Outpouring of grief plays out in poignant scenes as Queen's funeral details confirmed

The Prince and Princess of Wales visited a sea of flowers left for the Queen at the main gates to Sandringham House yesterday, as thousands of people queued night and day to pay their respects at Westminster Hall where her coffin is guarded at all hours.

The Queen's four children, with King Charles at the helm, are to mount a 15-minute vigil as it lies in state from 7.30pm this evening, draped with a Royal Standard.

Now, as plans are put into motion for the final farewell to the nation's longest-serving monarch, Buckingham Palace has confirmed details of Monday's state ceremony at Westminster Abbey.

The Queen's funeral will "unite people across the globe and resonate with people of all faiths", the man in charge of the historic occasion has said.

The Earl Marshal, the Duke of Norfolk, described the task as "both humbling and daunting. An honour and a great responsibility".

Some two thousand people, from world leaders to foreign royals, are to gather at Westminster for Monday's service.

Then, from 4pm, a committal service at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle will see 800 in attendance, including members of the Queen's Household and Windsor staff.

The Queen is to be interred with the Duke of Edinburgh in King George VI's Memorial Chapel in St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, in a private service at 7.30pm.

But the burial service, conducted by the Dean of Windsor and attended by the King and royals, will remain entirely private as a "deeply personal family occasion".

The earl said the events of recent days are a reminder of the "strength" of the constitution.

He said: "The Queen held a unique and timeless position in all our lives. Her Majesty's passing has left many people across many continents with a profound sense of loss.

"It is our aim and belief that the state funeral and events of the next few days will unite people across the globe and resonate with people of all faiths, whilst fulfilling Her Majesty and her family's wishes to pay a fitting tribute to an extraordinary reign."

The King will once again lead his family in marching behind the Queen's coffin from Westminster Hall to Westminster Abbey for the Queen's funeral service on Monday.

The haunting call of the Last Post is to sound as the service nears its end, followed by a two-minute national silence, with a Lament by the Queen's Piper to bring the service to a close.

After the funeral, the King and members of the royal family will walk behind the Queen's coffin as it leaves Westminster Abbey, before it is driven to Windsor on the state hearse.

Here, the committal service is to see traditions symbolising the end of Elizabeth II's reign.

The Imperial State Crown, the orb and the sceptre will be lifted from the Queen's coffin, separating the Queen from her crown for the final time.

At the end of the last hymn, the King will step forward and place the Grenadier Guards' Queen's Company Camp Colour on the coffin.

At the same time Baron Parker - the Lord Chamberlain and the most senior official in the late Queen's royal household - will "break" his Wand of Office and place it on the coffin, signifying the end of his service.

As the Queen's coffin is lowered into the royal vault, blessings will be read while the Queen's piper plays a lament.

The King and members of the royal family will return for a private burial service in the evening, when the Queen will be interred alongside her late husband the Duke of Edinburgh.