QUEEN Elizabeth II's state funeral takes place today, as the nation comes together to pay tribute to the UK's longest serving monarch.

Here is a timeline of events expected to take place over the next 24 hours.

Lying in state

The lying in state ended at 6.30am this morning, before the Queen’s coffin is taken to Westminster Abbey for the funeral service.

Funeral service at Westminster Abbey

From 8am, the congregation will begin to take their seats in the abbey.

Heads of state and overseas government representatives, including foreign royal families, governors-general and realm prime ministers will first gather at the Royal Hospital in Chelsea before travelling to Westminster.

South Wales Argus:

Just after 10.35am, a bearer party from The Queen’s Company, 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards, will lift the coffin from a wooden frame and carry it to the Royal Navy’s State Gun Carriage by the North Door of Westminster Hall.

The carriage will depart at 10.44am, drawn by 142 Royal Naval personnel. It will be followed by the King, other members of the royal family, the King’s Household and the Household of the Prince of Wales.

The procession will arrive at the West Gate of Westminster Abbey at 10.52am and the coffin will be lifted off the carriage by the bearer party and carried inside.

Before the service, the tenor bell will toll every minute for 96 minutes, reflecting the years of the Queen’s life.

The funeral will begin at 11am.

At 11.55am, The Last Post will mark the beginning of a national two-minute silence.

The Queen’s Piper will then play Reveille, the national anthem and a lament to bring the service to a close at around 12pm.

The procession and onwards to Windsor

The Queen’s coffin will be carried back to the gun carriage before the procession steps off from Westminster Abbey at 12.15pm.

The procession will move through Broad Sanctuary Parliament Square (south and east sides), Parliament Street, Whitehall, Horse Guards including Horse Guards Arch, Horse Guards Road, The Mall, Queen’s Gardens (south and west sides), Constitution Hill and Apsley Way, before arriving at Wellington Arch at 1pm.

South Wales Argus:

The coffin will be lifted off the gun carriage and placed in the state hearse, which will depart for Windsor as the parade gives a royal salute and the national anthem is played.

The King and the Queen Consort, the Prince and Princess of Wales and other members of the royal family will depart for Windsor by car.

The hearse will approach Shaw Farm Gate in Albert Road, Windsor, and join the procession, which will have been formed up and in position to step off at 3.10pm.

The committal service

The service will mark the end of public ceremonial arrangements, and will begin at 4pm.

The door of St George’s Chapel will open for the congregation at 3.20pm, with members of the royal family not in the procession arriving for the service at 3.25pm.

The hearse will process along Albert Road, Long Walk, Cambridge Gate, Cambridge Drive, George IV Gate, Quadrangle (south and west sides), Engine Court, Norman Arch, Chapel Hill and the Parade Ground.

The procession, which will have been joined by the King and other family members on the north side of the quadrangle as it passes into Engine Court, will arrive at the West Steps of the chapel in Horseshoe Cloister at 3.53pm.

The bearer party will lift the coffin from the hearse and it will be carried in procession up the steps into St George’s Chapel before the committal service.

It is not known how long the service will last.

The King and members of the royal family will depart from the Galilee Porch for Windsor Castle once the service concludes.

The private burial service

The Dean of Windsor will conduct a burial service attended by the King and members of the royal family at 7.30pm.

The Queen will be buried with the Duke of Edinburgh at King George VI Memorial Chapel.