Nationwide minute of silence to be held in memory of the Queen on eve of state funeral
There will be a nationwide moment of silence on the eve of the Queen's funeral, No 10 has announced.
The one-minute moment of reflection will be held across the UK on Sunday, September 18 at 8pm.
It will be held to bring the public "together and observe a national moment of reflection to mourn and reflect the legacy of Queen Elizabeth II”, the prime minister's official spokesman said in a statement.
The Queen's state funeral will be held the following morning at 11am at Westminster Abbey, central London.
People can take part in the silence in whichever they wish, said No 10.
Watch ITV News' special coverage of the Queen's coffin procession in Edinburgh
“The silence can be marked privately at home on your own or with friends and neighbours, out on your doorstep or street with neighbours, or at any locally arranged community events and vigils," the PM's spokesman said.
“We encourage local community groups, clubs and other organisations to mark this moment of reflection. And if you are overseas, people are encouraged to mark the silence at their local time.
“The shared national moment of reflection is an opportunity for everyone across the UK to mark the death of Her Majesty and we will set out details of where the Prime Minister will mark it closer to that time.”
The Queen's coffin will soon be taken from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to nearby St Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh for a service of thanksgiving, which will be attended by her family.
King Charles III and Camilla, the Queen Consort, arrived at the Palace, dressed in black, to greet and shake the hands of thousands who lined the streets to watch the procession.
They walked past thousands of bouquets of flowers and read notes of condolences laid outside the cathedral, before the keys of Edinburgh were handed to the King for the first time.
He will be reunited with his mother's coffin before leading some of the royals on foot, while the Queen Consort and other members of the monarchy follow in cars.
The King's visit came less than two hours after he addressed Parliament for the first time in London and vowed to "faithfully follow" his "beloved" mother's "example of selfless duty".
Both speakers of the Houses of Parliament paid tribute to the Queen in a ceremony dedicated to the late monarch at the Palace of Westminster.
In an address to around 900 Lords and MPs, the King quoted William Shakespeare as he described his late mother as a "pattern to all princes living" and spoke of feeling the “weight of history” as he stood inside the historic room.
The Queen will lie at rest at St Giles' Cathedral where members of the public can pay their respects by filing past her coffin for 24 hours from 5.30pm until 3pm on Tuesday.
Her coffin will be flown from Edinburgh Airport to London on Tuesday where it will remain in Buckingham Palace for the evening, before being moved to Westminster Hall on Wednesday.
People will be able to begin paying their respects by filing past the Queen's coffin from 5.30pm on Wednesday until 6.30am.
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Her Majesty will then lie in state at the Palace of Westminster for four days, from Wednesday, September 14 until the morning of her funeral on Monday, September 19.
People have been warned to expect 20-hour waits to see Her Majesty's coffin, as a quarter of a million people are expected to descend on London this week.
Transport bosses said the capital will experience "unprecedented travel demand" in the coming days and public transport users should expect for Tube stations to temporarily close to avoid overcrowding.
London Underground passengers are urged to avoid Green Park station “if possible” due to “high numbers of customers passing through”.
The Met Police's new commissioner admitted the preparations were a “massive challenge” for the force - but that it was prepared.