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The announcement of the queue’s closure had been expected throughout the day on Sunday as waiting times hit a peak of 14 hours at 10am.

By 9pm the waiting time was seven hours as the last crowds filed through, with people collecting wristbands for entry at London Bridge.

The final mourner will view the coffin at 6.30am on Monday before the state funeral.

The royal family and the country will say a “last farewell” to Queen Elizabeth II during a state funeral at Westminster Abbey on Monday in which nine-year-old Prince George and his seven-year-old sister, Princess Charlotte, will walk behind their great-grandmother’s coffin.

George and Charlotte, now second and third in line to the throne, will follow their parents, the Prince and Princess of Wales, as the coffin is carried through the abbey in front of a 2,000-strong congregation including world leaders. Police have described the security operation, with more than 10,000 officers on duty, as the biggest in Britain’s history.

Eighteen members of Queen Elizabeth II’s family, led by the King, and including the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, will be present.

Here are some further details about Monday’s state funeral.

Members of Foreign Royal Families, Heads of State, and Overseas Government Representatives are received at the Great West Door by the Dean and Chapter of Westminster and are conducted to their seats in the Lantern.

Readings include 1 Corinthians 15: 20–26, 53–end, and Psalm 42: 1–7.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, will take the sermon.

An unseen portrait of the Queen has been released by Buckingham Palace on the eve of her funeral.

The photograph, taken in May before the platinum jubilee celebrations, shows the monarch smiling in her Windsor Castle home.

The Queen is wearing her favourite three-strand pearl necklace, pearl earrings and her aquamarine and diamond clip brooches which were an 18th birthday present from her father George VI in 1944.

She wore the brooches when she addressed the nation on the 75th anniversary of VE Day in 2020 and for her diamond jubilee televised speech in 2012.

The image was taken by photographer Ranald Mackechnie, who also took the jubilee portrait of the monarch.

For the Queen’s state funeral, which will take place at 11am at Westminster Abbey on Monday, the service is conducted by The Very Reverend Dr David Hoyle MBE, Dean of Westminster.

The service is sung by the Choir of Westminster Abbey and the Choir of the Chapel Royal, St James’s Palace, (Joseph McHardy, Director of Music) under the direction of James O’Donnell, Organist and Master of the Choristers, Westminster Abbey.

The State Trumpeters of the Household Cavalry are led by Trumpet Major Julian Sandford. The Fanfare Team of the Household Division Bands is conducted by Lieutenant Colonel David Barringer MBE, Commanding Officer, Household Division Bands.

The organ is played by Peter Holder, Sub-Organist, Westminster Abbey.

Before the service, the tenor bell is tolled every minute for 96 minutes, reflecting the years of Queen Elizabeth II’s life.

At the end of the service, following The Last Post, two minutes’ silence, the Reveille, and the national anthem, the Queen’s Piper, Warrant Officer Class 1 (Pipe Major) Paul Burns, will play the traditional lament Sleep, Dearie, Sleep.

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

The Dean of Westminster, the Very Reverend Dr David Hoyle, will say in The Bidding: “Here, where Queen Elizabeth was married and crowned, we gather from across the nation, from the Commonwealth, and from the nations of the world, to mourn our loss, to remember her long life of selfless service.”

The front page of Monday’s Guardian.

King Charles III and other members of the royal family may be caught in light showers as they join the Queen’s funeral procession in Windsor where the former monarch will be laid to rest.

The crowds expected to gather in London and Windsor for the event are unlikely to experience heavy rain, but the Met Office said light showers may fall before the committal service begins at 4pm.

Temperatures along the procession route will reach highs of 18C, which is around average for this time of year, forecasters said.

The morning of the funeral at Westminster Abbey is expected to stay dry, with a slight chance of showers after 1pm.

Meteorologist Alex Burkill told the PA news agency: “There is a small chance of the odd shower through the afternoon, most likely around 3pm or 4pm.”

The state hearse is expected to join the procession, which will already be in position in Windsor, at 3.06pm.

The King and other royal family members will join the procession on foot at 3.40pm.

Ninety-six lanterns, one for each year of the Queen’s life, were illuminated in a service at a Scottish monument as mourners fell silent across the country to reflect on her reign.

The service at The Kelpies, between Falkirk and Grangemouth, took place in front of the Queen Elizabeth II Canal’s pool of reflection, where hundreds honour the memory of the monarch.

Led by the Very Rev Martin Fair, minister of St Andrew’s Parish Church and former moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, lanterns and wreaths were placed in the pool and the crowds fell silent at 8pm with others across the country.

Deputy first minister John Swinney was joined by other ministers on the steps in front of the Scottish government headquarters at St Andrew’s House in Edinburgh, where they paid their respects.

Swinney said: “In reflecting on Her Majesty’s life and legacy, many of us have considered her long and valued service to the nation and the respect and admiration she had for the people of Scotland.”

The DCMS said a “decision will be taken soon on when entry to the queue will close as it reaches final capacity”.

The queue end point is at Hayes Galleria and the estimated queuing time is eight hours.

It has emerged that Big Ben did not actually strike before and after the minute’s silence to honour the Queen at 8pm as originally planned, Sky News reported.

A parliament spokesperson said: “We are investigating this as a matter of urgency but are confident that it will not affect the tolling tomorrow during the state funeral procession.”

The UK has observed a minute’s silence as part of a national moment of mourning for Queen Elizabeth II.

A small crowd of people in the queue for the Queen’s lying in state stopped near London Bridge and bowed their heads to observe the national minute’s silence before applauding at 8.01pm to mark the end of the silence.

Dozens of Metropolitan police officers also assembled in silence beside mourners before singing the national anthem.

The prime minister, Liz Truss, participated in the national moment of reflection from Downing Street.

Big Ben has tolled again to mark the end of the national moment of reflection for Queen Elizabeth II with crowds gathering around the monument.

The minute’s silence will start at 8pm.

Big Ben will toll to start the beginning of the moment of reflection.

The bell will be struck once more at 8.01pm as it ends.

An update on the queue. The DCMS said: “Entry to the queue will close when it reaches final capacity”.

The current waiting time is seven hours.

The chairman of an equestrian society that had a lifelong association with the Queen has spoken of his pride at being invited to her funeral.

Daniel Morgan, 61, will represent the 6,000 members of the Welsh Pony and Cob Society at Westminster Abbey on Monday.

Morgan, a farmer from Lampeter, Ceredigion, said: “I am very proud. I’ve been chairman now for the second year and I never thought that this would be bestowed on me.

“I am the fourth generation of my family to be breeding Welsh cobs – they really would be proud of me now.

“Our chief executive rang me last week saying that she had had an email from the Palace asking for the representative from the society to go to Her Majesty’s funeral.”

The Queen had a passion for horses and became patron of the society aged 18 in 1944.

People have been warned to avoid driving in parts of London on the day of the Queen’s funeral.

One of the UK’s biggest transport operations will take place on Monday, with around a million people expected to visit the capital.

Road closures will start to come in on the A4 and the A30 from 6am, with full closures in both directions after 10am, which are not likely to be lifted until the evening.

Multiple closures on local roads along the A4 route will also be in place.

People looking to drive around central, west and south-west London are advised to check before they travel, allow extra time for the journey and expect long delays.

Bus routes will also be severely affected with many routes diverted or stopping short of their destinations.

Some road closures will last into the evening. Around 250 extra rail services will run - including some overnight trains - and National Highways has suspended planned motorway closures across England.

King Charles III has hosted a Buckingham Palace reception for world leaders on the eve of the Queen’s funeral.

Presidents, prime ministers and royalty from across the globe came together as guests of the monarch for the event on Sunday evening.

The US president, Joe Biden, and his wife first lady Jill Biden were among approximately 500 people in the palace’s main state rooms.

About 200-250 leaders were invited, with most bringing their spouse, including France’s president, Emmanuel Macron who was joined by his wife, first lady Brigitte.

An update on the queue to see the Queen’s coffin. The estimated wait time is currently eight hours.

The end of the queue has moved to Tower Bridge.

Although many shops, bars and restaurants across the UK have said they will close tomorrow because of the state funeral of the Queen, one of London’s oldest bars, the Old Red Lion theatre pub, has said it will open.

An update on the venue’s website said: “We will be open from 10.30am until 10pm. The Old Red Lion has been open through the reign of 28 monarchs.”

Members of European royal families have also arrived at Buckingham Palace.

King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain, King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden, and Queen Margrethe II of Denmark arrived in coaches at the grand entrance of the palace.

The death of the Queen and coverage of her funeral will top the rankings of the most watched broadcasts in British television history, while newspaper publishers have seen an unprecedented boost in sales as mourners seek commemorative copies. Yet, the biggest national event in decades will not provide a commercial bonanza for media firms.

ITV has planned its largest ever outside broadcast, with all of its channels simulcasting ad-free blanket live coverage for the first time in history. The day of the funeral will also be the first time in Channel 4’s four decades on air that it has instituted a 24-hour ad block across its channels.

The BBC, which as the country’s favourite for coverage of major events is expected to capture the lion’s share of the tens of millions of viewers, has turned over flagship channels BBC One and BBC Two to broadcast the day of the funeral. Channel 4, Sky and Channel 5 are also committing significant resources and airtime.

The European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, and the president of the European Council, Charles Michel, have arrived on coaches with the leaders of several Commonwealth countries at Buckingham Palace’s grand entrance.

They were joined by New Zealand’s prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, who walked into the palace followed by the Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau, who smiled briefly at journalists.

The Brazilian president, Jair Bolsonaro, also joined dozens of other guests at the reception.

The US president, Joe Biden, and the first lady, Jill Biden, have arrived at Buckingham Palace for the reception hosted by King Charles III.

The couple arrived in the presidential car in a convoy of vehicles.

The Princess of Wales has met the first lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska, at Buckingham Palace.

Zelenska has travelled to the UK for the Queen’s funeral after her husband, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, took time out from organising his country’s fight against Russia to sign a book of condolence for the Queen.

The UK’s prime minister, Liz Truss, has arrived at Buckingham Palace for the reception, which will be attended by around 500 guests.

The foreign secretary, James Cleverly, has arrived at Buckingham Palace for a reception for heads of state hosted by the King scheduled to start at 6pm UK time.

Former royalty and presidents have begun to arrive at Buckingham Palace in large coaches.

The president of Ireland, Michael D Higgins, arrived on a coach with the former King and Queen Consort of Spain, Juan Carlos and Sofia.

The Princess of Wales has met the first lady of Ukraine ahead of the Queen’s funeral.

Catherine held an audience with Olena Zelenska at Buckingham Palace.

Zelenska earlier visited Westminster Hall to see the Queen lying in state.

Downing Street had previously declined to confirm reports that Volodymyr Zelensky’s wife would travel to the UK for the funeral.

Speaking after seeing the Queen’s coffin and signing the book of condolence, Joe Biden said it was “an honour” to meet the Queen, who he said reminded him of his mother.

He said: “To all the people of England, all the people of the United Kingdom, our hearts go out to you and you were fortunate to have had her for 70 years, we all were. The world is better for her.”

Asked why the monarch reminded him of his mother, he said: “Just because of the way she touched when she leaned over. The way she had that look, like, ‘are you okay?

“Anything I can do for you? What do you need?’ and then also: ‘Make sure you do what you are supposed to do.’”

The end of the queue for the Queen’s lying in state is moving 1.5 miles west, from Southwark Park to Potters Fields Park near Tower Bridge, officials said.

This is due to reduced numbers in the line, staff from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport said.

Chaperones at Southwark Park will direct mourners to the new end point where they will be able to collect wristbands.

Around 2,300 police officers will line the route of the Queen’s final journey from Westminster Abbey to Windsor Castle.

More than 3,000 officers from forces outside London will form part of the 10,000-strong team policing the funeral on Monday, which Metropolitan Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Stuart Cundy described as the “final and most complex phase” of the operation after the death of the monarch.

Speaking to the PA news agency, Cundy said: “This is a policing operation the Met has been planning for a considerable amount of time but on Monday we will enter our final and most complex phase of our policing operation.

“First and foremost, our priority is to ensure a safe and a secure state funeral and processional route, but also safe and secure for everyone who’s attending.

“As part of the route from Westminster Abbey to Wellington Arch, we will have 1,000 police officers alongside military personnel lining the route.

“Those officers will be engaging with the huge crowds that we’re expecting in London and I’d ask anybody, if you are coming to London, to pay your respects and to see Her Majesty the Queen: if you see anything out of the ordinary, if you hear anything suspicious, please speak to one of the thousands of police officers who will be on duty.”

The US president, Joe Biden, and the first lady, Jill Biden, are have paid their respects at the Queen’s coffin in Westminster Hall from a viewing platform.

Spain’s King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia earlier paid their respects at the Queen’s coffin.

Food confiscated from people waiting in the queue for the Queen’s lying in state is being donated to charity.

People are not allowed to take food or drink inside the Palace of Westminster and any such items will be confiscated.

The Felix Project, a charity, said it expects to collect over two tonnes of food, mostly snacks including crisps, chocolate and biscuits, and is also accepting unwanted blankets.

It will distribute the items to the thousands of community groups it works with across the capital.

Brazil’s far-right president Jair Bolsonaro has been accused of using the Queen’s funeral as a political soapbox after he flew into London to deliver a speech to supporters about the dangers of leftists, abortion and “gender ideology”.

Speaking from the balcony of the Brazilian ambassador’s 19th century Mayfair home on Sunday, the South American populist voiced “profound respect” for the royal family and UK citizens and claimed honoring Queen Elizabeth II was the “main objective” of his visit to London.

But Bolsonaro – who looks poised to lose next month’s presidential election back in Brazil – then switched immediately into campaign mode, despite the moment of mourning.

“We’re on the right path,” Brazil’s president told hundreds of yellow-clad supporters who had rallied outside the listed building – less than two miles from Westminster Hall where the Queen was lying in state.

“We are a country that does not want to discuss the legalization of drugs, that does not want to discuss the legalization of abortion and a country which does not accept gender ideology,” Bolsonaro went on. “Our slogan is: God, homeland, family and freedom.”

“Bolsonaro has turned the Queen’s funeral into an election soapbox,” complained Joice Hasselmann, a right-wing politician and former Bolsonaro ally.

The archbishop of Canterbury, who will preach the sermon at Monday’s state funeral, said he will miss the Queen “hugely” as he praised King Charles for having “the sense of service and duty, that is the equal of Her late Majesty’s”.

Justin Welby told Sky News he believes the Queen will now “unite more global leaders, possibly, than at any point in human history” as heads of state, royal families and government representatives from around the world gather at Westminster Abbey for her funeral.

Welby said he hoped and prayed that was a moment “where they will reflect on their own leadership”, looking to her example and taking “a moment where they say to themselves, ‘I would really like people to look on me in the way that they look on her’.

“She was deeply faithful and faith filled. A demonstrative, quiet Christian, who trusted in the faithfulness of God.”

Here is a view of crowds gathered at Windsor Castle a few minutes ago.

The prime minister, Liz Truss, is now in a meeting with the Polish president, Andrzej Duda, in Downing Street, PA Media reports.

It is the latest in a series of engagements for Truss today which has included an audience with King Charles at Buckingham Palace, and visits to Downing Street from the taoiseach, Micheál Martin, and Canada’s prime minister, Justin Trudeau.

Mark Sweney reports for the Guardian that while the Queen’s funeral may break TV records, it will be no cash bonanza for the media industry:

The death of the Queen and coverage of her funeral will top the ranks of the most-watched broadcasts in British television history, while newspaper publishers have seen an unprecedented boost in sales as mourners seek commemorative copies. And yet the biggest national event in decades will not provide a commercial bonanza for media firms.

ITV has planned its largest ever outside broadcast, with all of its channels simulcasting ad-free blanket live coverage for the first time in history. The day of the funeral will also be the first time in Channel 4’s four decades on air that it has instituted a 24-hour ad block across its channels.

The BBC, which as the nation’s favourite for coverage of major events is expected to capture the lion’s share of the 10s of millions of viewers, has turned over flagship channels BBC1 and BBC2 to broadcast the day of the funeral. Channel 4, Sky and Channel 5 are also committing significant resources and airtime.

This all means the event’s total national reach, the number of individual viewers who watch at least some coverage, could surpass that of two of the most-watched live TV events ever – England’s 1966 World Cup win and Princess Diana’s funeral in 1997.

Mass media TV events are usually cash cows for commercial broadcasters, with 30-second ad breaks in an X Factor final or an England game in the latter stages of a major football tournament running to hundreds of thousands of pounds. However, there was a total TV advertising blackout following the death of the Queen, in accordance with a protocol agreement with Buckingham Palace, over most of the weekend.

“We are talking about the loss of millions and millions of pounds of advertising for media owners,” says a senior executive at a UK media agency. “It’s kind of like the mass media event that commercially never was.”

Read more of Mark Sweney’s report here: Queen’s funeral may break TV records – but it’s no cash bonanza for media industry

The taoiseach, Micheál Martin, has posted to Twitter a picture of him signing the book of condolence at Lancaster House, repeating his words from earlier that he viewed Queen Elizabeth II as having done “so much for reconciliation on these islands”. [See 1.21pm]

At the same time we also have a picture from King Charles’s meeting with the prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Gaston Browne, which appears to have included some smiles and humour.

Browne has said he will call for a referendum on the country becoming a republic within three years, replacing Charles as head of state.

Emine Sinmaz is in Westminster for the Guardian:

People have been pitching up tents in Westminster and along the Mall in anticipation of Monday’s procession.

Sue Kaminski, 68, who travelled from the Isle of Wight, picked a spot outside Westminster tube station at 1.30am.

“If you want to see the funeral, you want a front row seat,” she said.

She befriended Anita Last, 66, and Ben Watts, 29, who sat beside her.

“I’ve come from Birmingham because I want to be here for the funeral. I’ve always loved the Queen and she’s always been there,” said Anita, who arrived at 6am.

“I queued up for the Queen’s lying in state for six hours on Thursday and I wanted to be here for the funeral too,” said Ben, from Guildford, who arrived at 4am. “It’s a genuine once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

My colleague Rachel Hall has written an explainer of what we can expect to see happen in the next few days after the Queen’s funeral, including where King Charles and the Queen Consort might live:

About 100 employees of Clarence House, where Charles and Camilla lived until the Queen’s death, have received notification they could lose their jobs because he will no longer live there.

Although we know King Charles is leaving Clarence House, we don’t know where he is moving. Queen Elizabeth II had several residences, including Buckingham Palace, Balmoral and Windsor Castle.

There has not yet been any official announcement, but it is expected that the new monarch will live at Buckingham Palace, which Charles is understood to consider an important symbol of the monarchy.

However, Buckingham Palace is currently undergoing a £369m taxpayer-funded refurbishment, which will not be complete until 2027. This could mean that Charles and Camilla delay their move.

You can read more here: What happens after the Queen’s funeral as Charles III’s reign begins?

Someone has bought a corgi along to Buckingham Palace today, and Clive is clearly proving a hit with the crowd.

Among representatives of the Commonwealth, the president of Singapore and the head of state of Samoa have been paying their respects at Westminster Hall.

The DCMS has said that the queuing time is now at least 11-and-a-half hours, and is still urging people not to travel to join the queue.

An image has been released of King Charles meeting the prime minister, Liz Truss, in the 1844 room at Buckingham Palace earlier today.

There are also photos of Canada’s prime minister, Justin Trudeau, being welcomed at 10 Downing Street, where he is meeting Truss.

The 70th minute in the Brentford v Arsenal Premier League match has been marked with a minute’s applause to mark the late Queen’s 70-year reign.

That has not been the case in Scotland today, where PA Media reports that Celtic supporters chanted “If you hate the royal family clap your hands” during a minute’s applause in memory of the Queen before their Scottish Premiership game against St Mirren.

The hosts had confirmed the planned applause days after Celtic became the subject of Uefa disciplinary proceedings when supporters displayed an banner reading “Fuck the crown” during Wednesday’s Champions League draw with Shakhtar Donetsk in Poland.

Visiting fans housed in one stand behind the goals in Paisley chanted the anti-monarchy sentiment and there was banner held up which read: “If you hate the royal family clap your hands”.

In the runup to Sunday’s game, Celtic’s manager Ange Postecoglou had called on fans to respect the tribute: “I have the same message to our fans that we always have. As I said before the game [against Shakhtar], we will abide by the protocols. We wore black armbands on Wednesday night.

“I think there’s a minute’s applause [on Sunday], we will abide by whatever obligations and responsibilities we have as a football club. We will do that in a respectful manner. We want our supporters to do the same.”

You can read more here: Celtic fans sing anti-royal family song during minute’s applause for the Queen

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said he is grateful for the invitation to the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II and paid tribute to her contribution to reconciliation. Speaking to reporters in London, PA Media quotes him saying:

I appreciate the opportunity to be here at the funeral accompanying the president to pay our tribute to Queen Elizabeth’s dedicated service to the people of the United Kingdom and of course, her contribution to reconciliation on these islands and particularly in terms of the relationship between Britain and Ireland.

We all recall that historic visit in 2011, which in many ways cemented the relationship between our two countries in the modern era.

Almost the crowning event of a whole series of events prior to that in terms of peace building, reconciliation, leading to the Good Friday agreement, and I think that was the significance of that visit.

Martin said that by “her warmth, her authentic actions, and by actions and by what she did, she made an enormous contribution”.

He added: “I think it also reflects the breadth and the depth of the relationship between Britain and Ireland. Between the British people and the Irish people, and many Irish in Britain, for whom this is a sad occasion in terms of the passing of Queen Elizabeth. She was a constant in many lives for a long, long time. An extraordinary, historic reign.”

This graphic shows the timings and routes of the funeral on Monday as it processes first from Westminster Hall to Westminster Abbey, then later on to Windsor.

About 1 million people are expected to visit the central London area around the royal palaces for the Queen’s funeral, making it one of the busiest days in the history of the capital’s transport network.

The Transport for London commissioner, Andy Byford, said there had been “huge numbers of additional passengers” using TfL services since the Queen’s death on 8 September, but that demand would “reach a climax” on Monday.

“We’re ready for probably one of the busiest days Transport for London has ever faced. It’s hard to say exactly how many additional people [will travel], but we’re preparing for potentially a million people just within the footprint of the royal palaces and Hyde Park,” Byford said.

Visitors have been warned that the network could be overwhelmed if too many people travel home directly after the funeral procession leaves Westminster shortly after noon, with transport bosses urging mourners to delay their journeys and check for travel updates.

Tributes have been paid to the late Queen this morning at Newmarket, where some of the Queen’s horses have been ridden on the gallops wearing her colours during the Henry Cecil Open Weekend.

Flowers have been left by a statue of Queen Elizabeth II in Newmarket as well.

The taoiseach, Micheál Martin, has had a 45-minute meeting with the British prime minister, Liz Truss, during which the Northern Ireland protocol and the collapse of power sharing in Northern Ireland was expected to have been discussed.

No statements are being issued by either side due to the continuing period of mourning for the Queen.

It was one of just five meetings with world leaders Downing Street had organised ahead of tomorrow’s funeral, giving rise to hopes of a thaw in the icy relations with the EU and the UK will return to talks in the next few weeks.

The Irish foreign minister, Simon Coveney, said on Friday he was cautiously optimistic there would be an “opening of an honest effort to try to settle some of these issues that have been outstanding for far too long”.

A few moments ago King Charles III returned to Buckingham Palace by car. He is scheduled to meet the prime minister, Liz Truss, at 12.15.

Among the visitors to Westminster Hall this morning have been the president of Ireland, Michael D Higgins, and his wife Sabina, alongside the taoiseach, Micheál Martin, paying their respects to the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II.

Martin spent an hour at Downing Street earlier. As well as meeting the recently appointed British prime minister, Liz Truss, he was photographed on the steps of No 10 saying hello to Larry, the resident cat.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has issued a series of photographs showing world leaders who are in London to attend the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II signing a book of condolence at Lancaster House.

Here is an image from earlier this morning of members of the public at the end of the queue in Southwark Park as they wait to view Queen Elizabeth II lying in state.

Like the nation itself, Guardian readers are divided over whether they will be spending Monday watching the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, or getting on with something else entirely. Clea Skopeliti has spoken to some of them for us.

Dinah, 65, a researcher in London said she had “no interest at all”, adding “It feels like it’s becoming obligatory to be a monarchist, rather than letting people make their own choice. I find it really horrible. I’ll just go for a walk with my family and make the most of a day off.”

Angela Dennis, 47, and a business manager at a charity in Suffolk, has a very different view, telling the Guardian “I watch all royal events, especially weddings on the TV, with my daughter. We both love all the ceremony and following the story of the day as it moves from early preparations to the main event and then the closing. We will be watching the funeral together with her partner, and we have planned a homemade buffet which is always a part of our royal TV days. We have called our event ‘the Queen’s wake’.”

You can read more from them and other readers here: G&T and scones or ‘no interest at all’ – how readers will watch Queen’s funeral

Earlier it was being reported in some places that a station announcement at South Kensington tube station had told travellers that the queue to file past the Queen was “closed”. TfL have now confirmed to PA Media that the message was read in error.

However, the DCMS advice remains that people should not set off from home to join the queue at this point, as it will be closing at some point later today.

London Stock Exchange has confirmed it will close on Monday to mark the death of the Queen.

The London markets, including the FTSE 100 and associated trading indexes, will not operate on the day of the monarch’s funeral, which is also a bank holiday in the UK. Commonwealth countries including Australia and New Zealand have also confirmed closures on public holidays in the coming days.

Trading terminals in London have operated every day since the Queen’s death was announced on Thursday 8 September, and the exchange opened and closed at the usual times the following day.

The stock exchange normally closes for bank holidays and weekends.

The London Stock Exchange Group said last week: “We are deeply saddened at the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

“Our sympathies and condolences are with the royal family.”

It said: “On the day of the funeral of Her Majesty the Queen, the London Stock Exchange would be closed for trading.

“It is to remain open for trading as usual during the official period of mourning.

“More information on our business days is available via our website.”

Businesses are not required to close on the day of the funeral, although many have decided to pause trading in a mark of respect.

The London Metal Exchange has been criticised by some members for its decision to remain open on Monday.

The exchange will open its electronic market but close its pit on the day of the funeral, meaning many traders will have to work, the Financial Times reported.

The Guardian has contacted LME for comment.

Meanwhile, the Canadian government has declared Monday a federal holiday to mark the funeral, but the Toronto Stock Exchange will continue to trade as normal.

In Australia, Monday will be a normal working day, but Australians will get a public holiday on Thursday 22 September, when Sydney’s Australian Securities Exchange will be closed.

New Zealand’s exchange will close on Monday 26 September, which is to be a bank holiday.

The DCMS tracker that has been indicating wait times for the queue to pass the Queen’s coffin has changed to a static screen repeating the earlier message “A decision will be taken today on final queue closure time. To avoid disappointment please do not set off for the queue.”

In a tweet at 11.07am, the DCMS said that the “queuing time is at least 13 hours”, which is the latest figure they have given.

The Royal Parks has issued advice for those intending to visit central London today to view or leave floral tributes. It has said:

The Green Park and St James’s Park are expected to be exceptionally busy today. You may prefer to visit the Hyde Park Floral Tribute Garden and walk from Victoria Station or arrive via Bayswater or Knightsbridge.

The King’s itinerary for today includes meeting the prime minister and several heads of state.

Charles will meet Liz Truss at 12.15 in Buckingham Palace, and that will be followed at 1pm by a meeting with prime ministers of the realms which will include the prime minister of Tuvalu, Kausea Natano, the prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Gaston Browne, and the prime minister of Papua New Guinea, James Marape.

At 6pm the King and Queen Consort will be hosting a reception for heads of state and officials overseas guests who have come to London for the funeral.

Yesterday, Charles met prime ministers from Commonwealth countries including Justin Trudeau, Anthony Albanese, Jacinda Ardern, Philip Davis and Andrew Holness.

There are a few more quotes from the New Zealand prime minister, Jacinda Ardern’s BBC interview this morning. She said she had no intention of instigating the process of New Zealand becoming a republic, even though she has previously suggested that would happen in her lifetime. She said:

I think even the Queen herself has observed and acknowledged the evolution over time in our relationships. My observation is that there will continue to be an evolution in our relationship. I don’t believe it will be quick or soon, but over the course of my lifetime.

We have complex arrangements, the treaty of Waitangi - a very important founding document for Aotearoa, New Zealand, signed between Māori and the Crown. This is why it’s not a process I have any intent of instigating, but if and when it does occur, it will take time, and it will need to be very carefully worked through.

PA Media also quotes her saying that the transition from Queen to King will not be “jarring”, explaining: “He shares many passions and interests that New Zealanders do, and I think that means that relationship already exists.”

The New Zealand prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, has told the BBC that in her conversation with King Charles he expressed gratitude for the condolences of the people who had come out to take part in the week’s events. PA Media reports she said:

I’ll keep my comments here very, very general because we always try to keep in close confidence the conversations we are lucky enough to have with His Majesty.

But the overriding sentiment was just the gratitude for the great effort that people were putting into coming and paying their respects, and by that I mean not just leaders, but people.

You could see that it meant a huge amount to have seen the sheer scale and outpouring of people’s love and affection for Her Late Majesty.

Ardern also expressed surprise that it had become such a topic of conversation that world leaders would be travelling together by bus to the funeral on Monday.

She said: “I don’t think the bus warrants too much fuss. When we came here for the Commonwealth heads of government meeting we used buses for transport. It just makes good sense. We’re a very practical people.”

The former archbishop of York, Lord Sentamu, has been interviewed on the BBC this morning as part of the Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme. PA Media reports he told viewers that the Queen did not want a “boring” funeral service, saying:

What you’re going to expect is the best of funeral services, the prayer book service, the words which were an inspiration to Shakespeare.

You’re going to hear this wonderful English at its best, also you’re going to hear angelic voices of the choir of the abbey plus the Chapels Royal, you really hear voices that are singing to the glory of God.

The Queen does not and did not want what you call long, boring services. You’re not going to find boredom, but you’re going to be lifted to glory as you hear the service. The hearts and people’s cockles will be warmed.

If you were planning on doing something other than watching the funeral tomorrow in the UK, you may find your choices a little bit limited.

PA Media reports that a raft of the country’s biggest retailers have said they will shut their stores so workers can pay tribute to the Queen, including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, Lidl and Aldi. Marks & Spencer and Primark have also said they will shut for the day, and cinema chains Cineworld and Odeon have announced plans to keep their venues shut.

Tesco says it will open its Express convenience stores from 5pm. Asda said it will shut its stores for the funeral, but all its supermarkets will open from 5pm, with colleagues working on Monday evening receiving double pay.

The government has issued some advice for members of the public as to how they can watch some of the ceremonial parts of tomorrow’s state funeral. It says:

At 10.44am, the Queen’s coffin will be moved from the Palace of Westminster to Westminster Abbey. Two thousand guests are expected to attend, which will begin at 11am and [be] followed by a national two-minute silence at 11.55am.

A public procession will begin at 12.15pm as Her Majesty’s coffin travels from Westminster Abbey to Wellington Arch in London.

The procession will travel along Broad Sanctuary, Parliament Square, Whitehall, Horse Guards Parade, Horse Guards Road, The Mall, Constitution Hill and end at London’s Wellington Arch.

Space dedicated for those with accessibility requirements is available at the Green Park side of The Mall and the St James’s Park side of The Mall. The Albert Memorial viewing areas will have British Sign Language interpreters and a hearing loop.

Away from London, there are many events to commemorate the life of Queen Elizabeth II taking place today.

These include remembrance services taking place at various times in cathedrals including Blackburn, Bradford, Canterbury, Chichester, Durham, Gloucester, Lichfield, Liverpool, Manchester, Norwich, Sheffield and Worcester.

The government website has provided a list of events taking place today here.

Peter Stanford, the author of How To Read a Graveyard: Journeys in the Company of the Dead, has written for the Observer today about the rituals of death and the meaning of grief. In it, he says:

However much we feel in the peak of life, with full diaries and every possibility in front of us, the ritual of attending a funeral – or watching one on our screens on a day set aside as a national holiday for us to do so – is both an unconditional invitation to reflect on our own mortality, and an opportunity openly to recall those who have gone in our lives, to mourn them afresh. We will remember, as we watch the Queen’s children and grandchildren try to hold back the tears, how we have done the same in similar circumstances.

And grief for those we loved, and whose death leaves a space never filled in our lives, never ever goes. We just get used to living with it, learning to shed our tears for lost parents, siblings, partners, children, friends, in private rather than in public. The Queen’s funeral will lift that veil for a day at least.

You can read more of Peter Stanford’s piece here: A ritual of life – In mourning the Queen we are confronted with our own mortality

Tonight at 8pm in the UK there is scheduled to be what is described as “a national moment of reflection”, with people urged to observe one minute of silence. That will follow a pre-recorded televised address by the Queen Consort, as Nadeem Badshah reports:

The Queen Consort is to pay a televised tribute to the Queen on Sunday, praising her for carving out her own role for many years while being in the “difficult position” of being a “solitary woman” in a male-dominated world.

In prerecorded words, she will also recall the late monarch’s “wonderful blue eyes” and say: “I will always remember her smile.”

The Queen Consort’s tribute to her mother-in-law is to be broadcast shortly before the national minute’s silence at 8pm.

Camilla will say: “She’s been part of our lives for ever. I’m 75 now and I can’t remember anyone except the Queen being there. It must have been so difficult for her being a solitary woman.

“There weren’t women prime ministers or presidents. She was the only one so I think she carved her own role.”

Remembering the late monarch, Camilla will add: “She’s got those wonderful blue eyes, that when she smiles they light up her whole face. I will always remember her smile. That smile is unforgettable.”

You can read more of Nadeem Badshah’s report here: Camilla to pay tribute to Queen in TV broadcast

Just as a note, if you had missed the news, during this process there had been an accessible route, which started at Tate Britain, and which had timed slots for people with access requirements to be able to play their part in the national mourning.

That has now permanently closed, with all the time slots and wristbands allocated, and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has said:

The accessible queue for lying in state has reached full capacity and is now permanently closed. Wristbands for all time slots are allocated so that as many people as possible can pay their respects. Please do not join the queue at Tate Britain. Thank you for your understanding.

You can read more about that in Charlie Moloney’s report here: Accessible queue for Queen’s coffin permanently closes after reaching ‘full capacity’

Good morning from London. Today is the last full day of lying in state for the Queen’s coffin, ahead of tomorrow’s state funeral.

Heads of state and members of foreign royal families are expected to start arriving in London later for funeral.

The King is also due to hold an audience with Liz Truss at Buckingham Palace, while the King and Queen Consort will host heads of state and official overseas guests at the palace, in what the King’s spokesman described as an “official state event”.

A service of reflection will be held for the Queen at the Kelpies sculptures near Falkirk, Scotland, and members of the public are invited to observe a one-minute silence at 8pm to remember the Queen.

We will bring you all the latest developments throughout the day. I’m Martin Belam, and you can reach me at martin.belam@theguardian.com