, who has remained with her mother since she dies last Thursday, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward also followed the coffin on the 1.2mile journey to Westminster Hall – the ancient heart of the Houses of Parliament where up to 1million Britons hope to see the Queen lying in state there as her father and mother did in 1952 and 2002.

Queen Consort Camilla, the Princess of Wales, the Duchess of Sussex and the Countess of Wessex followed by car. Zara and Mike Tindall. Princess Beatrice, her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank ar e also taking part. But Andrew’s ex-wife Sarah Ferguson did not receive an invite because of their divorce.

King Charles III waves to the crowds as he is driven along The Mall to Buckingham Palace this morning

Queen Consort Camilla is seen arriving at Buckingham Palace this afternoon ahead of the procession for the Queen

The occasion is heavy with historical significance, with brothers Prince William and Prince Harry setting aside their ongoing feud to support their father by marching with him behind the coffin. For William and Harry it will bring back painful memories of when they, aged 15 and 12, walked behind the coffin of their mother Princess Diana in 1997.

Solemn members of the Royal Family gathered this lunchtime to prepare to accompany the Queen for her poignant final journey from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall, where she will lie in state for the next five nights.

The crowd burst into applause and cheers as King Charles III passed the Victoria Memorial in his state Rolls Royce as he was taken into the residence, followed later by Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice and Queen Consort Camilla.

Hundreds of thousands of well-wishers are expected to line the route as they do so. The Queen’s other children Prince Andrew, Prince Edward and Princess Anne will also form part of the procession through London.

The Victoria Memorial and The Mall ahead of the procession for the Lying-in State of Queen Elizabeth II this afternoon

Her Majesty spent her final night in the Bow Room of Buckingham Palace before she will be conveyed on a gun carriage to Westminster Hall – where she will lie in state until 6.30am next Monday, the day of her funeral.

More than one million people are expected to queue in Central London for up to 35 hours to walk past her coffin – but experts believe only 400,000 will make it inside meaning 600,000 people will be left disappointed.

Mourners have also been joining the queue to attend the lying in state, opening at 5pm tonight. Government guidance says the queue is expected to be very long, with people standing for ‘many hours, possibly overnight’.

The queuing infrastructure for the Queen’s lying in state is 10 miles in length, it is understood. This includes 6.9 miles from Victoria Tower Gardens to Southwark Park, with a further three miles inside Southwark Park.

The Queen arrived at the palace last night to tears and cheers from the crowds who stood in the rain to welcome her home after her death at Balmoral last Thursday. The route from RAF Northolt to the palace was packed.

There was a wave of lights as many raised their mobile phones in the air to film the hearse as it passed. As the hearse drove through the gates, Charles could be seen bowing his head with Harry and Meghan stood behind.

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