All eyes are on London for the Queen’s state funeral.

VIPs, dignitaries and mourners are gathering in the capital to say a final farewell to the late monarch, who died at Balmoral in Scotland on September 8 aged 96.

All public viewing areas for the Queen’s funeral procession are full, London’s City Hall said.

Thousands of mourners have lined Constitution Hill in central London in anticipation of the Queen’s funeral procession passing by.

Members of the public streamed out of nearby Green Park tube station early on Monday morning in a bid to secure a spot on the road close to Buckingham Palace.

On the other side of barriers, police officers in dress uniform lined the length of the thoroughfare linking the palace with Wellington Arch.

Some individuals in the crowd wore medals, others waved Union Jack flags, many clutched thermos flasks and waited on picnic blankets and stools.

Important update for those looking to watch Her Majesty The Queen’s State Funeral and procession from the viewing areas in central London. pic.twitter.com/1GS8Incmnw

— London Gov (@LDN_gov) September 19, 2022

One sign being carried bore the message: “She left her soul in bonnie Scotland to remain the monarch of every glen.”

The Italian president Sergio Mattarella was among the last to arrive in Chelsea in a chauffeur-driven Maserati with the number plate ITA 1.

Italian President Sergio Mattarella now, arriving in the embassy’s Maserati, licence plates ITA 1. pic.twitter.com/0xxlEFpUZ1

Meanwhile, a crowd of onlookers had gathered on the pavement to spot the heads of state assembling.

Crowds are growing in London, with around 95 minutes until proceedings get under way.

Sinn Fein vice president Michelle O’Neill tweeted: “Today I respectfully join leaders from Britain, Ireland & the international community at the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II as she is laid to rest.

“It is a sad day for her family who mourn her loss, and all those of a British identity from across our community who grieve also.”

Today I respectfully join leaders from Britain, Ireland & the international community at the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II as she is laid to rest. It is a sad day for her family who mourn her loss, and all those of a British identity from across our community who grieve also.

— Michelle O’Neill (@moneillsf) September 19, 2022

A service of remembrance is taking place at Royal Hillsborough Fort in Co Down ahead of the Queen’s funeral.

The service features the Hillsborough Fort Guard, a ceremonial unit of warders dressed in navy tunics and white breeches.

Bugler Andrew Carlisle, who wears a scarlet tunic, sounded the call to begin the ceremony.

20,000 people came to Hillsborough Castle in County Down yesterday to pay their respects to Queen Elizabeth II. pic.twitter.com/TvwISCZzj6

The Co Down village is home to Hillsborough Castle, the royal residence in Northern Ireland, and has been the focus of much of the outpouring of grief in the region since the death of the Queen.

Tens of thousands of people have visited Royal Hillsborough in the last 10 days, with many leaving floral tributes at the front of the castle gates.

A large screen has been erected on the lawn of St Malachy’s Parish Church where people will gather later to watch the funeral live.

At Westminster Abbey, the King and the Queen Consort will be sitting in the ornate Canada Club chairs, with Camilla next to the Princess Royal, then Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, then the Duke of York and then the Earl and Countess of Wessex in the front row of the south lantern.

Across the aisle will be the Prince of Wales, the Princess of Wales, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, and then Peter Phillips and Zara and Mike Tindall.

Directly behind the King will be the Duke of Sussex with the Duchess of Sussex behind Camilla. Meghan will be sitting next to Princess Beatrice.

US President Joe Biden will be 14 rows back on the south transept behind the Polish leader and in front of the Czech Republic. The First Lady will be next to Switzerland. Directly across the aisle from Mr Biden’s place the seat was labelled the Republic of Korea.

In the front of the south transept will be Realms governors general and then commonwealth counties followed by other nations including the US.

SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford has been pictured arriving for the Queen’s funeral at Westminster Abbey.

Business Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg has also arrived.

Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese has arrived at the Royal Hospital Chelsea ahead of the Queen’s funeral in Westminster.

Mr Albanese is due to take the bus to Westminster Abbey with fellow world leaders.

Albo has arrived. Australian PM @AlboMP sweeps into the cordon in his Jag. World leaders are still arriving with only two hours to go until the Queen’s funeral. pic.twitter.com/spxfbgnNNx

Thousands of mourners are expected to miss the Queen’s funeral due to rail disruption.

All lines between Paddington in west London and Reading in Berkshire are blocked because of damage to overhead electric wires, Network Rail said.

At Paddington, passengers are being redirected to alternative routes including via Marylebone and Waterloo.

Station staff offered those waiting free tea and coffee with disruption expected until 10am.

The royal family’s official Twitter account has posted a tribute video to the 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. pic.twitter.com/yuFxoo6Gdu

— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) September 19, 2022

Press photographer Yui Mok, from the PA news agency, said he felt “very emotional” after leaving Westminster Hall.

He said: “Having photographed the entire duration of Queen Elizabeth II lying in state in Westminster Hall – capturing the very first members of the public to the last to pay their respects – I turned off my cameras, gave a bow and walked out of the hall feeling very emotional.”

Having photographed the entire duration of Queen Elizabeth II lying in state in Westminster Hall – capturing the very first members of the public to the last to pay their respects – I turned off my cameras, gave a bow and walked out of the hall feeling very emotional. #Queue pic.twitter.com/5qDmSiDrir

The president of Kenya, William Ruto, tweeted at 8.38am to save he has arrived in the capital for the Queen’s funeral at Westminster Abbey.

Arrived in London, United Kingdom to attend the burial of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. pic.twitter.com/ffLUVYjbCA

— William Samoei Ruto, PhD (@WilliamsRuto) September 19, 2022

Meanwhile, a car registered to the European Commission has arrived at the police cordon at the Royal Hospital Chelsea.

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen is due to attend the funeral.

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and equalities minister Nadhim Zahawi, right, has been pictured arriving for the Queen’s funeral.

A car with Polish number plates has also arrived at the Royal Hospital in Chelsea as world leaders continue to gather before travelling to Westminster Abbey.

Polish President Andrzej Duda is scheduled to attend with his wife, Agata.

On Sunday afternoon, President Duda met Liz Truss in Downing Street to discuss future Polish-UK cooperation and the conflict in Ukraine.

The George V metro station in Paris has been renamed for Elizabeth II for the day.

Le groupe RATP rend hommage à la reine d’Angleterre en renommant pour la journée la station George V en Elizabeth II. pic.twitter.com/QfcJzV8LpL

Along The Mall, thousands of people have already lined the route along the barriers ahead of the procession.

Near the Queen Victoria memorial, two people have draped Union flags over the barrier.

Police officers are stationed at points at the barriers all around the memorial while security staff are manning crossing points for media.

At 8.20am, security allowed members of the public through to the barriers on the anti-clockwise section of the memorial before they plan to shut down The Mall at 9am.

People were seen rushing to get a spot on the barriers, some carrying camping chairs, with the majority dressed in black.

A man paints the scene near Horse Guards in London.

A car registered to the German embassy has arrived at the security cordon around the Royal Hospital Chelsea as world leaders continue to meet before travelling to Westminster Abbey.

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier is understood to be attending the Queen’s funeral.

Other delegations to have arrived recently include Slovenia, Croatia, Nigeria and Malawi.

Crowds are starting to grow in the capital amid final preparations for the Queen’s funeral, with proceedings set to start at 10.44am.

A car registered to the Irish embassy was among a group of diplomatic cars to arrive in Chelsea with a police motorbike escort.

Irish Taoiseach Micheal Martin is one of the dignitaries expected to attend the funeral.

Pranav Bhanot and Nancy O’Neill arrived at Westminster Abbey just after 8am.

A long-serving nurse, Ms O’Neill was recognised for her efforts during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Mr Bhanot, from Chigwell in Essex, helped deliver 1,200 free meals during the pandemic.

Both are attending the funeral after being named in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.

The doors of Westminster Abbey opened at 8am, ahead of the arrival of the first mourners for the Queen’s funeral.

The King’s Guards trooped through the Abbey’s gates, with two soldiers stationed at the metal gates awaiting the start of proceedings.

The world’s media has gathered outside Westminster Abbey ahead of the Queen’s funeral later this morning.

Access in and around central London is tightly controlled as TV and radio crews prepare to broadcast to millions if not billions of people around the world.

A massive scaffold has been erected in front of the Abbey for the media, awaiting the first members of the congregation, who are expected to arrive after 8am.

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.

We come together to give thanks for a long life, lived in service to her people and her Saviour, Jesus Christ.

— Archbishop of Canterbury (@JustinWelby) September 19, 2022

Police officers prepare on The Mall in London ahead of the Queen’s state funeral:

Members of the armed services walking down Horseferry Road to get into position:

Shortly after 7.30am, dignitaries began to arrive at the Royal Hospital in diplomatic cars with dark windows.

The first vehicle to cross the police cordon was registered to Sudan.

Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, Sudan’s military leader, is expected to attend the Queen’s funeral.

Merci Votre Majesté. pic.twitter.com/rza9r8KLA6

Chrissy Heerey, the last person to see the Queen lying in state, visited the coffin in Westminster Hall twice.

After first queuing at 5.15pm on Sunday and going through the hall at 1.15am, she rejoined the queue at 2.30am.

She said: “(I wanted to go the second time) because it’s so quick and it’s so momentous. I didn’t feel as though I’d done it justice.

“There were a lot of people (inside Westminster Hall) but everybody was very solemn, everybody was very respectful.

“Everybody gave each other room so they could have that final moment.”

NHS medic and author Dr Amir Khan said people may not just be mourning the late monarch today – which could bring back painful memories.

A day that will be difficult for many who have lost their own loved ones ❤️

Grief is the price we pay for love, however you’re feeling, know you’re not alone#queensfuneral #QueenElizabethII pic.twitter.com/x1ACKWh97d

— Dr Amir Khan GP (@DrAmirKhanGP) September 19, 2022

Early on Monday morning, police officers formed a ring of security, blocking off streets surrounding the Royal Hospital Chelsea where foreign heads of state are due to gather to be transported in buses to Westminster Abbey.

The home of the Chelsea pensioners was cut off to the public by uniformed officers and security barriers ahead of the dignitaries’ arrival.

Photographers, television cameras and journalists gathered on the edge of the security ring hoping to catch sight of the bus convoy.

Seeing more people now, around Victoria Station. Continue to pass loads of security ahead of #queensfuneral. pic.twitter.com/l3iBOR5H7v

Mourners have complained that they were given “false hope” they would be able to attend the Queen’s lying-in-state after queuing through the night without wristbands.

Pauline Pearce, who queued in central London for seven hours, said “constant misinformation” was given to those in the queue.

Ms Pearce, who was dubbed the “Hackney heroine” after she was filmed confronting rioters in 2011, said: “All of us have felt angry today.”

“We were sent from one point to another and living off the false hope that they might let us in. At one point they said they were going to open the gates, then suddenly they didn’t. There was no empathy at all from the organisers.”

Fiona Harper, 60, said organisation of the last night of queuing was characterised by “inaptitude” with confusion about where wristbands were to be handed out.

Ms Harper said: “The problem was that we were all lead to believe that you picked up your wristband at the end of the queue. So, we were querying for an hour and a half before they told us there were no more wristbands.”

The second last person to see the Queen lying in state was Sima Mansouri, 55, originally from Iran, who lives in South Croydon, London.

Her love for the Queen dates back to the 1970s, when her cousin was a flower girl for a royal visit in Tehran.

Ms Mansouri said: “It was a boiling hot day and my poor cousin has got very fair skin, blonde hair and blue eyes.

“The Queen came out of her plane and was more concerned with my cousin burning in the sun than being a royal.”

“She said, ‘Can someone please get this little girl out of the sun?’ Then she kissed her and grabbed the flowers.

“I thought it was amazing.”

All railway lines between Slough and Paddington are blocked due to damage to overhead electric wires, Great Western Railway (GWR) said.

This is disrupting journeys for mourners attempting to travel to London for the Queen’s funeral from Reading or Heathrow Airport.

Services run by GWR, Heathrow Express and the Elizabeth line are affected.

⚠️Due to damage to overhead wires, all lines between Slough and Paddington are blocked.

⚠️Train services running to or from these stations will be cancelled or delayed by up to 90 minutes.

⚠️Check your journey at https://t.co/U53eoQQs6C

The lines between Reading and Newbury are also closed due to a person being hit by a train.

This is causing GWR trains to be diverted, delaying journeys to the capital.

The last person leaving the Queen’s lying in state at Westminster Hall was Chrissy Heerey, a serving member of the RAF from Melton Mowbray.

She said: “It felt like a real privilege to do that.

“I’d already been round once, I went in at 1.15 this morning.

“It’s one of the highlights of my life and I feel very privileged to be here.”

With the lying in state coming to an end, the Queen has finished her final duty in Parliament – an institute she visited frequently during her 70-year reign.

She delivered her first Queen’s Speech at the State Opening of Parliament on November 4 1952.

As monarch she only missed three state openings – in 1959 and 1963 when she was pregnant with Andrew, the future Duke of York and Edward, who would become Earl of Wessex and then in May this year as her health faltered.

On that occasion the then-Prince of Wales opened Parliament, a role which will be his by right from now on as King.

Prince George and Princess Charlotte will attend the Queen’s state funeral, the order of service has shown.

The last people who queued through the night to witness the lying in state left Westminster Hall at 6.30am.

Members of parliamentary staff then followed, with Black Rod Sarah Clarke, 56, the last to walk past the coffin.

The Queen’s lying in state at Westminster Hall has ended.

Mourners who queued for hours through the night without wristbands have vented their frustrations at police after being turned away from the Queen’s lying-in-state.

Dozens of mourners were prevented in the early hours of Monday from advancing any closer to Westminster Hall by police at the entrance to Victoria Tower Gardens next to Lambeth Bridge.

Albert, who joined the queue without a wristband at 10pm last night, was one of those not allowed into Westminster.

He said the Government’s official live feed was not kept up-to-date with information that no more wristbands would be given out.

“The communication has been terrible,” said Albert after queuing in central London for over six hours.

He added: “There were loads of people who joined the official queue based on the website, but never received wristbands.”

“And in the queue they didn’t give us any information – just to be disrespectful to us when we got here (Lambeth Bridge) in the end.“

Hundreds of people are still streaming out of Westminster Hall after seeing the Queen lying in state.

They are among the final people to see the Queen’s coffin, with the lying in state expected to finish at 6.30am.

They have been waiting for hours, with the queue closing after 10.30pm on Sunday.

How to watch on television

The BBC’s special programming will air from 8am until 5pm on BBC One and iPlayer, with BSL signed coverage on BBC Two.

ITV’s programming will start at 9.30am, and all the day’s programming – from 6am to midnight – will be broadcast simultaneously on the main channel and five digital channels and the ITV Hub, the first time the broadcaster has done so.

The Queen’s funeral service will be conducted by the Dean of Westminster, with the sermon given by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

The Prime Minister and the Secretary General of the Commonwealth will read lessons, while the Archbishop of York, the Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster, the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland and the Free Churches Moderator will say prayers.

Towards the end of the service, the Last Post will sound, followed by two minutes of silence to be observed in the abbey and around the UK.

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