How to watch Queen’s lying in state on TV: what time is Queen Elizabeth II’s vigil today - live stream details

Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away on 8 September, is lying in state in Westminster Hall, London as part of a historic ceremony.

More than one million people are expected to file past The Queen’s coffin over the next few days to pay their respects to the late monarch, posing a major logistical challenge for organisers.

Millions more people will want to pay their respects to the UK’s longest-serving monarch but will be unable to travel to London. For those in the UK and across the world who are unable to join the vigil in person, the event will also be live streamed.

How can you watch The Queen’s lying in state on TV?

The BBC launched a live stream of the lying in state ceremony on Wednesday night (14 September) to offer the opportunity for everyone to pay their respects. The stream is available to watch on the BBC homepage, the BBC News website and app, BBC iPlayer, BBC Parliament and on the Red Button. The live stream is available internationally, so that people all over the world can join the vigil virtually.

ITV News also broadcast special coverage of The Queen’s lying in state from 1pm-6pm on Wednesday.

When is The Queen lying in state?

Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin lay at rest at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh on Monday and thousands of mourners attended to pay their respects. The coffin, draped in the Royal Standard, was flown to London on Tuesday 13 September. It was carried to Westminster Hall on an open gun carriage of the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery, drawn by a team of black horses.

It will lie in state until the morning of the Queen’s state funeral on Monday 19 September.

Over the week more than one million people are expected to file past the coffin, and members of the royal family will stand vigil by it. Queues are stretching along the banks of the River Thames and a wristband system has been set up, though there is no guarantee that those in line will be able to enter Westminster Hall, as there may not be enough time in the day. Mourners have been warned of a 30-hour wait.

When will the BBC live stream end?

The BBC has not confirmed when the live stream will end. The lying in state period will end at 6.30am on 19 September, and it is possible that the live stream will only finish at this point.

BBC programming will not be affected by the live stream as it will not air on the main channels.

When is the Queen’s funeral?

The Queen’s state funeral will begin at 9am on 19 September in Westminster Abbey which has a maximum capacity of 2,000. The event will also be broadcast across the world, and is expected to be watched by more than 20 million people in the UK alone.

The funeral will be broadcast live by channels including BBC One and ITV.