Queen Elizabeth II's funeral to be held on September 19 at Westminster Abbey

Thousands of people are expected to visit and pay their respects while the queen lies in state

Queen Elizabeth II's state funeral will be held on September 19. AFP

Queen Elizabeth II dies — follow the latest news as the world mourns

The state funeral of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II will be held at Westminster Abbey on Monday, September 19, the Earl Marshal, the Duke of Norfolk, announced on Saturday.

It will start at 11am in London (2pm UAE time).

Further details were confirmed of the carefully choreographed London Bridge plans, which will include a four-day lying in state at Westminster Hall from Wednesday September 14.

The king on Saturday approved an order that the day of the Queen's funeral will be a bank holiday.

The Lord President of the Council, Penny Mordaunt, said: "Drafts of two proclamations. One — appointing the day of her late Majesty's state funeral as a bank holiday in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

"Two — appointing the day of Her late Majesty's state funeral as a bank holiday in Scotland. And of two orders in council, directing the Lord Chancellor to affix the great seal to the proclamations."

Charles answered: "Approved."

The late monarch's oak coffin — which is lying in the Ballroom at Balmoral Castle — will be taken by road to the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh on Sunday September 11, on a slow six-hour journey by hearse, to allow mourners gathered in the towns and villages to pay their respects.

On Monday, the coffin will be taken from Holyroodhouse in procession to St Giles’s Cathedral where it will lie at rest until Tuesday, September 13, before being taken by air by a Royal Air Force plane to London. The queen's daughter Princess Anne will accompany the coffin on the flight.

The cortege is expected to leave Balmoral at 10am on Sunday.

Well-wishers are expected to gather along the route the cortege will take as it travels from Balmoral to the Scottish capital.

It will first head to the nearby town on Ballater, where it is expected at approximately 10.12am, then to Aberdeen, Dundee and on to Edinburgh.

Scotland's political leader Nicola Sturgeon and other politicians in Scotland are expected to observe the coffin as it goes past the Scottish Parliament.

From there it will be taken into the Palace of Holyroodhouse, where it will remain for the night.

The queen will lie in state “four clear days” in Westminster Hall, arriving there on Wednesday September 14 until 6.30am on the morning of her funeral, a senior palace official said.

Thousands of people will be able to file past to see the late monarch’s coffin — and more information about how the public can attend will be announced in the coming days.

On Saturday, there was a surprise four-way appearance of Prince William, his wife the Princess of Wales , Prince Harry and his wife Meghan have appeared outside Windsor Castle.

A spokesman for King Charles III said the monarch’s main focus would be leading the royal family and nation in mourning over the coming days.

“Whilst, in the next few days, the King will carry out all the necessary state duties, his main focus will be leading the Royal Family, the nation, the Realms and the Commonwealth in mourning Her Majesty The Queen. This will include meeting members of the public, to share in their grief,” the spokesman said.