Queen's funeral - live: How to follow the service today

The Queen's funeral: Follow live

Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning monarch in British history, is being laid to rest in a historic state funeral today.

Around 2,000 mourners, including senior royals and world leaders, are paying their final respects to the late Queen at the ceremony at Westminster Abbey.

Elizabeth II died on 8 September aged 96, triggering a 10-day period of national mourning. She was succeeded as monarch by her son King Charles III.

Here is everything you need to know about her funeral, including how to watch it live:

When and where is the Queen's funeral?

The historic ceremony is taking place at Westminster Abbey in central London, where the Queen was married and crowned.

The location marks a break from tradition, as royal funerals typically take place at St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle.

How can I watch the funeral live on TV?

The state funeral is being shown live across BBC One, BBC Two, BBC News and iPlayer.

The broadcaster's coverage is led by Huw Edwards, Kirsty Young and David Dimbleby.

ITV is airing the service on all its channels, including ITV2, ITV3, ITV4 and ITVBe, with a live stream available to watch on ITV Hub.

Read more: Start time and schedule for Queen's funeral

The funeral is also being shown on big screens in major UK cities, including London, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Manchester and Birmingham.

Vue, Curzon and Arc are screening the funeral for free in some cinemas across the country.

What is the schedule for the funeral?

At 8am the doors of Westminster Abbey opened for the congregation to take their seats.

At 10.44am, the King and his family marched behind the Queen's coffin as it was moved to the Abbey from Westminster Hall.

The service began at 11am and is being conducted by the Dean of Westminster, while the Archbishop of Canterbury is giving the sermon.

As the service ends the Last Post will sound at 11.55am, followed by a national two minutes' silence.

The Queen's coffin will be taken in procession to Wellington Arch and then travels to Windsor.

At 4pm, some 800 people will attend a committal service in St George's Chapel.

At 7:30pm, the Queen will be buried with the Duke of Edinburgh in a private service in King George VI's chapel.

What is a state funeral?

A state funeral is a rare honour usually reserved for a monarch. The only sovereign not to be given a state funeral in the last 295 years was Edward VIII, who abdicated.

In rare cases, state funerals have been held for non-royals, including Sir Isaac Newton, Lord Nelson, the Duke of Wellington and Sir Winston Churchill.

The last state funeral in the UK was Churchill's in 1965. Princess Diana, Queen Mother and Prince Philip all had ceremonial funerals instead.

The last state funeral for a sovereign was for the Queen's father, George VI, in 1952.

Who is attending?

Around 500 dignitaries and world leaders are attending the funeral, making it one of the biggest diplomatic gatherings in decades.

They are being joined by senior royals – including King Charles and the Queen Consort – and prime minister Liz Truss and her predecessors.

Other high-profile names on the guest list include US president Joe Biden, France's Emmanuel Macron and Canadian leader Justin Trudeau.

Read more: What will King Charles' reign be called?

Due to political tensions, not every country is welcome. Invites were not to sent to officials from Russia, Belarus, Syria, Venezuela, Afghanistan or Myanmar.

Iran, North Korea and Nicaragua are only being represented at an ambassadorial level.

Follow live updates from the Queen's funeral above