Canadians who will be at the Queen’s funeral: what we know so far

Preparations for Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral are underway in London as Britain mourns the passing of its longest-reigning monarch.

The funeral for the Queen, who died last week after 70 years on the throne, will be held on Monday, Sept. 19. Several world leaders, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and U.S. President Joe Biden, are expected to attend.

Ralph Goodale, Canada’s High Commissioner to the U.K., told The Canadian Press (CP) on Monday that members of the Canadian delegation have already started to arrive in London. They will be managing logistics, with RCMP and armed forces personnel expected to land in the next two days.

“Canada, being one of the most senior countries in the Commonwealth, will be prominent at the beginning of the laying in state and then later on when there will be official visits by the Governor General and by the Prime Minister,” he told CP.

Along with Gov. Gen. Mary Simon and the prime minister, Ralph Goodale will be one of three “official mourners” from Canada. He said his office is working with others to determine how many more Canadians can attend.

On Sunday, the late Queen’s coffin departed from Scotland’s Balmoral Castle and was transported by hearse to Edinburgh, the nation’s capital.

On Tuesday, it will be flown by plane to London, where it will remain in state in Westminster Hall so that the public may say their final farewells in the four days before Monday’s funeral.

The hall will be open 24 hours a day on the day of the Queen’s funeral. The U.K. government has warned that those wishing to pay their respects “will be required to queue for many hours, possibly overnight.”

Next week, heads of state and dignitaries from around the world are expected to arrive in London to attend the funeral.

Goodale said the funeral preparations are an “amazing” undertaking for British officials, who have only a week left to finish planning the ceremony for a beloved world figure and co-ordinate the travel and movement of guests from around the globe.

According to Reuters, 21 foreign leaders have confirmed their attendance at the funeral. Some of the familiar faces to attend the televised service include New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro.

After the funeral, the coffin will proceed in procession to Wellington Arch before making its last exit from London and heading to Windsor

It ends its journey at the St. George’s Chapel on the Windsor Castle grounds, where the Queen’s husband Prince Philip’s memorial service also took place.

With files from Canadian Press, Reuters and CNN