OverlookIng the river thames, our home for the next couple of hours, as we mark the openIng of a new parliamentary session. Its been a time of national crisis sInce the last State OpenIng, back In december 2019, and the governments new programme will No Doubt Include measures to recover from the effects of the terrible pandemic. The queen will attend todays event, her first major event sInce the death of the duke of edInburgh. Her majesty will be accompanied this mornIng by the PrInce Of Wales, but the usual display of Ceremonial Splendour will be more or less absent because of the current restrictions. The other big difference is that the number of mps and peers here today is rather limited. The Queens Speech is beIng delivered jUst A few days after the extensive elections In scotland, wales and england, which gave new impetus to the debate on the constitutional future of the United KIngdom. Earlier this mornIng, the prime MInister Borisjohnson left number 10 for the Houses Of Parliam
building overlooking horse guards parade. they will be able to watch it through the windows, as some of the others take their place on that. i presume that ll be four queen camilla and the princess of wales. but now, the inspection of the troops begins. the king setting off on horseback, i would know, the carriage is following along. they are all now inspecting the ranks of the footguards. music continues so, s0, it really is quite an so, it really is quite an inspection, isn t it? the king accompanied by the princess royal. and the duke of edinburgh, and the prince of wales behind him, and then, the carriagejust prince of wales behind him, and then, the carriage just containing now queen camilla and the princess of wales. and slightly different from how it was when the queen made this inspection. she would inspect the lines of the footguards just herself in the small carriage that she used, but on this occasion, they are all doing it. all of the other senior ranks as well. a
the queen s lying in state formally ended at 6.30 this morning. the past four days have seen queues stretching five miles along the south bank of the river thames. but the opportunity to witness the scene in person has now ended. and the next time we see the coffin, draped in the royal standard, it will be brought from the palace of westminster on the state gun carriage to westminster abbey for the funeral service at 11 o clock. following the funeral service, the queen s coffin will be drawn by more than 100 naval ratings in a long procession from the abbey to wellington arch at london s hyde park corner. there are more than 3,000 military personnel taking part in the procession. it s nearly a500 if you include all those taking place at windsor. and at wellington arch, the coffin will be transferred to the state hearse for its final journey to the queen s main home windsor castle where a procession will make its way up the long walk and on to st george s chapel where
MailOnline has put together a map of the march, which will feature members from more than 300 organisations including active servicemen and women, veterans, and cadets.
King Charles led a two-minute silence that took place across the UK and laid the first wreath in front of the Cenotaph in London, where a major policing operation remains in place today.