Live updates: Remembering Queen Elizabeth - Monday, September 19

Related video: Samantha Hayes, Lisette Reymer, Mitch McCann and Alice Wilkins report on the Queen's funeral. Credit: Image - Instagram/The Royal Family; Video - Newshub

Queen Elizabeth II passed away on September 8 at age 96, making her the longest-serving monarch, with 70 years on the throne.

On Monday, her final farewell was held for the beloved Queen Elizabeth in a grand state funeral.

Around 2000 family members, world leaders, politicians and monarchs from other countries attended Her Majesty's funeral inside Westminster Abbey.

The Queen's body will then travel to Windsor Castle for a more intimate committal service and then will finally be laid to rest next to her late husband Prince Phillip in the Royal Vault at St George's Chapel.

Key times for New Zealand:

  • 3:00am - Queen's coffin enters St George's Chapel for a committal service
  • 6:30am The Queen will be buried with her late husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, at the King George VI memorial chapel, located inside St George's Chapel. Her marble slab will be engraved ELIZABETH II 1926-2022.

These live updates have finished

9:18am - Americans and British expats in New York City have been paying their respects to mark the passing of Queen Elizabeth II.

Newshub reporter Alexa Cook told AM on Tuesday people have been honouring the Queen at the British restaurant Tea and Sympathy.

"I've been told over the past 10 days, there have been piles of flowers mounting up here and this is one way people are paying their respects," Cook told AM from New York.

"At this place as well, there's also a very big screen, several of them, people can watch the footage and the coverage of the Queen's funeral. It's been playing for the last few hours and people have been stopping in to pay their respects, check in on this footage and see exactly what's been happening overseas."

Cook said Americans she has talked to are "really sad" at the passing of the Queen.

"I have talked to dozens of Americans over the past couple of days in New York and … many of them told me they had this kind of great affinity with her they could sort of relate to because they saw her almost as a celebrity and obviously, they love these celebrities over here," Cook said.

"Everyone said they really respect her. They respect her work ethic and the amount of time she dedicated to her life in service to the Crown."

8:52am - The Royal Family has released a new photograph of Queen Elizabeth after they announced she had been buried at Windsor Castle.

8:30am - The Queen has been officially buried alongside her late husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, at the King George VI Memorial Chapel at Windsor Castle, an announcement on the Royal Family's official website said.

The private burial was conducted by the Dean of Windsor and was attended by her close family.

8:25am - Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has reflected on Queen Elizabeth II's funeral, which she attended alongside her fiancé Clarke Gayford.

Ardern told RNZ on Tuesday the sheer scale of the Queen's funeral was extraordinary.
"Then amongst all of that there were moments that were exactly what you would expect at any funeral; moments of quiet and reflection," Ardern said.

"I think the fact there were so many people there and yet there was still just that stillness made that even more extraordinary and more poignant."

Ardern said the Queen was a reflection of a significant part of our history.

"She was present through such change ... someone who really did forge her own path. She was a woman in leadership who was raising a family," Ardern said.

"To see then after all those decades of service for that to end becomes something more than just the loss of an individual, but the end of an era."

Ardern told RNZ the moments that stick out in her mind from the funeral were the sound of the choir and trumpets echoing through Westminster Abbey, and the Queen's coffin departing amid a wave of heads being bowed, with her family walking quietly behind her.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and her fiancé Clarke Gayford at Queen Elizabeth's funeral. Photo credit: Getty Images

8:13am - Kiwis all around New Zealand tuned in to watch Queen Elizabeth's funeral into the early hours of Tuesday morning.

Royalist John Disbrowe in the Highland Park Retirement Village in Auckland watched the funeral and said it was a "very, very moving experience".

"When I noticed even the King [Charles] had very wet eyes it was such a moving experience," Disbrowe told AM Roving Presenter William Waiirua from the retirement village.

"We were told the second service was going to be private for close friends and relatives, however, it was only the commitment of the body which was private.

"It was the second service, I can't tell you why it was, the Archbishop of Canterbury when he spoke I thought he was brilliant. It was just the whole feel about the experience of what was happening because my memory of the Queen goes back to 1952 and she has been a remarkable and in fact, you could unique monarch."

7:50am - Newshub Europe Correspondent Lisette Reymer said in the moments following the Queen's funeral procession at Windsor "there has been this huge buildup of emotion - and today it was all unleashed".

7:30am - After the final notes of the poignant Last Post trumpet fanfare echoed around the vaulted ceilings of London's Westminster Abbey, a deep silence pervaded the majestic gothic cathedral.

In the building where for a thousand years the monarchs of England and later Britain have been crowned, buried and married, presidents, prime ministers, kings, queens, sultans and an emperor stood still, heads bowed.

World leaders and dignitaries from about 200 countries and territories, some openly hostile to each other, united briefly for two minutes of silence in a show of tribute at the state funeral of Britain's Queen Elizabeth.

There was no shuffling of feet, barely a cough.

"Her late majesty famously declared on a 21st birthday broadcast that her whole life would be dedicated to serving the nation and Commonwealth," Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury and head of the Anglican Communion, said in his sermon.

"Rarely has such a promise been so well kept. Few leaders receive the outpouring of love that we have seen."

The grief of the day was shared not only by those in Britain but across the world, he added.

Some members of Queen Elizabeth's family had pain etched on their faces as they followed her coffin into the Abbey. Prince Edward, Elizabeth's youngest son, briefly took out a white handkerchief to wipe away tears.

As the massed ranks of pipers and drummers, leading the cortege bringing Elizabeth's coffin to the Abbey from nearby Westminster Hall, came nearer and the sound grew louder, there was a palpable sense this was a moment of history.

Elizabeth, who became queen in 1952, provided an almost unique, lingering link to the modern world from the dark days of World War Two; Britain's oldest and longest-reigning monarch, and a 70-year reign surpassed in length only once before in the history of the world.

- Reuters

7am - The private burial of Queen Elizabeth II in King George VI Memorial Chapel is underway and Newshub Europe Correspondent Lisette Reymer has explained how it will work 

"It's a little bit complicated because a lot of people who would have been watching the funeral procession would have seen Queen Elizabeth be lowered into the Royal Vault at the end of that funeral this afternoon," Reymer told AM.

Reymer said despite the fact the Queen was lowered with Prince Philip, she will actually, along with her husband, be moved to the separate chapel.

"So King George VI Memorial Chapel is where her mother, her father and her sister, Princess Margaret are. It is a special alcove that was designed especially by Queen Elizabeth at the request of her father, who didn't want to be buried in the royal vault, along with more than 20 other royals and monarchs from over the years," she said.  

"So they have a special family tomb which hasn't been opened in 20 years. And it is the year that Queen Elizabeth will be placed tonight just with her family watching and it is believed that she will be having Prince Philip in there with her mum and her dad and her sister as well." 

Reymer said it's a "very special" and "poignant" way to end the Queen's funeral events and it will be nice for the Royal Family to finally have some private time to mourn the loss of Her Majesty the Queen.

Reymer said Monday's funeral marked the "final farewell" to the Queen. 

"There's been this huge build-up 10 days of people sharing their memories, laying flowers, paying their respects and today I think everyone has taken this huge deep breath and realised that, yes, this is the end. This was the final farewell, a very special day she had by hundreds of thousands here at Windsor at her home." 

6:22am - Queen Elizabeth II will be buried together with her late husband the Duke of Edinburgh, at the King George VI memorial chapel, located inside St George's Chapel.

Her marble slab will be engraved ELIZABETH II 1926-2022.

The Royal Family will return to the chapel at 6:30am (NZ time) for the private event. 

6:18am - At the end of a state funeral watched by millions of people the world over, Queen Elizabeth was brought home to her beloved Windsor Castle to be buried in a small chapel in a private ceremony.

Originally built by William the Conqueror after the Norman conquest in 1066, Windsor Castle has been rebuilt and remodelled over the centuries but is the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world.

Just outside London, it was the Queen's main weekend retreat and in the later years of her reign, her preferred home.

- Reuters

Read more here. 

6:05am - Newshub Correspondent Patrick Gower told AM Early from The Mall in London that he was "speechless for a moment" when Queen Elizabeth II's coffin went past before the funeral started. 

"Just in the distance, that flash of the purple of the crown on top of the coffin, it was an amazing sight, to be quite frank," he told AM Early host Bernadine Oliver-Kerby. 

"It was a phenomenal sight. It left me speechless for a moment and many other people as well. That really did create a silence like I could not think there could be in a city as big as this, with as many people around when the Queen's carriage came past. It was really something quite phenomenal. " 

5:20am - The Royal Family have just released some photos of the key moments of the Queen's funeral.

5am - Britain's King Charles paid tribute to his late mother Queen Elizabeth on Monday (local time) with a handwritten note laid on top of her coffin reading: "In loving and devoted memory, Charles R."

The note was placed amid a colourful wreath for the late monarch that Buckingham Palace said contained, at Charles's request, rosemary, English Oak and myrtle, which had been cut from a plant grown from myrtle used in Elizabeth's wedding bouquet.

There were also gold, pink, burgundy and white flowers cut from the gardens of royal residences.

Royals and heads of state from around the world gathered at London's Westminster Abbey on Monday morning for the state funeral for Elizabeth, Britain's longest serving monarch, who died on Sept. 8 aged 96.

- Reuters

4:47am - Thousands of people who have gathered along the Long Walk in Windsor to see the Queen's funeral procession stayed to watch her committal service on the big screens.

As the piper played, many became emotional and tearful. 

"I'm here because she was such an incredible woman," Dianne Turner told the BBC, who'd travelled from Somerset for the Queen's funeral. 

"And I think I got so emotional because my mum loved the Queen and this would have meant a lot to her."

4:20am - All the public funeral events, including the committal service have come to a close with King Charles III and the Queen consort speaking to the Archbishop of Canterbury and clergy outside the chapel as they leave the committal service and head to Windsor Castle.

The committal service was attended by around 800 people in St George’s Chapel and was the last public event for Queen Elizabeth II.

The King and his close family will return to the chapel for the Queen's burial at 6:30am (NZ time) where she will be interred next to her late husband, the Duke of Edinburgh.

Details of that service haven’t been revealed, with Buckingham Palace calling it a "deeply personal family occasion".

4:12am - Here is an update on what has happened in the last hour.

The Queen's coffin arrived in St George's Chapel at just after 3am (NZ time) for the committal service, which will be led by the Dean of Windsor, David Conner.

During the committal service, the Queen was seperated from her crown jewels. The Imperial State Crown, the Orb and Sceptre were removed from their place on her coffin by the Crown Jeweller.

They will eventually be returned to the Tower of London, but are now passed to the Dean of Windsor who places them carefully on the altar.

The next momentous moment comes as Lord Chamberlain, Baron Parker, ceremonially breaks his wand of office, signifying the end of his service to the sovereign, and places it on top of the Queen’s coffin.

The Queen is then slowly lowered into the royal vault ahead of her burial later in a private family service. While this is occuring, the Queen's piper is  playing - which was a performance the Queen had personally requested, according to Buckingham Palace.

As the congregation sang the national anthem, King Charles appeared to be fighting back tears.

3:10am - The Queen's coffin is now being carried into St George's Chapel, where the committal service will take place.

3am - Senior members of the royal family have joined the procession as the state hearse approaches St George's Chapel.

King Charles, Princess Anne, Princes Andrew and Edward, as well as Princes William and Harry are now walking behind the hearse.

2:40am - The Queen's corgis Muick and Sandy have been pictured outside Windsor Castle.

The Queen's corgis, Muick and Sandy are walked inside Windsor Castle. Photo credit: Getty Images

2:20am - The procession has now turned onto the Long Walk and is making its way up to Windsor Castle.

It is lined with thousands of people who have come to pay their respects.

2:10am - The Queen's coffin has arrived in Windsor and the hearse will join a procession up the Long Walk to Windsor Castle.

Photo credit: Getty Images

1:50am - The Long Walk in Windsor is now at capacity with spectators, a public announcement system has told visitors.

Crowds will be directed to Home Park, where there is a large screen to watch the Windsor procession and communal service.

The Long Walk is the procession route the Queen's hearse will take to Windsor Castle.

1:30am - The order of service for the Queen's committal service at St George's Chapel has been released.

This service will begin at 3am, New Zealand time.

1:20am - Tens of thousands of people lined the route taking the late Queen Elizabeth to her final resting place at Windsor Castle on Monday, throwing flowers towards the hearse and cheering as it departed the British capital following her state funeral.

Many thousands more crammed into central London to witness a ceremony of matchless pageantry attended by leaders and royalty from across the world, a fitting end for Britain's longest-serving monarch who won global respect during 70 years on the throne.

After the service, her flag-draped casket was pulled through silent streets on a gun carriage in one of the largest military processions seen in Britain involving thousands of members of the armed forces dressed in ceremonial finery.

They walked in step to funeral music from marching bands, while in the background the city's famous Big Ben tolled each minute. King Charles and other senior royals followed on foot.

The casket was taken from Westminster Abbey to Wellington Arch, where it was transferred to a hearse to begin its journey to Windsor. There the queen was to be laid to rest alongside her husband of 73 years, Prince Philip.

- Reuters

The Queen's coffin in the Royal Hearse leaves Wellington Arch. Photo credit: Getty Images

1am: The Coldstream Guards are outside Windsor Castle in preparation for the hearse carrying the Queen's coffin to arrive.

The Coldstream Guards outside the Garter Tower at Windsor Castle. Photo credit: Getty Images

12:40am - As the hearse travels through London, the streets are lined with thousands of members of the public.

Cheers are heard as the hearse drives past the crowds.

12:35am - The hearse carrying the Queen's coffin has departed Wellington Arch and is driving towards Windsor Castle.

It will be driven in procession through west London and to Windsor for her burial.

The Royal Hearse carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II at Wellington Arch. Photo credit: Getty Images

12:25am - The Queen's coffin has arrived at Wellington Arch and will soon be transferred to a hearse, which will then travel to Windsor Castle.

12:05am - The Queen's coffin is now passing Buckingham Palace.

From there, her coffin will travel up Constitution Hill to Wellington Arch.

The Queen's funeral cortege borne on the State Gun Carriage of the Royal Navy travels along The Mall. Photo credit: Getty Images

11:55pm - As the procession went along The Mall, the Queen's coffin passed statues in honour of both of her parents.

A bronze memorial to King George VI was inaugurated early in her reign, in 1955, and nearby is another bronze that was put up in 2009 to remember the Queen Mother, who died in 2002.

11:45pm - The walking procession is making its way to Wellington Arch, with the Queen's coffin soon to turn onto The Mall.

Once down there, she will pass her London home of Buckingham Palace one last time.

Horse Guards Parade after the State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II along The Mall. Photo credit: Getty Images

11:30pm - The Armed Forces are lining the streets of the Queen's procession.

The procession is being led by Mounties of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, who are followed by four representatives from the UK's National Health Service, including May Parsons, who administered the first COVID-19 vaccine in the country in 2020.

11:24pm - The walking procession from Westminster Abbey has begun.

It will be drawn down Horse Guards Parade, down The Mall, and then to Hyde Park Corner. Her coffin will then travel by hearse to Windsor Castle.

11:08pm - The Queen's coffin is being moved from Westminster Abbey to a waiting procession outside.

From there, her coffin will be drawn in walking procession from Westminster Abbey to Wellington Arch, at London's Hyde Park Corner.

10:59pm - The funeral is drawing to a close.

God Save The King is being sung, which will soon be followed by the procession of the coffin.

10:55pm - The Last Post is being played, which will be followed by two minutes' silence.

10:53pm - The Archbishop of Canterbury is giving the commendation, which is a prayer that entrusts the soul of the deceased to God.

"We entrust the soul of Elizabeth, our sister here departed, to thy merciful keeping, in sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life, when Christ shall be all in all; who died and rose again to save us, and now liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, in glory for ever."

10:51pm - In New York City, mourners have packed Churchill Tavern, where people are watching the funeral at 6am (local time).

Photo credit: Newshub.

10:48pm - The choir is now singing the hymn "Love divine, all loves excelling".

This was also sung at the weddings of the then-Prince of Wales and Camilla Parker Bowles and of Prince William and Kate Middleton.

10:46pm - On top of the Queen's coffin is a wreath containing foliage of rosemary, English oak and myrtle that was cut from a plant grown from myrtle in the Queen's wedding bouquet.

There are also flowers, in shades of gold, pink and deep burgundy, with touches of white, cut from the gardens of royal residences.

This wreath was at King Charles' request.

10:44pm - The choir is now singing Psalm 34:8, which was composed for the Queen's coronation in 1953.

10:37pm - The prayers are now being spoken.

The Reverend Dr Iain Greenshields, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, said: "Oh God,  from whom cometh everything that is upright and true: accept our thanks for the gifts of heart and mind that thou didst bestow upon thy daughter Elizabeth, and which she showed forth among us in her words and deeds; and grant that we may have grace to live our lives in accordance with thy will, to seek the good of others, and to remain faithful servants unto our lives’ end."

The Right Reverend and Right Honourable Dame Sarah Mullally, Bishop of London and Dean of His Majesty's Chapels Royal, gave a prayer for King Charles and all the royal family.

"Endue them with thy Holy Spirit, enrich them with thy heavenly grace; prosper them with all happiness; and bring them to thine everlasting kingdom."

10:32pm - The choir is now singing 'My soul, there is a country' by Hubert Parry.

It was chosen for the Queen's funeral as an apparent anthem of great hope.

10:27pm - The Archbishop of Canterbury The Most Reverend and Right Honourable Justin Welby is now delivering the sermon.

"Her Majesty famously declared on a 21st birthday broadcast, that her whole life would be dedicated to serving the nation and Commonwealth. Rarely has such a promise being so well kept, few leaders receive the outpouring of love that we have seen," he said.

10:24pm - The particular hymn the choir is now singing was also sung at then-Princess Elizabeth's wedding to Lt Philip Mountbatten in 1947.

The hymn is based on Psalm 23.

Both the psalm and the hymn are famous for the words: "Yea, though I walk through death’s dark vale, yet will I fear none ill; for thou art with me, and thy rod and staff me comfort still."

10:21pm - UK Prime Minister Liz Truss is now reading John 14: 1-9.

"Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you."

10:18pm - The choir is now singing Psalm 42.

This music was specifically written for the Queen's funeral and is reportedly inspired by the Queen's "unwavering Christian faith".

10:16pm - Secretary General of the Commonwealth The Right Honourable Patricia Scotland KC is reading the first lesson from Paul's first letter to the Corinthians.

It is about the resurrection of Christ and the promise of eternal life to Christians.

"Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?"

10:12pm - The first hymn is 'The day thou gavest, Lord, is ended', which was also sung at Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee celebrations in 1897.

10:09pm - Dean of Westminster David Hoyle is giving what is called the bidding.

"With gratitude we remember her unswerving commitment to a high calling over so many years as Queen and Head of the Commonwealth," he said.

"With admiration we recall her life-long sense of duty and dedication to her people. With thanksgiving we praise God for her constant example of Christian faith and devotion.

"With affection we recall her love for her family and her commitment to the causes she held dear."

10:06pm - The Queen's coffin has been placed on a platform in the centre of Westminster Abbey.

Speaking now is the Dean of Westminster, David Hoyle.

10:03pm - Members of the royal family are walking in procession behind the Queen's coffin, including Prince George and Princess Charlotte, who are some of the youngest members of the family.

They are walking alongside their parents the Prince and Princess of Wales.

9:58pm - The Queen's coffin is being carried into Westminster Abbey after a short procession from Westminster Hall.

Her funeral service is beginning.

9:55pm - The Queen's coffin is now being moved from the State Gun Carriage in preparation to be taken into Westminster Abbey.

9:50pm - In New Zealand, a viewing for the Queen's funeral is being held at Sir Edmund Hillary Retirement Village in Remuera, Auckland.

Photo credit: Newshub.

9:45pm - The procession of taking the Queen to Westminster Abbey has begun.

Her four children, including King Charles, are following her on foot. Behind them are Princes William and Harry, and Peter Phillips, who is the son of Princess Anne.

Photo credit: Getty Images

9:40pm - The Queen's coffin is now being placed on the State Gun Carriage of the Royal Navy, which is drawn by 142 sailors.

She will then be taken from Westminster Hall to nearby Westminster Abbey. Members of the royal family will walk in procession behind her.

9:36pm - Extended members of the royal family are beginning to take their seats in Westminster Abbey.

9:33pm - King Charles and other senior members of the royal family are arriving at Westminster Hall.

9:30pm - Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and her fiance Clarke Gayford have just arrived at Westminster Abbey, along with other world leaders including Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Photo credit: BBC

9:27pm - Cars carrying members of the royal family have begun departing Buckingham Palace for Westminster Hall.

9:20pm - Former UK Prime Ministers including Boris Johnson, David Cameron, and Theresa May have just arrived.

Current UK Prime Minister Liz Truss has also arrived. She met the Queen at Balmoral Castle just two days before the monarch's death.

9:05pm - World leaders have started arriving at Westminster Abbey, including US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron.

Other guests including members of the Queen's household, such as her ladies-in-waiting, have also just arrived.

US President Joe Biden arrives at Westminster Abbey ahead of The State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. Photo credit: Getty Images

9pm - Bands, members of the Navy, and other official personnel have started marching near Westminster Abbey.

The Band of the Royal Marines at Westminster Abbey ahead of The State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. Photo credit: Getty Images

8:45pm - All the viewing areas from where members of the public can witness the funeral procession of Queen Elizabeth have reached capacity, London's governing body said on Monday.

City Hall said on Twitter that new arrivals would no longer be allowed entry. Tens of thousands of people have come to the capital to see the queen's coffin over the past few days, with her funeral due to begin at 11am.

- Reuters

8:35pm - The Royal Family has just released the order of service for the Queen's funeral.

You can read that here.

8:30pm - The first bells have just tolled for the Queen at Westminster Abbey.

They will toll once a minute for 96 minutes in the lead up to her funeral, representing the 96 years of her life.

8:20pm - Here is a view inside Westminster Abbey as guests begin to arrive for the Queen's service.

Guests and officials take their seats inside Westminster Abbey in London for the State Funeral Service for Queen Elizabeth II. Photo credit: Getty Images

8:10pm - Hundreds of thousands of people are expected in central London on Monday as the funeral of Queen Elizabeth, Britain's longest-reigning monarch, takes place.

Below are quotes from some in the crowds:

ALEXANDRA STEVENSON, 35, FROM LONDON

"She's been around for so long that all of us have taken her for granted.

"I'm here because it's part of history - like everybody else I think. We'll get along alright, I think - this country is full of pragmatic people."

VICKY McCONKEY, 70, FROM LONDON

"She's been here all my life. I'm not particularly mad about the Royal Family but I like the Queen.

"I wasn't going to miss it, though - I had to be here."

JOEL FESTENSTEIN, 28, FROM MANCHESTER

"I've been a long admirer of the Queen. I even went to her 80th birthday as a child when she was here in the palace. I wanted to be part of the final send-off."

CRAIG CHAMBERS, 32

"I'm from the Caribbean community and we celebrate a life rather than mourning - but we do it respectfully.

"I have a lot of respect for the years she's reigned. I wanted to be a part of history."

ABBY FOX, 32, FROM ESSEX

"She feels like your nan - like your family. She was always there, always smiling.

"She's just dedicated her whole life to the country, hasn't she? And not asked for anything back."

- Reuters

7:55pm - The Royal Family has shared a video ahead of the Queen's funeral, showing photos of her throughouther life.

"Remembering Our Queen. Today people from across the UK, Commonwealth and around the world will pay tribute to the extraordinary life and reign of Her Majesty The Queen," they wrote on Twitter.

7:40pm - Newshub national correspondent Patrick Gower interviewed a corgi owner in London earlier - but it took an unexpected turn after hundreds swarmed around the popular dogs.

See how it unfolded below.

7:35pm - Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has just left her hotel in London and is travelling to Westminster Abbey.

As she was departing, she spoke to media said the Queen's funeral is a chance for people to be there for the late monarch, just like she was there for others over her reign.

She said she is "very humbled and privileged" to be able to attend the Queen's funeral.

7:30pm - Newshub's special covering the Queen's state funeral has now begun. 

You can watch it in the video player at the top of the page. Refresh this page if you can't see it, or click here to watch if you're using the Newshub app.

7:25pm - The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby is calling for people to pray for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

"Let us pray for the Royal Family as they gather today to commend Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II into the hands of our loving and faithful God."

7:18pm - Westminster Abbey doors are now open to the congregation attending the Queen’s funeral.

Around 2000 guests including Presidents, dignitaries, other royals and members of the public will attend the service.

The King's Guards trooped through the gates of Abbey, with two soldiers stationed at the metal gates.

7:15pm - Prince George and Princess Charlotte will join over 2000 guests at the Queen's funeral in Westminster Abbey.

George, 9, and Charlotte, 7, will join the procession with other members of the Royal Family following the coffin as it enters the church.

The Prince and Princess of Wales, William and Kate, will walk in front of their two children.

Their youngest child Louis, 4, is not expected to attend.

Prince George and Princess Charlotte will join over 2000 guests at the Queen's funeral. Photo credit: Getty Images

7:00pm - US President Joe Biden signed the Official Condolence Book for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on Monday.

"We first met the Queen in 1982, and will always remember her kindness and hospitality. Her legacy will loom large in the pages of British history, and in the story of our world," Biden said.

Joe Biden signed the Official Condolence Book for Her Majesty. Photo credit: Twitter/Joe Biden

6:45pm - A tribute to Queen Elizabeth II has been lit up on top of 139 Quay Street, Auckland.

It has been organised by a former serviceman and Auckland businessman, who wishes to remain nameless.

He describes it as "a tribute to our Commander and Chief on behalf of current and former service men and women".

The tribute will be lit up until 6am Tuesday and then again for 24 hours next Monday.

A tribute to Queen Elizabeth II has been lit up on top of 139 Quay Street, Auckland. Photo credit: Supplied

6:40pm - The UK Military security has arrived at Westminster Bridge.

Newshub reporter Mitch McCann, who is in London, said he has "never seen security on this level".

6:35pm - The guards who have been standing vigil during the Queen's lying in state period from 5pm Wednesday until 6:30am Monday (local time) have finally finished.

A behind the scenes photo shows the guards taking a break at Westminster Hall.

6:15pm - Footage shows the moment the final mourners paid their respects to the Queen lying in state in Westminster Hall.

The lying-in-state period ended at 5:30pm (NZ time) with the last members of the public who had queued through the night walking through the hall followed by members of Parliamentary staff.

Black Rod Sarah Clarke was the last person to walk past the coffin.

Black Rod Sarah Clarke was the last to walk past the coffin. Photo credit: BBC

6:00pm - King Charles released a message as the nation prepares to say its final farewell to Queen Elizabeth.

"Over the last ten days, my wife and I have been so deeply touched by the many messages of condolence and support we have received from this country and across the world," His Majesty said in a statement.

"In London, Edinburgh, Hillsborough and Cardiff we were moved beyond measure by everyone who took the trouble to come and pay their respects to the lifelong service of my dear mother, The late Queen.

"As we all prepare to say our last farewell, I wanted simply to take this opportunity to say thank you to all those countless people who have been such a support and comfort to my Family and myself in this time of grief."

"As we all prepare to say our last farewell, I wanted simply to take this opportunity to say thank you to all those countless people who have been such a support and comfort to my Family and myself in this time of grief." Photo credit: Twitter/The Royal Family

5:45pm - The top of the Mall, a road in central London between Buckingham Palace at its western end and Trafalgar Square, has been closed to the public as crowds rush to see the Queen. 

Kiwi Majorie Leighton, originally of Hataitai Wellington, told Newshub's Patrick Gower she had camped for 24 hours so far, with over 12 to go.

"It is about respect," she said.

Majorie Leighton, originally of Hataitai Wellington and now living in Scotland, has camped for 24 hours so far. Photo credit: Newshub.

5:20pm - A national minute of silence will be held at the start of New Zealand's State Memorial Service for Queen Elizabeth II, at 2pm on Monday, September 26.

The one-hour service will be held at the Wellington Cathedral of St Paul, during a one-off public holiday to mark the Queen's death.

"The minute's silence is a way for people, wherever they might be in New Zealand, to stand together to mark an extraordinary 70 years of service," Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said.

The State Memorial will be broadcasted and Parliament grounds in Wellington will also have two large screens for people to come together to watch the service.

"During her reign, the Queen came to New Zealand on 10 occasions and visited 46 cities and towns. We know in communities across the country, people will want to show their respects to a monarch who dedicated her life to service," Ardern said.

"She will continue to hold a special place in the hearts of many." 

5:00pm - The Queen's funeral plans:

After hundreds of thousands visited the Queen lying in state at Westminster Hall, the doors will close at 5:30pm on Monday (NZ time).

At 9:35pm (NZ time) the Queen's coffin will leave Westminster Hall, here her coffin will be placed on a gun carriage and pulled by 142 Royal Navy Sailors to Westminster Abbey, followed by King Charles and Prince Harry and William. 

At 9:52pm (NZ time) the queen's coffin will arrive at Westminster Abbey for her service, due to begin at 10pm (NZ time).

At 10:55pm (NZ time) the Last Post will sound and a national two-minute silence will commence marking the end of the ceremony.

At 11pm (NZ time) the Queen's coffin will be placed back on the gun carriage, where guns will be fired at Hyde Park and Big Ben will ring every minute for the entirety of the procession. 

At 12am (NZ time) Her Majesty's coffin will arrive at Wellington Arch and be transferred to the new state hearse where her 40km journey to Windsor Castle begins.  

At 2am on Tuesday (NZ time) the hearse will arrive at Windsor Castle, where it will drive along The Long Walk, a scenic route to Windsor, where a private burial will be held.

Read everything you need to know about the Queen's funeral here.

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